Short Cuts In Planning Your Weeks Menu

Hello Followers,


Another weekend shot in the foot!!!! I went and visited my mum over the weekend and a break from cooking I did not have. Mum feels not confident enough to cook meals that are sugar free so has me do all the cooking. Honestly I think this is a big cop-out as if anyone ever cooks using only fresh/ natural ingredients, it is my mum. Having been bought up on a farm miles from any shops (and in the good old days), her main meal recipes usually involve home grown or fresh vegetables, meats, fish, and chicken. There definitely are no tinned/bottled/ packeted products of any kind added to her cooking. Everything is from scratch. Mind you the afternoon teas and desserts she is also famous for are a definite no-no sugar wise. But that is a whole bottled other story. Living on her own, I really think she just loves someone else cooking and knows that my meals are centred around what she likes. Oh well...... but it would be nice to have a break from the cooking sometimes (whinge, whinge!!!!).


Now in the last post I suggested to you all that I would give some hints on how to plan the weeks meals so that not so much planning/ cooking is required especially if you work. Granted that in my household there is only Ralphy and I, but we both do shift work and often have opposing shifts. So I find myself having to prepare/cook meals ahead of time especially when I have a late followed by an early shift and Ralphy is on the opposite time schedule.....and he doesn't cook full stop!!! He is a great washer-upper and will warm up meals in the microwave, but that is where he draws the line. So what do I do.... well........

Before we get into the guts of it....yuck....what a horrible word!!!!........I suggest you start with a blank meal planning calendar. Make a list of what you have on hand in the freezer, fridge and pantry. This way when you plan you can add to your plan some make-ahead meals or preparations as you go. At this stage, it is a good idea to check with your family what is happening in their lives for the week that may interfer with your well laid plans!!! Do you need to make a meal in 15 minutes for example versus 30 minutes and what days work best for you for baking and meal preparation. And don't forget to plan around leftovers. They always seem to get a bad rap but with a little imagination to 'spice' things up, leftovers can be a very handy resource especially on busy nights...... and a saving. I so hate wasting good food by having to throw it out.


Below is an example of the sort of week I usually plan for Ralphy and I. It is by no means set in concrete as there is always the inevitable event happening in our lives, not to mention changes in our shifts. But it should give you a heads up and help you 'connect the dots' especially when you read some of the hints that follow this menu plan. 

	SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Lunch	Grilled Foccacia (may use some of the grilled left-over vegetables from roast dinner Saturday night), grill eggplant.	Rice salad (use frozen rice from previous week and defrosted meatballs) or quick omelets in microwave, parsley, some left over  roasted vegetables).	Salsa of tomatoes, capsicum, chives basil, fetta cheese, olives, diced beef (from previous weeks roast beef) on slice of toast	Left over Pizza	Pasta (defrosted) with diced grilled chicken. Add freshly diced salad vegetables….tomatoes, capsicum, capers, microwaved sliced broccolini, greek yoghurt, Dijon mustard.	Potato wedges with greek yoghurt, fish cakes (defrosted from previous week), fresh green salad	Lamb jaffels (use left over lamb casserole)
Dinner	Pasta with steamed broccoli, mushrooms, and grilled bacon. (Cook extra pasta and freeze)	Lamb casserole with mashed potatoes and buttered French beans (freeze leftovers)	Pizza night (use vegetables leftover from Sunday) with some grilled chicken (double for next day)	Steak and vegetables	Grilled fish with home made potato wedges (double up)and fresh salad	Spaghetti with meatballs, Garlic bread or rolls (freeze extra meatballs)	Roasted Chicken (double, freeze leftovers.) roasted vegetables (double, smaller  dice, freeze)

Hint 1. Purchase a huge piece of beef/ lamb and roast it. When cooked, cut into several segments. One segment I will use for dinner that night as a lovely roast dinner. Another piece I usually finely dice and place in a container in the fridge (this I use for lunches...see hint 4 below). Another piece I will cut up into slightly larger pieces and place in a container in the freezer. This container I will use later in the week to make a curry or pasta meal (see 5 below).


Hint 2. After removing the roast meat from the baking tray, add some water to the dish and bring back to the boil (I do this on the top of the stove on a coil) to dissolve all the lovely meat juices. I then decanter some of this liquid into a jug leaving only enough in the baking dish to make a lovely gravy for the night meal. I won't tell you how to make a gravy here as I know you have this under you belt already....right????


When the liquid in the jug has cooled, I pour this into several of those lovely little silicone cupcake containers that are so popular nowadays and freeze. Make sure you place these cupcake containers on a tray before filling with the cooled meat juice as it is much easier to handle. Once frozen, they are very easy to demould and then place in a freezer bag for later use in flavouring meals.


Hint 3. When cooking the roast over several hours, prepare lots of vegetables. And I mean lots of all sorts of vegetables. Potatoes, pumpkin, onions, celery, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, beetroot, parsnips, mushrooms, capsicums.....whatever you like or have. Usually for the dinner that night with the roast beef, I will select some of the potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, pumpkin, and carrots and leave in roast dinner sized pieces. The remainder of the vegetables I cut into much smaller pieces (about 2cm) and mix together in a big bowl with some olive oil, fresh rosemary and paprika. I then place these vegetables on a tray (or two) that has been covered with baking/non-stick paper and pop into the oven to cook with the roasting meat that should be merrily cooking away. Keep an eye on these vegetables and stir after 20 minutes or so to cook evenly. Usually these vegetables are ready after around 40 minutes depending on the heat of your oven. When cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool. Place in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Then I place the remaining vegetables (cut into the bigger pieces) in the oven for the dinner that night.


Hint 4. When you need to cook rice (hopefully brown rice!!!!), make sure you cook up heaps of it. Take what you require for your dinner that night and place the remainder into sealed containers and freeze for later use. You can do the same with pastas especially the shells and penne, tubes, and bows.


Hint 5. Grow in pots near your back door (or on the kitchen sill if you gets lots of sunlight), herbs for flavouring your dishes. Because you are not using lots of sugar-laden sauces, herbs are a great food enhancer. Of course, there is always the supermarket until these herbs get growing!!! And don't forget a bowl of lemons kept on the kitchen bench for that quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice to finish a dish....it's a must have and allowable.


I also always have available in the refrigerator fresh Parmesan cheese (for grating on my dishes), feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, natural greek yogurt, kalamata olives, a bottle of capers, and some Dijon mustard.


Hint 5. For a lunch or light dinner, combine a defrosted container of rice or pasta with some of the roasted chopped up vegetables you had already cooked (hint 3), the diced roast meat (hint 1), perhaps some additional pieces of diced feta cheese, a few thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and some yummy sliced kalamata olives. Or save the meat for another meal and instead quickly place some bacon rashers in the microwave on absorbent paper and zap for a minute or so until cooked and then dice and add to the dish...... or open a tin of your favourite fish.... or break a couple of eggs in a microwave safe bowl and mix with some salt and a dash of milk and cook for a minute (according to your microwave instructions), then chop up and add to rice or pasta dish....or if wanting a nice hot meal, don't forget to use one of the roast meat 'stock cubes' you made in hint 2.......... or....


Do you see what I am suggesting here. By thinking ahead and having some of the meals already partly prepared, it is not that time consuming or difficult to make entirely different dishes by just adding a few optional ingredients each time. And don't forget the herbs in these options. Basil, parsley, chives really add lots of flavour as does a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of good olive oil.


I hope these few helpful suggestions have started you thinking of a more healthy, and enjoyable way of cooking that isn't too labour intensive or brain zapping and free of sugar, in particular fructose!!! It will take a bit of getting used to initially I am sure (as does anything new) but with a little practise, planning, and patience, you will reap the rewards in no time. Meals will be so healthy, inviting and tasty...... and you will actually find that your grocery bill won't be that bad either. 


Most of your shopping will be around the periphery of the supermarket with only occasionalvisits to the rice, pasta, and flour lanes. Someone once told me to commence my weeks plan at the end of the week after the weeks supermarket specials come out. Hey, if this works for you and your family is on a budget or if you simply want to cut back on your spending, then go for it. 


Oh...and I almost forgot to give you the best hint of all time.....POST YOUR MEAL PLAN. Stick it on the fridge. This way, your whole family know what they'll be having for dinner and can help out by commencing dinner if you are running late or take something out of the freezer. Of course if you are married to someone like my Ralphy, then you may just starve....or have to resort to vegamite on toast!!!!


So good luck my cherubs in your menu planning..... and don't forget....
..........sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite..........Noels

Fructose Free Anzac Biscuits

Hi Everyone,
Well Saturday was weigh in day again and we are pleased to report that after our Easter week weight gain (only little.....not quite 1kg each), we are back to where we were pre-Easter....which is great although Ralphy is a bit disheartened. I really think he wants it to fall off by the bucket loads. But a sedentary life most weekends won't cut it (so to speak). And we are eating well... sometimes really surpassing our satisfaction state in appetite control...hence the Easter little gain!!!!  I believe that we need to cut down on the carbs a little more, (allowable and yummy as they are). The bottom line is still that old equation - energy in < energy out = lose weight..... Einstein would be so proud of me!!!!


How do I feel all up with my new "lesser" me? In a word - great! I do have more energy, more bounce, more motivation as the weeks go by. Sometimes I feel like grabbing something naughty like an ice-cream when we go out or a ???............ actually, it just dawned on me as I am typing away that most times I don't really feel like anything. I don't actually ever miss anything not allowed that I would want to go out and intentionally buy. This doesn't mean if I see someone indulging in a Ferro Roche I don't salivate embarrassingly. But it is all what the eyes see and the memory triggers that makes me almost instantly drown in my own saliva. But once I move on, it is all forgotten. Soooo.... the secret is to try and avoid being tempted although I am getting better at resisting. I have a will-power now that my dear sweet dad would be sooooooo very proud of.


And the really "bestest" thing happening lately is all the compliments I am getting from my work mates. They don't realise just how much of a bounce they put in my step every time they comment on how great I am looking/ how much weight I have lost. I love them so much for making me feel so good. Just as well I don't wear tops with buttons down the front as I would pop the buttons I am sure. 


And this is a lesson to self. To try and say something really genuine and nice to at least one person each day in my life. If I can make one person a day feel even half as good as I feel when I have a nice compliment given to me, then my days goal is achieved. I truly don't think this is going to be a challenge as I work with some pretty amazing people who give so much of themselves. But enough soppiness.... it is going to make my next recipe all soggy and soft!!!!


Being Anzac Day tomorrow, I just had to do Anzac Biscuits. Yes you heard me correctly.....Anzac Biscuits with no sugar!!!! And they are yummy....really firm and yummy and close to the original flavour..... and allowable in our 'diet'....although calories are calories and will stop you losing weight if you have more than one (or two). 


This recipe is out of my cooking bible by David Gillespie.... the Sweet Poison Quit Plan.  If you haven't purchased it yet and want to join us on the fructose free lifestyle plan, then I suggest you get your little butts off quickly and order it. By the way Big W usually stock it. As David says, "The critical part of the traditional Anzac biscuit is golden syrup". And as I mentioned in an earlier posting for those who have been following me to date, golden syrup is full of fructose and a BIG NO NO!!!! But we can use liquid glucose purchased from the supermarket, the result being a nice hard tooth-breaking biscuit that you expect the Anzac biscuit to be. So here goes.


Anzac Biscuits

Makes approx. 24

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup coconut

1 1/4 cups dextrose

150g butter

3 tablespoons boiling water

4 tablespoons glucose syrup

1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

• Preheat oven to 150º C (300º F). 
• Line two baking trays with paper.
• Sift flour into a large bowl. Add oats, coconut and dextrose, then set aside.
• Melt butter in a saucepan, then add syrup and water. Allow mixture to boil briefly before taking off the heat. Add baking powder to the saucepan, allow it to foam, then pour immediately onto dry ingredients. Mix well.
• Take heaped teaspoon sized pieces of mixture and press out thinly (about a fingers width) onto greased trays, allowing room for spreading.
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden.
• Cool on a wire rack (biscuits will be soft and spongy when warm, but will harden as they cool).
• Store in an airtight container.

If you want to make a variation on the theme, try adding 2 teaspoons of ground ginger (or more, if you like) and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to this mixture before you bake it.

Challenge

• To stop at only one or two!!!!  BE WARNED!!

I hope you are starting to get the gist of this new healthy eating plan by now. It doesn't mean cutting your throat or doing without the sort of treats life threw our way. It does however mean that we have to be more motivated and creative in the kitchen and actually do more than open a packet of frozen food and heat it in the microwave.  Yes, we must actually cook and occasionally be required to adapt old favourite recipes to a fructose free way. But it is our health and that of our children we are talking about here...so what more motivation do we need than that. 

And to make things a little easier for you, I thought I would (starting in the next posting) give you some tips on how to plan meals ahead with not so much "planning" or "effort". Soooo stay tuned.

And in the meantime, sleep tight cherubs and don't let the bed bugs bite.........Noels 

How to Cook with Dextrose

Hi followers,
So how is your week so far? Been tempted to start the sugar free lifestyle yet? Here is something that may swing you further that way. I had a real reward yesterday for all the sugar I haven't consumed over the past three months that I am dying to tell you about.


I went for my 3 month dental check-up with the dental hygienist yesterday... 3 months because I had been negligent of my teeth cleaning and had a condition that left my gums in a very poor state (ratings mainly of 4 and 5 for each tooth for those in the know). Anyway, yesterday I had an incredible 1 and 2 rating which is a miracle result in that short time frame. My gums are perfect and healthy. The hygienist couldn't believe the results and said it was basically impossible to have such an improvement especially over just 3 months. She just couldn't explain it. I then suggested the possibility of the sugar-free diet perhaps being behind this miraculous healing. And to my amazement she actually agreed as she then admitted to having one other lady who has been on the same diet for 12 months now with similar results. So there you have it ....... a big positive in dental health. Yahoo!!!!


So how about you....want to hear more? Having to eliminate sugar...or more specifically fructose from your diet can be very tricky - but the benefits are huge. So how can you still enjoy the sweet treats  you soooooo love - after all the liking of sweet foods go way back to the caveman days. Yep, our ancestors only ate those fruits off the trees that were sweet, and totally avoided anything sour or bitter as these were usually poisonous!!!! How do we eat yummy cakes, and desserts without consuming the poisonous fructose. What do we use instead of sugar?


The answer is dextrose, bought at your local supermarket in the home brewing section. To be more exact (for all those closet chemistry buffs) it is officially known as dextrose monohydrate and is a form of glucose - sugar without the fructose. It's safe to use because our body does have a regulator for glucose. When we've had enough, a hormone is released which stops us from wanting more. Dextrose is very easy to digest, but it also releases into the bloodstream very quickly (I have spoken about this in length in earlier postings). 


So dextrose is good to use instead of regular table sugar. But there are some differences to keep in mind when cooking with dextrose. Being a monohydrate, it contains more water than sucrose does. So sometimes cakes and biscuits have to be eaten on the day they are made or they get a little soggy. Personally I have found putting them in the fridge reduces this happening most times...that is if the cakes last more than a day!!!! And the glucose powder is more finely ground than sucrose, so creaming butter with glucose, for a cake, might not incorporate as much air as the usual sucrose crystals. 


But remember this most important piece of information I am about to give you - stuffing yourself with cakes isn't going to do you any favours - whether they are made with dextrose or standard sugar. Dextrose is still energy and calories.  Make some, enjoy some, but don't overdo it. (Besides which, removing fructose from your diet  leaves you with less desire for sweet foods most times anyway......).



So how do you convert your recipes? Gram for gram, dextrose is about 70 percent as sweet as white sugar. So... to determine how much dextrose to use instead of standard sugar in a recipe, divide the quantity of standard sugar by 0.7. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, divide 1 by 0.7 to get 1.4 cups of dextrose. Or better yet.... because you and hopefully your family will all be on the diet, your taste buds won't like things as sweet as they used to be. Trust me this does happen. It really turns my eyeballs in when something sweet and sugary slips passed my scrutiny. If this is your story, then leave the recipe exactly as it is. By this I mean if it calls for 1 cup of sugar, then just use 1 cup of dextrose. To you it will still be heaps sweet enough without changing the volumes of the ingredients. 


So go ahead and do some experimenting with your favourite recipes. Sorbets and ice creams are a big success subbing in dextrose for sucrose (pretty much equal parts). I was actually googling earlier today for some proven dextrose recipes as I have a friend coming for a visit this Saturday and want something that will be a definite success.... and I found this interesting recipe for making sugar-free lamingtons!!!! So thought I would share it with you all.
Sugar-Free Lamington Recipe (Fructose Free)

Lamingtons have three parts- sponge, chocolate icing, and coconut. None of these are optional 

How to make the Sponge:

(Modified from “Complete Perfect Recipes”)

• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup dextrose
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup SR flour
• 75g melted butter

Preheat oven to 180 C. Spray a lamington tin with spray oil, baking paper as well.

Combine the eggs, dextrose and vanilla in a heatproof bowl. Microwave on 50% (for about 30 seconds) to dissolve the dextrose. Beat in a mixer until pale, thick and doubled in size.

Gently fold in the sifted flours, and the cooled melted butter. Mix until just combined and there is no flour.

Spread the mix into the tin. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch. With lamington sponge, it’s best to cook until it’s firmer then a normal sponge. Leave it to cool.

How to make the Icing:

(Modified from David Gillespe’s The Sweet Poison Quit Plan)

• 3/4 cup dextrose
• 2 tbs water
• 2 egg whites
• 80-100g butter
• 2 1/2 tbs cocoa

Heat the dextrose and water in a pan (you could also use a saucepan) until it enters ‘soft ball’ stage.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Trickle the dextrose mixture into the egg whites while still beating, until combined.

Beat the butter in a separate bowl so it’s light and thoroughly mixed. Mix the two together in a bowl with the cocoa.

How to make the coconut:

Buy desiccated coconut. 

Putting together your lamingtons:

This hardly needs an explanation, but in case you live somewhere else in the world, and you’ve been deprived on lamingtons your whole life, here’s a quick explanation.

1. Cut up the sponge cake into squares or rectangles.
2. Coat the mini sponges with the icing.
3. Cover with coconut. Don’t over-handle, or the icing will come through.
4. Refrigerate them so they set.

Uhmmmmmm... .. wish me luck and let me know if any of you have any success with one of your favourite recipes being converted.

Until we next meet, sleep tight cherubs and don't let the bed bugs bite.......... 

Mumma's Italian Comfort Soup

Hi Everyone,
Just in case you haven't pulled yourself out from under that warm doona yet and stuck your head outside, it is overcast, cold and windy......and definitely soup weather! So that is where I have decided to head today..... into the soup kitchen. This recipe is a version of one my mum used to always make. It is indeed a meal in itself , very comforting against the elements, and appropriate especially seeing as how I am on-call all of this weekend for work. That bowl of hot soup may just come in handy later!!!


I have called it Mumma's Italian Comfort Soup as I have used cacciatore sausages in it and thin spaghetti pasta. However, I have also made it with diced chicken, mince, or no meats at all and it is still very yummy and moreish. And instead of spaghetti pasta, I have sometimes used small pasta shells, angel hair pasta, or even rice or barley. So.... what I am really saying is don't freak out if you don't have or like all the suggested ingredients; modify the recipe to suit.


And why I have included this food in my blog is because it is very allowable in our eating plan.....all fresh produce and just full of goodness!!!!  The cacciatore sausages are made locally by my friendly butcher who uses dextrose instead of sugar in the recipe and lean pork, beef and back fat. And if you are really organised, you can do away with the canned beans as you will already have in your freezer little containers of soaked and cooked beans you did yourself just waiting for cold weather and soup making. So here goes....


Mumma's Italian Comfort Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 diced onions
3 cloves garlic
1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms
1 carrot diced
2 stalks (including leaves) thinly sliced celery
2 large cacciatore sausages
1 cup thinly sliced broccoli
3/4 cup diced pumpkin
3 diced fully ripened roma tomatoes
water or vegetable stock (I usually just use water as there are enough flavours from my fresh vegetables)
420g can sugarless, drained and rinsed red kidney beans
150g thin spaghetti broken into lengths around 3 inches


Method:

• Place oil in a large saucepan, and heat on the cook top. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, carrot, and celery and cook until the onion is transparent.
• Meanwhile place the 2 cacciatore sausages in a microwave dish and cook in microwave for 3 minutes or until sausages are cooked. Slice into 1cm rounds.
• Add sliced sausages, broccoli, pumpkin, and tomatoes to saucepan mixture. Add enough water or vegetable to completely cover the vegetables and continue cooking gently for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are softened.
• Next add the beans and the uncooked pasta. Top up with more water or vegetable stock and continue gently cooking for 1/2 hour or until the pasta is softened. Add more fluids as required.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in a BIG bowl with a sprinkling of parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese. To really make it entertaining food, slice some sourdough bread, sprinkle with combined grated parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and grill under the grill until cheeses are melted and a little browned. Place slices of bread beside bowl of soup... great for dunking!!!! Hope I am not teaching you bad habits here!!!

Well I am off to have my bowl now and then hop into my warm comfy bed with a good book. Let's hope the hospital doesn't call me out.

Until next time cherubs, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite......Noels 

How many cubes of sugar is that?

Hello My Followers,
Well....how did you go over Easter????? Sworn to not let another chocolate cross your lips for the rest of the year! Or as one friend said to me yesterday, "I think I'll put my name down to be a 'before and after test bunny' for the latests pimple lotion.... that will sort out the good from the bad. And I have to say there was either a real hormone imbalance thing happening with her, or she and chocolates really don't get on.



But Ralphy and I made it through the chocolates and marshmellow maze without one crossing our lips. Not that I wasn't tempted mind you. Truthfully I have never seen so many boxes of chocolates at work as this year. But then again maybe it was because I had to resist the temptation that I noticed. But I fully intend writing to Woolies and complaining about those huge yellow Whitman's boxes full of the most scrumptious, sweet-smelling, yummy looking chocs I have ever laid eyes on. Do they realize just how hard it is to walk past a little box, let alone one that size (mind you they contained the same number of chocs as a small box - lots of pretty paper packing). Unfortunately my eyes are as big as the boxes and it was a struggle to pull myself away each and every time. 


But we made it. Actually I didn't really yearn chocolate as much as I normally would, once out of sight of the temptations. I am convinced it is the combination of the memory of the taste in your mouth, the look and gorgeous sweet smell, that tried to reel me in each time I glimpsed a chocolate. Out of the tea room I stopped frothing at the mouth, kicking my legs in a tantrum, and uttering profanities, almost instantly....interesting. 


BUT WE MADE IT!!!!! In saying that we had another plateau week of neither of us losing any weight. Personally I think we indulged in a few too many carbs...that or as I have always believed....smelling chocolates in itself makes you fat!!!.


So...how did you celebrate Easter Sunday? Ralphy and I joined some of my family members for an Easter B-B-Q lunch at a beachside hotel venue that sounded lovely but was very disappointing. I am not sure what I really expected but a steak with a few slices of cucumber, green tasteless tomato, capsicum and a side serve of potato wedges wasn't up there with the picture I had created in my head. Everything else was drowned with mayonnaise dressings and sauces... and so was out of our reach. At least the steak was tender but the day not an enjoyable experience...especially with the local band performing at jet engine decibel levels right beside our table. We are making plans to visit my sister and her famliy in Tasmania for Christmas. So this thought has made the disappoinments of Easter not so unbearable.


Now to get down to the 'guts' of todays posting. I thought I would chat about a recent article I read regarding our daily 'normal' sugar consumption. Health guidelines say we shouldn't have any more than 10% of our total daily energy in added sugars - that is sugars that sweeten our foods, fizzy drinks, honeys, syrups and fruit juices. This equates to around 50grams of sugar a day equivalent to 10 cubes of sugar for adults and older children and nine cubes for five to ten-year-olds.


So how does this look relative to some of our foods. Check the following out:

1. BOTTLE OF COKE (500ml); 2. JORDANS FRUSLI BAR, BLUEBERRY; 3. VOLVIC TOUCH OF FRUIT LEMON AND LIME (1.5 litre); 4. RED BULL (250ml); 5. BEN & JERRY'S PHISH FOOD ICE CREAM (500ml); 6. TESCO CHICKEN KORMA & PILAU RICE (550g); 7. INNOCENT MANGOES & PASSION FRUITS SMOOTHIE (250ml); 8. 1 TBSP (15ml) KETCHUP; 9. BB Q PRINGLES, (190g); 10. 2 MCVITIES DIGESTIVES; 11. NEW COVENT GARDEN PLUM TOMATO & MASCARPONE SOUP (600g); 12. PRET CORONATION CHICKEN & CHUTNEY SANDWICH; 13. MCDONALD'S LARGE STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE; 14. WAITROSE LOVE LIFE CRAYFISH & MANGO SALAD; 15. SUN-MAID RAISINS (14g); 16. MULLER LIGHT STRAWBERRY (175g pot); 17. 1 BANANA; 18. DOLMI O BOLOGNESE ORIGINAL SAUCE (500g jar); 19. 1 PLAIN BAGEL; 20. GLASS OF TROPICANA SMOOTH ORANGE JUICE (200ml); 21. GLASS SEMI SKIMMED MILK (200ml); 22. APPLE; 23. BRAN FLAKES (30g with milk, 125ml); 23. BRAN FLAKES (30g with milk, 125ml) ; 24. STARBUCKS SIGNATURE GRANDE HOT CHOCOLATE & CREAM; 25. MCDONALDS FILLET-O-FISH; 26. GALAXY BAR (125g)




On average (and we are talking average of a whole population) it was found that adults ingest in excess of around 2 teaspoons in added sugars daily and this is mainly found in everything from fizzy drinks to chicken korma ( so we are in the red here when we balance our cheque book). The articel goes on to say that 'These added sugars are more likely to do harm as they aren't safely bound in the structure of the food as they are in fruit and milk - no fibre available to help digest or get rid of the excess sugars. It means they are hence available to the body in higher concentrations'. 


So how can you spot a high sugar food? My advice is start looking at food labels and all bottled, tinned, and packeted foods have these now. If the label lists total sugars (and this will include natural and  added sugars) with less than 5 grams per 100grams, it is classified as low and hence an allowable food. More than 15 grams per 100 grams and it is high and to be avoided at all costs!!!! I admit that we all need some sugar. But excess levels have been linked with raised levels of the hormone insulin, which increases the risk of diabetes (not to mention other diseases). Also, the body turns excess sugars into fat, which is stored around the major organs, placing us at risk of liver and heart disease. Andddddddddddd...... there are also fears that high sugar diets may promote some cancers.

Well that is my rant for today. I would love you all to start, if you are not already in the habit, of reading your food labels. And remember the golden rule....less than 5g of sugar per 100g and the food is acceptable, greater than 15g per 100 g and it is a definite NO. Between 5 and 15g per 100g I hear you ask me? Well it will all depend on how much you really want that 100g. Personally I try to also avoid this area unless in comes naturally e.g. as a fruit or vegetable. If the occasional gets through, I won't die I am sure. But I know most times I can find a better alternative that won't put me over my 50g or 10 cube limit for the day.

Have a nice and healthy week and remember....sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite.......Noels 

Soft Herbed Cheese Ball and Coconut Meringue Cake

Hello My Followers,
Well....what a week I have had..... not to mention the weekend! I had planned so much for this weekend - was all fired up and sooooooo full of energy.  But Murphy's Law kicked in well and truly. I was on call for my job over the whole weekend .... and you guessed it - I got called in. Never mind. I still accomplished much although could have done with the lost hours.


But before I get too carried away, Ralphy and I had our weekly weigh-in Saturday morning and.................. Yes!!!!! We are on the losing wagon again!!!! Yeh!!!! Ralphy lost .8kg and I lost .6kg. How good are we!!!! I can honestly say that you do not want to be around here when we have a weight loss. In fact we are grateful there are no dwellers below our unit as the yelling, jumping, and stomping is rather embarrassing. We probably lose another 100grams just with that little celebration in itself. But it is such a wonderful feeling. I almost (and I stress the word almost) kiss the bathroom scales when it is so 'nice' to us. We have never actually put weight on so far since starting this little journey....so I cannot say what our reaction would be to this otherwise. But don't be surprised to hear of a UFO sighting over Australia as our bathroom scales take a 'fly' if this were to happen. Let's hope we are never tested.


Before my call-out on Saturday, I had time to unwrap my cheese ball and admire it from every angle . Oh it looked so beautiful....and later tasted even better on toasted sour dough bread with freshly ground salt and pepper and a side serving of some olives, and fresh tomato wedges. The cheese ball has to be the easiest recipe EVER - there really is only one ingredient to buy if you have a pot or two of herbs growing. And that is a container of whole milk greek yoghurt. So let's get into the method as there has to be something to do surely!!!!


Soft Herbed Cheese Ball

Ingredients

• 1kg greek yogurt (you can use as much as you want really)
• handful of freshly chopped up herbs - parsley, garlic chives, basil - you select the herbs and the quantity

Method

• Mix the herbs into the yoghurt.
• Place a sieve or strainer over a bowl so that the bottom of the strainer is well off the bottom of the bowl.
• Line the sieve or strainer with a piece of muslin (I use a very fine cotton mans handkerchief I purchased for this purpose ages ago)
• Place the yoghurt into the cloth and bring all the corners of the cloth together above the yoghurt. Then twist the cloth around tightly, squeezing the formed ball firmly, and secure around the top with a piece of tape or string to stop it unraveling.
• Place a weight on top of the yoghurt ball and pop into the refrigerator for 24 hours. It is a good idea to check after an hour or so to see if the strainer or sieve is still out of the fluid that has drained away into the bowl. This is actually whey and is great to keep for making scones and the like. You can pour off the whey if it is getting close to the strainer, as you do not want the strainer sitting in the whey at any stage.
• After 24 hours, unwrap your little parcel and voila - you now have a soft herb cheese ball, just like the one you can see in the blue dish above.

Now...how simple is that recipe. And remember, that really you can add anything to the yogurt to flavour it...even diced cooked bacon, toasted roughly chopped macadamia or pistachio nuts or....... so go on. Have some fun and let me know what you have tried...I love new ideas.

But my big weekend didn't stop there. I also made us a little treat - a cake -   to share with one of our neighbours who is now also doing the sugar-free diet. It is such a wonderful feeling to know we are helping others, as did our friends when they gave Ralphy that book for his birthday (see my first blog 'In the Beginning').

Anyway back to the cake. It is out of David Gillespie's ' The Sweet Poison Quit Plan' book recipe section and was a BIG hit with all who tried it. So I thought I would share it with you. Thank heavens I though to take a photo of it before placing it amongst the starving millions as it disappeared very quickly. It apparently keeps very well (for a dextrose-based cake) and doesn't need icing..... if it lasts that long. Good luck with this one!!! And also if you use shredded coconut instead of desiccated, it looks and tastes even more fancy.


Coconut Meringue Cake

Makes 1 Cake

Cake Base

90g butter

1/2 cup dextrose powder (from home brewing / drinks section in supermarket)

3 egg yolks

vanilla essence

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup milk

Meringue Topping

3 egg whites

3/4 cup dextrose

1 cup desiccated coconut (or shredded coconut)

Prepare cake base

Preheat oven to 180º C (350º F). Grease and line an 18cm square cake tin. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and dextrose to a cream. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla essence and beat again briefly. Fold in one-third of the flour then half of the milk. Continue adding flour and milk alternately until complete and you have a soft mixture. Turn into prepared tin.

Prepare meringue topping

Beat egg whites until stiff, then add dextrose, a little at a time. Fold in coconut. Spoon egg-white mixture over the cake mix in the tin. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to stand for a few minutes before lifting cake out onto a wire rack to cool. 

This is a very moreish cake, and takes a lot of discipline to stop at one piece....even if your appetite control button is flashing 'NOT HUNGRY'. So my suggestion is invite a lot of people over for afternoon tea when you make this treat and the temptation will be gone before you know it.

My other little adventure for the weekend has nothing to do with diets or cooking but art. I love to dabble in textural art in particular and so have been sawing up bits and pieces of balsa wood that I intend making a wall sculpture of. It has taken me the best part of the afternoon sanding away all the rough edges to try and make the pieces look 'battle fatigued' I think the term is. Anyway...won't say anymore but hopefully I will have enough time to complete it over the coming weeks and will then post a pic of it if it turns out the way I hope. So wish me luck.

And that my cherubs is your lot for today. Happy cooking and don't forget......

Sleep tight my sweets and don't let the bed-bugs bite........Noels