Weight Loss Wednesday - West African Curry Recipe - Slimming World Friendly

Well ladies I had my 1 month weigh in last night. I started with a weight of 13st 9lbs and last night put me at 12st 13lbs! I am pretty pleased with my overall loss for my first month, although last nights loss was only 1.5lbs, which was a little disappointing. But that being said it was still a loss which is the main point! Plus I had a pretty rubbish week diet wise actually due to me still being ill, but I am happy to say I am almost finally over my cold.
Well as this week has been so rubbish on the food front (really it has been very dull and not particularly good syn wise either!) I thought I would bring you all a great recipe we have enjoyed a number of times over the last few weeks - West African Curry. If you are on Slimming World then it is around 2 syns a portions as the only thing you have to count is the Mango Chutney. The original version of this was found in an old ASDA Choices Cookbook but I have adapted it slightly for my taste and to make it more slimming friendly!
West African Curry Recipe

This recipe should take around 45minutes in total and will serve 4 people. 
Ingredients Fry Light 1 Onion, finely sliced 2tsp lazy garlic or 2 finely sliced garlic cloves 1tbsp Garam Masala 1tsp Ground Turmeric 2tsp Ground Cumin 2tsp Grounf Coriander 1tbsp Dried Mixed Herbs 455g Minced Lamb 2tbsp Mango Chutney 1tbsp Tomato Puree 115g Frozen Peas
Instructions 1. In a large wok or frying pan, heat the fry light and gently fry the onions until softened but not browned. Add the garlic, spices and herbs and continue to saute for a further 1-2 minutes
2. Add the mince and fry until browned, mixing it well with the spice and onion mixture
3. Add the chutney and tomato puree and mix to combine. Cook, stirring well for about 10 minutes. If the mince appears dry add 100ml of water
4. Add the peas to the pan and continue to cook for 5 minutes
5. Serve with boiled rice for a tasty meal!
Alternative - If you like an extra kick the original recipe used 1tsp of cilli powder and 3 whole cloves as well. Plus you can garnish the curry with freshly diced tomatoes (get in some extra super free!)
You can find all the other bloggers involved in Weight Loss Wednesday on the link. There are 39 of us in total, so lots of inspiration if you are looking to lose weight and get healthy this year!

Weight Loss Wednesday - Week 3 on Slimming World

Yes I know it's not Wednesday anymore but the last few days have literally been a blur due to me being sick! I am still sick, but actually feeling marginally better today, sore throat is still bad, but earache is gone, so now it just feels like a bad cold instead of something worse! Right anyway, on with the food! This is week 3 on slimming world and I am finding it easier to work out what I can eat but I have actually eaten very little the last few days, and the plan has strayed a little due to feeling so rubbish, but here's what I've eaten (you'll find my weight loss from my weigh in Tuesday night at the end!)

 Day 15 

Breakfast: Boiled Eggs and Tea

Lunch: Ham Salad, Seafood Sticks, Ryvita, Mozzarella and a Tangerine

Tea: Light Pizza at Pizza Express for a Leaving Do. It was still 25syns but was less than all the others!

 Day 16

No Breakfast

Dinner: Ice;and Hoi Sin Duck Skewers (1 syn a pack!!!), Stir Fry Veggies and Mozzarella (HExA)

Tea: Out for a family birthday at the indian, but only had a little portion of popadoms and half a curry (it has fruit in it too! lol!) 

 Day 17

New Breakfast/Snack: Cookie Crisp (25g is 4.5syns, its a surprising large portion as they are so light in weight) I eat them dry like biscuits

Fruit!

Lunch: Pasta Salad with ham, sweetcorn, cucumber, light cheese and 3 tbsp light than light mayo

Tea: Chicken in Pasata with veggies and roasted potatoes  

 Day 18 (when I started feeling ill)

Breakfast: Spagetti Hoops

Tea: West Indian Curry and boiled rice

 Day 19 (still ill)

Breakfast: Ryvita and Laughing Cow triangles

Tea: Beef Raviolli (2.5syns)

 Day 20 (most of this went uneaten)

Breakfast: Bacon, eggs and beans

Tea: Baked Ham, Mash and carrots

Day 21 (again very little was actually eaten) Lunch (was eaten): prawn sandwich, humous and carrots  Tea: Chicken in Chinese marinade (2 syns), potato wedges and fried veggies (I only ended up eating the fried veggies and a few wedges) So that was how my week went, as you can see I didn't actually manage to eat much, which actually helped on the weight loss front lol! So drumroll for the figures please (remember this is a 2 week loss as we couldn't weigh in last week)...I stared at 13st 6lbs after my first week and Tuesdays weigh in put me at...13st 0.5lbs yay!!! So a 5.5lbs loss over 2 weeks, I'm pretty happy with that! Hopefully this week will continue on the same thread, especially if I can get some exercise in, but that will depend on my health in all honesty. I'll also be aiming to post some slimming world friendly recipes this week too, so check back in if you wish to see them! How is everyone else's weight loss going?

Home Interiors - Jimbob Art

I recently stumbled across this awesome designer who creates these really fun animal plates and other items with hand drawn illustrations printed onto them,  I have fallen for them hard. I think the plates  would look so much fun hung on a wall in a little collection, although I would happily use them every day too if I didn't think it would ruin them!
You can find them all on Wolf & Badger

What do you think?

Weight Loss Wednesday - Week 2 on Slimming World

So ladies I completed my second week on slimming world yesterday, you can catch up on week 1 here if you missed it! I started the week at 13st 6lbs after a 3lbs loss in my first week, which I was really pleased with! Sadly we couldn't make weigh in last night as we booked a last minute baby shoot (business still comes first!) and as I don't trust our home scales I haven't weighed this week so have no idea how much I have lost, but hopefully that will make next weeks weigh in look even better as it will be 2 weeks combined.

But here is what I have been eating this week

Day 8

Brunch: (didn't make it up for breakfast! lol!) Ryvita with Laughing Cow Light Cheese and Cucumber

Tea: Chinese Beef Noodles with Veg

In the early hours of the morning I promptly threw up the majority of what I had eaten on Day 8, and spent most of Day 9 feeling a bit rough.

Day 9

Tea: Slimming World Pulled Pork, Sweet Potato Wedges and Baked Beans

I didn't eat anything else all day and struggled to eat this too after feeling so ill

Day 10...

Ummm, well...I ate a McDonalds! Sorry! But I still counted the syns, turns out a chicken legend meal is around 49.5 syns! Ouch!

Day 11

Breakfast: Ryvita and Laughing Cow Light, Crab Sticks and Tangerines (think I ate a Banana too!)

Lunch: Ham salad, with mixed dark greens and Spinich

Tea: Slimming World Burgers, Sweet Potato Wedges and fried peppers with soy sauce

Day 12

Breakfast: (more) Ryvita and Laughing Cow Light, Crabsticks, Tangerine and Grapes

Lunch: Sweet and Sour Mug Shot (not totally awful, but not great either!)

Tea: It's Sunday! So Sunday Roast

Snacks: Chocolate Doughnut (totally worth the syns!)

Day 13

Breakfast: (Seeing a pattern?) Ryvita and Laughing Cow Light Cheese, Crabsticks, Banana and Tangerines

Lunch: Salad and BBQ Chicken Chunks

Tea: Homemade Stew!

 Day 14

Breakfast: Totally didn't happen!

Lunch: Linda McCartney Red Onion and Rosemary Sausages, Pasta in Tomato Sauce, Cheese (HEA) and stir fried veggies 

Tea: West Indian Curry with Rice (my dad cooks this, its amazing! Will share recipe this week)

Snack: I indulged in a Kit Kat! It was 12.5 syns worth of yumminess!

I think food wise this week has gone fairly well, I didn't max out my syns, even with the naughty meal and my snacks!

What I am a little disappointed with is that we didn't manage to get any exercising in, practically none! Which is a little annoying, but between being I'll and working I simply haven't had the time or energy. Hopefully I can change that this week and get in a few more sessions on the Wii Fit.

This post is also part of the Bloggers Weigh Loss Wednesday being hosted by Barely There Beauty. Find all the info and other participating bloggers on the link!

Sunday Catch-Up - 12th January 2014

Well I was planning to write a Sunday Catch-Up post like I usually do, but in all honesty when I started looking at my instagram and iPhone pictures to put the post together, I realised I had nothing interesting to show you, lol! Literally my entire weeks pictures are of food for my Weight Loss Wednesday Posts. My weight loss goal has taken over my thoughts a little! So as there is no point posting food pictures here, when I will be posting them on Wednesday anyway, I thought I would do a bit of a bumper Links and Love instead! So here is what I have been looking at and loving online this week: I've been a little bit obsessed with house renovation and inspiration blogs lately, usually I'm just on Design Sponge and Apartment Therapy but thanks to them I found two new awesome blogs - My Scandinavian Home and Little Green Notebook - I'm in love! And thanks to all the housey obsession I have fallen very hard for Eames Paris Chairs! And the Rocking Chair version! I want them!

I'm currently reading 3 books (well listening to 1). Nacropolis by Jeet Thayil which was shortlisted for the Man Booker in 2012, With My Body by Nikki Gemmell and Count to Ten by Karen Rose.

I've been working on some Valentines Day Craft Articles:

Valentines DIY for the Home

Valentines Cards for Kids

Valentines Food Ideas

Valentines Day Crafts for Kids

Valentines Day Fashion Crafts I went to see this in the Millennium Centre - it was awesome! So funny!!

I've been working with a great scientist, Doctor and Writer called Darja Wagner to edit her book on Fertility for over 40's which you can find here. Even if your not over 40 but you need some help with fertility issues this book is brilliant!, I've learnt lots about womens health I never even knew before!
So that's all folks! Hope everyones week has gone well, tomorrow will be a Monday Manicure post so remember to swing by!

Weight Loss Wednesday - Week 1 on Slimming World

On New Years Eve I took the decision to finally get back in control of my weight and my size! I have tried dieting myself before but find I can't always keep to a diet or fitness plan, so this time I have decided I need help from other. This meant joining Slimming World...on New Years Eve! Plus Jon has joined too, so hopefully that will help me keep on track even more, and keep me motivated. As I will be posting my Weight Loss story every Wednesday (day after my weigh in!) I have also joined up to Weight Loss Wednesdays, a new blogging group for 2014 run by Jennifer of Barely There Beauty. It is a group of bloggers who all have the goal to lose weight and get fit and healthy in 2014. We will all be posting different info about how our personal challenges are going, and info about food, dieting and fitness. You can find out all about the group and the list of bloggers signed up to it on Barely There Beauty.
So this is the moment when I am totally upfront and honest with you all and share my weight...eek! I'm hoping sharing all my weight loss journey with you will help me keep on track and possibly help others who are going through the same thing as me in 2014!
So according to the Slimming World scales on the 31st December 2013 I weighed 13st 9lbs! I am firmly in a size 14, no matter how many times I try to persuade myself I am still a 12! I have opted not to set a final goal yet, so set an interim goal of losing 1st. I am hoping to get back to 10st 10lbs which was when I last really felt happy, so I have 3st to lose and I am hoping I can succeed this year (or at least get a large proportion off this year!) This is how my first week on the diet went!

 Day 1

Breakfast: Egg, bacon (no fat) and baked beans

Lunch: Pumpkin and Oats Ryvita and Laughing Cow light Cheese (wasn't hungry)

Tea: Minted Pork with veggies

Snack: Tangerine (had 2!)

Day 2

Breakfast: Ryvita and Laughing Cow Light Triangles with 2 boiled eggs and Tea

Lunch: Veggie Pasta

Snacks: Grapes and Tangerines

Tea: Sticky BBQ Chicken with Veg and Rice

Day 3:

Breakfast: Ryvita and cheese! (notice a theme here?)

Dinner: Veggie Pasta with some extra boiled egg

Snack: Grapes

Tea: Lemony Pork and Veg Tray Bake - will be bringing the recipe for that soon!

Day 4 - this happened!

We were at the 30th Birthday Party so the diet kinda jumped ship! We only had breakfast in the day but then had this.

Day 5

Breakfast: Bacon (no fat), eggs, potato gratin and beans

Tea: Chicken, veg and banana rice dish - my mums recipe which I will share at some point too!

Snack: I treated myself to a Viscount Biscuit as I haven't used many syns this week

 Day 6

Breakfast: Veg and Chicken Omlett, Bacon (no fat), beans and mushrooms

Snack: Lots of fruit, I ate even more than this!

Tea: Cottage Pie (3syns as mum couldn't find extra lean mince in Tesco!)

Day 7
Breakfast: A pile of fruit to take to work with me
Had a late lunch: Roasted Potatoes, Beans and Linda McCartney Sausages

Snack: I treated myself to some galaxy at the theatre as is was my first full week over with!

We had our first official weight in last night and I was...13st 6lbs! Yay!  I lost 3lbs! So I can definitely say this week was a success, even though I had a day off plan! It's a little difficult to get used to the plan, but I am sure after a few weeks doing it I will be fine. I know I should be eating 3 meals a day, but I rarely did before so it is no different. I haven't felt hungry at all either so that is really good in my books.
Is anyone else on Slimming World or another diet plan?

Here's to 2014!!

Well Happy New Year Ladies!

Sorry I haven't managed to check in this year yet, been ever so slightly busy! But here I am, and here's to a great 2014, hopefully this will be the year of some major changes in my life, some great changes! So instead of a New Years Resolution Post which most of us bloggers do at this time of year (and no doubt most of us fail within the first month! Lol) I am going to make this post about the changes and progressions I shall hope to make this year. A declaration of positive reinforcements that I shall be aiming for shall we say. (Oh that all sounded a bit heavy didn't it!)
Number 1: Lose Weight!  Right I know what you are all thinking - this is the most popular New Years Resolution out there and yes it is, lol! But me and the hubby actually decided to be pro active about it this year, we joined Slimming World on New Years Eve! I am determined to get back down to a size 10-12 (I have an entire wardrobe of clothes that currently do not fit me and it is rubbish!) We have been on it almost a week now and are finding it OK, just waiting to see if I have actually lost anything on Tuesday evening - so I hope to be making Wednesday 'Weightloss Wednesdays' where I will talk about food/healthy eating, fitness, weightloss or anything related to that.

A much slimmer 18 year old version of me and Jon!

Number 2: This will be the year we really get our business off the ground! Cross-Jones Photography is mine and Jon's dream, photography is his passion, he comes alive when he is behind the camera, and I love seeing that. We are in our element when creating beautiful memories for parents, brides and grooms and everyone else we work with, we love it so much. We made a huge jump moving back home with the parents, giving up a salaried job with career prospects to survive on my Part Time job, but we felt we had to do it! We want to make this business our lives, we want to be working for ourselves, controlling our own lives!

Number 3: Get a little closer to owning our own home!  Whether we actually get there this year or not I don't mind, in fact I don't expect us to at the moment, I simply want us to be one step closer. To keep adding slowly to our savings so that we know at some point we will be able to put down a deposit on our own home. That really is the dream, it's simple to most people, but it will be a huge financial struggle for us whilst trying to also start a company and live on just 1 small wage. But we will get there!
Number 4: Develop a better work/life balance! I juggle multiply jobs, a start-up company, freelance work and a blog - and somehow try to have a life too! I realised that the last few months of last year I barely had a life, I did very little with the spare time I had other than watch TV or do more online work! This year I want to try develop a better balance. I'd like to read more books, get out of the house more and find more time to exercise (links to Number 1!) plus keep up with my pen pals! I just want to enjoy my life more!
Number 5: Take more Photographs! I know this sounds odd from someone who runs a photography business, logically I would spend all my time dealing with photos, but in all honesty I don't actually take that many, Jon is always behind the camera lens. But actually I mean more photos of my life and not just for instagram! Me and Jon have very few photos of the 2 of us because we are always the ones behind the camera! And I realised there are lots of events and times in my life that I have no photos of, and I want that to change. I want more photographs, more long term memories. And I will be sorting them all into albums for a change, not just posting them on Facebook or leaving them stored on my computer!

Last Number 6: Build my Freelance Website and Get more Private Clients Ok this one might sound like it would just mean more work, so even less of a decent work/life balance, but in fact the hope is that I will be able to work for myself full time at some point - Writing/Editing/Proofreading and running the photography company. The overall goal is for me and Jon to be able to run our lives in a way that will work for us, and no longer on someone else's time frame. So although it may mean I have to work harder at the start, I really hope it will pay off in the end.
So that is it I think! These are the major changes and advance I want to make this year! What are your 2014 plans?

Mandatory Christmas Gift Post!

So that time of year has passed again! Had a great time, eaten far to much and been very spoilt. Which means I now have to post the mandatory Christmas gift post, so here are the highlights of what I got this year, I got other stuff too, but these are the best bits!

 I may have a thing for Despicable Me! My laptop is now adored with this awesome Minion decal.

 So excited to be able to turn my Diana into an Instax! Genius!

 I am a Whovian! I admit it!

 This is Walter, he is my new elephant! lol! Some of you may recognise this giant elephant head from my instagram feed, after I declared my love for it back in August when I found it in Home Sense, well my sneaky parents and hubby went and bought it the very next day as my big present for this xmas, can't wait to get it on the wall.

 2 super cute jumpers from TKMaxx and a cozy dress from Joe Brown

 Hubby bought me these awesome Hushpuppy ankle boots!

A few bits of make up! Via Avon, Elle and Bourgeois (I finally own brushes! lol!)

 A few books to add to the already huge collection

 Hubby also got me this awesome Owl necklace from Funky Laser

 Techie photography gift! A camera sling!

 Briony bought me this awesome blue sliced agate - some of you know I have been after one for ages, I really love this one as it is actually quite dainty.

 She also got me this wicked handmade ring from Budapest when she went for the weekend a few weeks ago. She also bought me and the hubby a voucher to go on a Falconry Experience! Which I can wait to book for the New Year.

I had these in my cracker! And this is Pasha with his favourite new present. Although he has already chewed straight through 2 of the bands! So what did everyone else get for Christmas?