Lemon Cous Cous Cake

I’m into cous cous at the moment, probably in part because I’m heading to Morocco soon and trying different recipe ideas to see what I like.  On my travels I’d seen a lemon cous cous cake and to be honest I thought it’d be horrible but I had a couple of spare lemons and a load of cous cous and decided nothing ventured nothing gained and gave it a go.

The whole cake is ¼ syn for the baking powder and I’m not counting that, so it’s free and as it’s cous cous you don’t have to use your HEB!

Syn free lemon cous cous cake

To be perfectly honest I was pleasantly surprised, it was a thicker texture than a lot of the slimming world friendly cakes and really lemon-y and tart.  I liked it a lot.  Tried it both hot and cold (couldn’t help it!) and to be fair it works really well either way plus it kept for three days in the fridge no problem.  I can’t comment if it would keep any longer because it all got eaten but it was definitely really tasty and something to do again.  Maybe I’ll try a salted caramel or lemon and blueberries next but until I do the recipe for a plain lemon cous cous cake is here

I served it sliced on it’s own but it would go really well with syn free lemon curd or some quark mixed with a white chocolate options and couple of spoons of sweetener.  

Enjoy!
Kathy

Piri Piri Chicken with Roasted Veg and Cous Cous

I admit that on first reading this sounds like a lot of flavours, or maybe like I had a load of leftovers and just dumped them on a plate but really not, it was inspired by a lunch I had at the pub the other day.  I ordered something similar thinking I was being ‘good’ but when it arrived I think it had more oil and butter than the burger and lasagna I’d considered combined! 

Piri piri chicken with roasted veg, cous cous and feta

Anyway, it was delicious (and probably worth the half gain!) so I’ve created a slimming world friendly version and have to say, for my taste, this is much nicer.  The meat has more flavor with the piri piri spices and everything comes together lighter and cleaner if that make sense?  I’ve made it without the feta, it’s better with but still good and I’ve tried it with prawns instead of chicken, that’s absolutely delicious as well.

Give it a try, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how flavorsome and filling this meal is and at only 3 syns for the feta it’s a great main course for hardly any syns.

This is a 1 syn portion of the piri piri chicken

Quick tip, roasted veggies and chicken can all be cooked in advance and frozen, if you do that just defrost in the fridge during the day, makes this meal a five minute throw together – even better!

The recipe is here if you’d like to try it for yourself

Enjoy!
Kathy xx

1 syn popcorn scan bran muffins

I’ve been missing ‘proper cake’ recently, I wanted something to go with my coffee that didn’t break the syn bank and ideally used up some of the scan bran in the cupboard!  I’ve made chocolate orange scan bran muffins recently but when I went to get the scan bran I found some popcorn in the cupboard that needed using too and decided just to combine everything in a more chocolate-y, denser cake.  Now I thought it would be like rocky road but that wasn’t the case, the popcorn sort of dissolves when cooked…it doesn’t leave air pockets behind, instead it seems to thicken the scan bran mixture leaving a firmer cake. 

Popcorn scan bran muffins - 1 syn each

Tried it out of my friend at the weekend and she said it’s great, maybe slightly biased but even so at 1 syn each and 1.5 if you already had your HEB they’ve got to be worth a try right?  The recipe is here 

Enjoy!

Kathy xx 

Chocolate Brownie Bites

Sometimes only chocolate can help and these brownie bites are perfect.   Let me be honest, there’s only 4 ingredients that you throw together and bake for 6 minutes – suddenly you have warm chocolate brownie bites that are less than 2 syns each.  It doesn’t get much better than that really!

I always make these when unexpected guests pop by, they’re like traditiuonal cookies and I can still have a few without totally losing the plot…she says confidently

Chocolate Brownie Bites - less than 2 syns each

Give them a try the recipe is here but I warn you, they’re addictive!

Enjoy

Kathy

18 Months Later

I’ve been looking through old photos and came across a ‘before’ I didn’t even know I had…it literally stopped me in my tracks to see it and realise that this was me, and me not that long ago.  I lost almost 100 pounds in less than a year and have kept it off for 6 months now, so this is 2015 and now....

Almost 100 pounds gone for good

I think on the losing weight journey we can forget where we started, I know for one that I’ve been a bit stuck as I’m at target and it feels like there’s no motivation, well there is – its right here in this photo.  I do not EVER want to look like that again and as important as that I don’t want to feel like that again.  I don’t want to look round and wonder if I can fit in a seat, if I’m taking up too much room and I like being able to cross my legs.  It’s so many small things that held me back, and now they don’t…but every day I  have to make the right choices and I know I always will, that’s the trade off.  A healthier lifestyle or not, but photos like this keep me on track and focused.

Whatever your journey, and wherever you are in it maybe it’s your time to take a breath and see how well you’ve done, we all support otehrs and it’s good to take a moment out and be kind to ourselves.

Kathy xx

Almost syn free chocolate drops

These chocolate buttons couldn’t be any easier…just four ingredients mixedup and frozen. Hardly a recipe at all really but they’re just like little frozen chocolate buttons and perfect for when you’ve got the need for a sweet treat.  I keep a few in the freezer all the time and just help myself as the day goes by.  At only 2 syns for 30 they’re definitely worth having!

Almost syn free chocolate drops

The recipe, if you can call it a recipe, is here – give them a try and I hope you enjoy!

Kathy xx