Chocolate cake - 1 syn per slice or 7.5 for the whole cake!

As I sit patiently waiting for X Factor, I feel I need to share this new slimming world revelation. Chocolate cake with white chocolate frosting and rasberries - less than 8 syns for the ENTIRE cake. Yes, you read correct. It's a very rich cake and the frosting and berries cut through it nicely but once you've got the base down you can play around with it all you like! Enjoy.

Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Frosting and Berries -
Syns - 7.5 for whole cake.

Serves 1-8

For the cake:
Half an oz of self raising flour
Half an oz of drinking chocolate
3 Eggs
5 Tbs of Sweetener

For the topping:
1 Tub of Quark
Sachet of White Chocolate Options
1 Tbs of Sweetener
Raspberries/Strawberries/Whatever you want

1. Pre heat the over to about 180 degrees.
2. Combine all the cake ingredients together and pour into a round sandwich cake tin. Bake for 10 minutes until at a spongey texture and leave to cool.
3. While the cake is cooling, mix the quark, options and sweetner in a bowl.
4. Once the cake is cool, spread with the frosting and top with berries or whatever you'd like to use!

I had 1/8 of the cake and it was more than enough! And only 1 syn!! Definitely a crowd please, Liam really enjoyed it too. Very, very happy! Good luck!

E

Syn free*! KFC style chicken - Can't even describe how yum this is...!

Hey there everyone. Sorry I've not posted in a while - I've been a very busy (aka lazy) girl! Anywho, it's friday night. I've been getting monster cravings. Cravings for what? The colonels fried chicken, that's what. So imagine my joy when I found a slimming world friendly version! It's delicious. I can't even recommend this enough. Make it, enjoy it. God bless KFC.

Btw - sorry for the low quality photo. Batteries have died so I'm using a camera phone - it looked much better in real life!

KFC Style Chicken - Syns - 0*
Serves 2-4

4 Chicken Fillets/Chicken Pieces
1 Pot of Chicken Bovril
4 Slices of Brown Bread (400g loaf)
1 Egg
1 Tsp Hot Chilli Powder (Optional)
1 Tbsp Mixed Herbs
1 Tsp Garlic Powder (optional)
Bit of Black Pepper.

*WARNING: If not using the bread as your healthy extra, syn accordingly. It normally works out as 1 slice per person!

1. Boil your chicken in a large pan of water and then for about 20-25 minutes. Once cooked, drain, dry and leave to cool for a little bit while you do the rest.
2. Put the bread and mixed herbs into a food processor or use a hand blender to blitz them into breadcrumbs.
3. In another bowl, mix the bovril, chilli powder, garlic, pepper and egg (and anything else you want to use).
4. Coat the chicken in the bovril mix before rolling in the breadcrumbs. It doesn't need to be too thick, just enough to coat it!
5. Place the chicken on a tray and put in a pre-heated oven on a fairly high temperature (I went about 200). Cook for 10-15 minutes until browned and crispy!

And there you have it! Wonderfully tasty chicken!! I served this with slimming world chips and home made coleslaw and it felt like I was being all naughty and induldgent.

Enjoy!

E

Super Easy Coronation chicken - Mmm.

This is great to do for lunch - you can use it in sandwiches or whatever you want. I have it with jacket potato. I've also used the sauce to marinate chicken which was real tasty.

Coronation Chicken 1 syn per 1/3 portion.

4/5 tbs Fat Free or Low Fat Fromage Frais

1 tbs of Mango Chutney

2 tbs of Curry Powder

1 tbs of Extra Light Mayo

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

Ready cooked low fat chicken slices (not the processed stuff!)

1. Add all the ingredients minus the chicken into a bowl and mix. Try it and see if it's okay, you can add more curry powder or more fromage frais if it's not quite to your tasting. It's best to go with your gut instincts here!

2. Cut up the chicken into smallish chunks. Mix into the sauce.

3. OPTIONAL - I cover it with cling film and leave it for 15 minutes or so to soak up the flavours a bit but you don't really have to.

As you can see in the photo, I served this with jacket potato and salad. Really enjoyed it!

E

Mango glazed chicken - Syn count - 4 - Om nom.

My first Friday night on the SW diet, fancied something a little indulgent! I attempted to follow a recipe that was in this weeks SW magazine - Mango glazed chicken. Unfortunately, had I followed this to the exact recipe I don't think it would have turned out great. The amount of sauce required wasn't enough for 2 breasts of chicken I used and the recipe required 4 chicken breasts, it wouldn't have been. Fortunately, I improvised enough to keep this meal low syn and incredibly tasty. It really was lovely. Liam also really liked it! Definite crowd please and would be perfect for a dinner party. It has wonderful aromas. Rant over. Here's the recipe!

Mango Glazed Chicken - Syns - 4
Serves 2 - 4

2 Chicken Breasts (all visible fat removed)
Baby Mushrooms
1 Large Red Onion
Baby Potatoes
Green Beans (optional)
1 Red Chilli Pepper
1 Thin Green Chilli Pepper
5 Level tbs of Sharwoods Mango Sauce
5 tbs Water

1.Pre-heat the over to 180 degrees. Par-boil some bite size baby potatoes and add to a casserole dish.

2.Slice onion, green beans, mushrooms (I put them in whole!), chillies and dice your chicken. Add to the casserole dish.
3. Mix your mango sauce with the water in a cup. Pour this over the food and mix.
4. Place in the over and leave for 30-45 minutes. I also spray some fry light on top to crisp the potatoes and chicken!

I served this with basmati rice and stir-fried broccoli, sweetcorn and red peppers! Delicious!

E

Syn Free! Steak with Mushroom Sauce - Tasty times.

Today I thought I'd try and make a nice meal that was tasty, filling and something a little bit special. I had some sirloin steaks in the fridge so here is what I made! It doesn't look quite as appetising as it did in front of me but I assure you - it tasted uhmazing. Best of all, completely guilt free! This is how I did it:

Syn Free! Steak with Mushroom Sauce - Syn Count - 0
Serves 2

What I used:

3/4 pint of vegetable stock made with 2 stock cubes (other flavours can be used)

3 cloves of Garlic

A whole load of Mushrooms

1 slice of Lean Bacon

1 Red Onion

1 Tbs Quark (this can be replaced with Low Fat Yogurt or Fromage Frais)

Salt & Pepper

2 Sirloin Steaks

Frylight

1.Dice mushrooms, garlic, onions and bacon. Spray some frylight in a non-stick frying pan and begin to fry.

2. Once cooked, add stock and a lid and turn the heat down. Leave to simmer until reduced down.

3. When reduced down, add a tablespoon of Quark to give it a creamy texture. You might need to turn the heat back up so it melts in properly. You can also use low fat natural yogurt or fromage frais if you dislike quark!

4. Add some seasoning to taste and you have completed your syn free mushroom sauce!

5. Season your steaks and add to a preheated grill pan sprayed with frylight. I do about 4 minutes on each side.

There you have it. Guilt free, quality food! I served this on a bed of stir fried cabbage and peppers with some slimming world friendly potatoes. Very successful!

Hope you enjoy!

E

Syn Free! Easy Chips & Curry Sauce.

Thought I'd rustle up something a bit fiery for my lunch today. I figured I'm going to attempt a curry this week, might as well try making a dipping sauce!

Chips & Curry Sauce - Syn count - 0
Serves: 2-4

For the sauce:

1 Red Onion

1 tbs Curry Powder

1 Thin Chilli (optional)

Pinch of Turmeric

Tinned Tomatoes

1 Clove of Garlic

Boiling water or chicken stock

Fry Light

Super Low Fat Natural Yogurt

1. Dice the red onion and garlic (and chilli if using) and fry using fry light.

2. Add the curry powder and turmeric.

3. Add a few spoons of tinned tomatoes and fry down.

4. Once it begins to reduce, heat up some water or chicken stock (to taste - any stock can be used!) andstir in. Keep repeating this until you are happy with the consistency.
5. Before serving, stir in some natural yogurt to give a slighty creamy texture.

For the chips:

2 Large Baking Potatoes

Fry Light

1. Peel and slice the baking potatoes and par-boil. Add a pinch of salt to taste.

2. Drain until dry and shake in the colander. Place in a pre-heated oven on a high temperature until browned and looking tasty!

Yum! I really enjoyed this, it was really filling and the heat in the curry left me with a nice taste in my mouth which stopped me craving anything sweet. Good times.

E

Syn Free! Spicy Vegetable & Bacon Risotto - Mmm.

Just thought I'd post the recipe of my dinner for tonight! 

Spicy Vegetable & Bacon Risotto  - Extra Easy Syns - 0

The ingredients i've used are really just a basic guide. Depending on your preference you can add or subtract any vegetable or quantities! It's a real good recipe for experimenting and using what's left over in the cupboards. You can also add tinned tomatoes if you're looking for something a bit heartier.

2 Large Flat Mushrooms

1 Large Onion

Handful of Green Beans

1/2 Red Pepper

1/2 Green Pepper

1 Carrot

2 tbs Sweetcorn

1 tbs Turmeric

1 tbs Paprika

3 Cloves of Garlic

2 Thin Chillies

Chicken or Vegetable Stock

2 Lean Slices of Bacon

Risotto Rice 

Frylight Spray

1. Dice or slice all the mushrooms, vegetables (except sweetcorn) and garlic and place in a large non-stick frying pan or wok and spray with fry light. Turn up the heat and begin to fry.

2. Chop up the chillies and bacon and add to the pan along with the turmeric and paprika. Stir in. If necessary, add some more fry light. This should soon start smelling awesome!

3. Once the bacon is browned off, add the rice. This can be as much or as little as you like. Stir it until all the rice is coated in the veg.

4. Add about 350 ml of chicken or vegetable stock and lower the heat, keep stiring.

5. When the dish starts looking a little dry, add some more stock. Repeat this process until the rice is soft enough to eat!

6. Just before serving, stir in the sweetcorn. 

Voila. I will be having this with a grilled chicken breast.

E

Day 1. The challenge begins.

And so we begin.

My name is Emily, I've been alive for 22 years and I currently live inbetween Bristol and Bath with my amazingly supportive boyfriend Liam. I'm a graphic designer, musician, film fanatic, fashion enthusiast and self proclaimed chubster. I'm 4'11 and currently weigh 16st7lbs. Shocking.

Last week I had as what could only be described as somewhat of a monumental life changing moment. Returning to my hometown to visit my family, I went with the intentions of visiting some of my old college friends I've not see for a few years. This didn't happen, reason being that I was too embarrassed about all the weight I'd put on to even go out. Now I've always been a bit of on the larger side of life, but my weight has never held me back before. I feel like I'm missing out on what should be some of the best times of my adult life. So, after a bit of a moan and a tearful conversation with my mother I've decided to take some action. I'm the only person that can change my life, and I'm in a lucky enough position to have all the support around me I need. Thusfore, from this day onwards I shall no longer be 'Emily of Little Confidence' but instead 'Emily of Little Waist'. Each day from this moment I shall be a tiny bit smaller, oh yes, I shall conquer the overall battle with giantness and become a healthy, confident individual who looks fabulous and more importantly, feels amazing. And how do I plan on doing this?

Slimming world.

Current weight: 16st7lbs

Target weight: 9st7lbs

Weight to lose: 7st

One thing I've always been passionate about is cooking, experimenting, and as I get older I find recipes more and more fun to test out. My mum has been doing SW for however long or so and lost an amazing 4 and a half stone so far. I'm so proud of her, if not a little a jealous. Now it's my turn. She's given me the books, magazines, tips and advice and hopefully, using this blog, I can keep up with weight loss as well as sharing my own recipes and experience. I've joined facebook groups, I've done my research, I've invested in magazine subscriptions, I've got my own Muller Light shelf in the fridge. It's looking positive!

I've also taken a load of pictures of how I look now, which I haven't seen. I'll take photos every week until I reach my target weight.

Wish me luck!

E