Weight Watchers

[Diane65]

Blackberries Diane, you made me think. Now I am planning to go foraging for elderberries et al over the weekend. Must have a more positive drive/outlook. Also a quick trip to IKEA for some lovely bottles for the Pontack sauce.

I've never heard of Pontack sauce Do you have a recipe I could have please and what do you serve it with? I love learning from other people, it was my DD who told me re freezing the blackberries on a tray like I do with herbs and who suggested stewing the rhubarb before I freeze it in individual portions as a lot of the time now I will be cooking for one (OH quite often has main meal at work).

[baty]

It's used a bit bit like worcester sauce, but more fruity. Will dig out from 'river cottage' tomorrow and post.

[Diane65]

It's used a bit bit like worcester sauce, but more fruity. Will dig out from 'river cottage' tomorrow and post.

Looking forward to it

Menu of the day:
Milkshake with raspberries and a banana a la MsThrifty (300 calories)
Hummous with chillies (copied from moggers) with Miltons crackers followed by blackberries (idea copied from Preston1990 and Biggins) with natural yoghurt (300 calories)
Chickpea burgers (from moviemann) served with salsa (from John Milton) potato wedges plus a large salad (to get my veggies in a scared of Preston1990 and TheyCallMeMrGlass) followed by weight watchers jelly (akh43 and Betty Botter got me onto these) (450 calories)
I have certainly been inspired by everyone on here (I'm just a copy cat really ) and not one of these meals have come from me.

Have a fun day everyone. I will just be doing a quick Tiffany Rothe exercise workout and a short walk after work tonight as don't want to wake myself up later as need to be in bed early as a 4:30am start tomorrow on my way to Venice

[SOLACE]

It's a tandem you need for cycling with Diane so she can keep up with you. There again you would probably accuse her of not doing any of the pedalling!

I have never had a bike and wouldn't be able to ride one. My brother had a bike and I had a scooter when we were kids so only once had a try and that was it. Still, I can go on the exercise ones at the gym - if I feel the need!!

Out for lunch today with friends and a natter. Don't think any part of me except my tongue will get any exercise today.

Exactly even though I would be doing all the hard work I would have loved to have joined you Preston1990 and that bike would have been perfect Biggins it is good to exercise your tongue

I did manage to go blackberry picking tonight and got a tub full before it went dark plus my friend gave me some rhubarb (stewed in individual portions - I don't bother with sugar I like sour) and huge green beans (blanched and frozen) plus I froze my blackberries on a baking tray and put in a bag so easier to grab a handful so lots of healthy free food in my freezer.

Hope you enjoyed your biriani Moviemann

It was absoluuuuuuutely delicious as always ! thank you for asking :)

its my most favourite food in the whole world , Mums Biryani , my mum was born and brought up in Bombay (now known as Mumbai) before she came here so she makes the most authentic and delicious Bombay Biryanis , the best dish in the whole world for me :) My sister also made a blinding dessert of home made really moist coconut sponge cake with pineapples and cranberries drenched in custard and a big dollop of extra thick cream on top , mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!

I dont know whats happened to the weather today but its gloomy and raining like mad here , feel so sleepy today , others have mentioned their sleepiness today too so i'm presuming its got something to do with the weather

Menu for today

Brekkie- porridge protein shake tea no sugar
Mid morning - green tea apple
Lunch - fish and vegatables
Mid afternoon - banana green tea

Gym for about an hour in the evening

Dinner - pad thai noodles with stir fry vegetables , chillies and prawns , may be a small portion of dessert of greek yoghurt and honey


Hope everyone is well today , looking forward to reading your posts

:)

[biggins]

Have a great time in Venice Diane. Let us know how you enjoyed it when you get back. Don't eat too much pasta!

Today cereal and blackberries. Lunch - homemade lentil and bacon soup, afterwards a yoghurt and cup of tea. Tonight chicken, salad and baked potato. Two ryvita with smear of butter before bed.

Raining here today so busy with housework now that I have been to Tesco. Making a batch of chicken soup with the stock from the cooked chicken.

[Diane65]

Have a great time in Venice Diane. Let us know how you enjoyed it when you get back. Don't eat too much pasta!

Today cereal and blackberries. Lunch - homemade lentil and bacon soup, afterwards a yoghurt and cup of tea. Tonight chicken, salad and baked potato. Two ryvita with smear of butter before bed.

Raining here today so busy with housework now that I have been to Tesco. Making a batch of chicken soup with the stock from the cooked chicken.

Thank you so much and I will report back. I can't say hand on heart that I won't have too much pasta

I love lentil soup but haven't had it for ages, must get making some soon.

[Preston1990]

Whoa! - what happened to the weather?

TODAY'S MENU

1. Muesli with greek yoghurt and green grapes. Very yummy, but a bit dry with hindsight!

2. Salmon fillet with broccoli and newish potatoes. sweet chilli sauce.

3. Slice of cheese and onion tart with side salad

4. Two Ryvitas with cottage cheese. Pot of Earl Grey with slices of lemon.


Have a very enjoyable trip to Venice, Diane. Don't be too strict with yourself foodwise. It is a holiday after-all!!

Moviemannn, your sister's coconut and pineapple desert sounds wonderful As does your Pontak sauce, Baty!


Stay in and keep warm and dry until the weather improves everyone. Hope that's not the end of the good weather for this year - I was just getting used to it

[Preston1990]

Came across this rather charming, well-observed, poem and thought of all of us FMUK WW foragers


Blackberry-Picking (by Seamus Heaney)

Late August, given heavy rain and sun
For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
Among others, red, green, hard as a knot.
You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it
Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for
Picking. Then red ones inked up and that hunger
Sent us out with milk cans, pea tins, jam-pots
Where briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots.
Round hayfields, cornfields and potato-drills
We trekked and picked until the cans were full
Until the tinkling bottom had been covered
With green ones, and on top big dark blobs burned
Like a plate of eyes. Our hands were peppered
With thorn pricks, our palms sticky as Bluebeard's.
We hoarded the fresh berries in the byre.
But when the bath was filled we found a fur,
A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache.
The juice was stinking too. Once off the bush
The fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour.
I always felt like crying. It wasn't fair
That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.
Each year I hoped they'd keep, knew they would not.





The last seven lines made me quite sad - thank heavens for modern fridges and freezers is all I say!

[Diane65]

It was a bit sad reading about the demise of the blackberries but the start was lovely.

Don't be such a wuss staying in because the weather has changed
We are made of tougher stuff in Manchester and I'm sure that Biggins and Baty are still swimming and fishing so get out on that bike and embrace the elements.

I too love the idea of moviemann's sister's cake.

[baty]

Yes Diane, was fishing on Aberavon beach Wednesday evening. Weather windy and a little grey but not raining. Glad to say my new beach caster came through for me and I caught a small, only as long as my hand, Bass. It went back in of course.

Moviemannn, your post had me craving some spicy food.

The Pontack sauce recipe
Pontack sauce
Makes 1 350ml bottle

500g elderberries, 4 Allspice berries
500ml cider vinegar, 1 blade of mace
200g shallots, peeled + sliced, 1 tbs peppercorns
6 cloves, 15g fresh root ginger, bruised

Uses the berries as soon as you can after picking. Strip the berries from the stalks - use a fork.
Put the berries in an oven proof dish with the vinegar and put in a low oven (130c gas ½) for 4- 6 hours or over night. Remove from oven + strain though a sieve, crush the berries to get as much of the juice out as possible.

Put the juice in a pan with the rest of the ingredients and bring gently to the boil, cook for 20-25 mins and it has reduced slightly. Sieve to remove the spices and return the sauce to the heat. Boil steadily for 5 mins. Pour the sauce into a warm, sterilised bottle and store in a cool dark cupboard. This sauce apparently gets better as it ages.

Will be out looking for some this weekend.
my meals are a little disjointed at the moment so I am trying 'portion control'.
Have a good weekend everyone