Molly Cake - 20 December 2012

Have been caught up with Christmas preparations hence not posting as often.  As promised I've finally got round to posting the Molly Cake recipe.  This is not a low carb recipe but it is 'clean eating' suitable for those with dairy or gluten intolerances.

MOLLY CAKE

Serves 8

250g Stoned Dates, roughly chopped

300ml water

85g plain flour

85g whole wheat flour

3 tsps baking powder

1 tsp ground mixed spice

500g mixed dried fruit

50g ground almonds

80ml Orange Juice

1.  Pre-heat oven to 1700C?Gas Mark 3 and line 2 loaf tins with baking parchment (this will make two flattish cakes, or for a full sized cake just use one loaf tin)

2.  Put the dates and water in a pan and bring to the boil.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

3.  Sieve the plain flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a bowl.  Add the whole meal flour, mixed fruit and ground  almond.  Stir to combine. Stir in the wet date mixture and the orange juice.  Mix well.  Add more water if too dry.     

4.  Spoon into the tin(s).  Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.  Turn out onto a wire rack and cool.

I substituted the flour with gluten free brown rice flour and to make it more festive I replaced the orange juice with brandy        

Wednesday's Menu

B: Bacon and fried egg

L: 2 Lamb chops with roasted green beans

D: Keema & cauliflower & cabbage Bhaji.  2 squares of carob.  1 Mug of cocoa

Thursday's Menu

B: Bacon & egg

L: 2 lamb chops.  Stir fried cabbage.  Cashew nuts

D; Keema with cauliflower & cabbage bhaji.  Mug of Cocoa

Not sure if I will get to post again before Christmas, if not may I wish all my readers Every Blessing over this holiday time.        

Tree Decorating and Present Wrapping

Spent most of the day putting up the tree.  Discovered DS was not in the least bit interested in decorating it so I found myself with the rare pleasure of decorating it all by myself.  It was both a pleasure and a sadness, knowing those special family times have gone, probably forever.

Friday 14 December 2012

Menu

B: Cinnamon Flax porridge
L: 2 slices of Genius Gluten free bread with butter.
D: Boiled Egg and 2 slices of Genius Gluten Free bread with butter

Had a bit of a tummy upset today so tried to eat lightly.  I had a few slices of gluten free bread in the freezer which I thought I would use up (I'm desperate for space), not very low carb today I know but.......


Saturday 15 December 2012

B: Flax, raspberries & lactofree cream
L: Boiled egg.  Peanuts
D: 2 lamb chops & celeriac chips.  1 square of 74% chocolate

Stomach a bit more settled today.  By teatime I was so hungry I decided to risk it with the chops. 
Went to Lidl this morning but there weren't that many bargains.  I managed to get reduced price clementines and Bisto Best gravy granules which were much cheaper than in Tesco.

Spent the afternoon wrapping presents and realised there were some I'd completely forgotten to buy, but that is all in hand now.

Feeling absolutely exhausted and still there are things to do.  Next week I hope to make my gluten/lactose free treats and get the ham cooked.  I will probably have enough stock to make a big pan of soup.   There will also be those last minute presents to wrap.  I also need to get the girls rooms ready for their return and do ordinary housework like ironing, just hope I can keep going.  I still need energy for cooking the dinner on Christmas Day.  Apparently both Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey are on TV on Christmas Night just hope I'm not too tired to watch them.

Oven Cleaning Urgh! - Thursday 13 December 2012

B: Bakewell Porridge
L: 2 chicken drumsticks & stir fried cabbage.  Peanuts
D: Chilli with cabbage and celeriac chips.  Mug of Cocoa.  1 square 74% chocolate

Spent most of the day cleaining the cooker, now its already for the Christmas dinner!   Did a little dusting and put the Nativity scene out.  OH has agreed to put the ceiling decorations up and I will do the tree tomorrow.  With all these preparations I've had neither the time nor the energy to do Callanetics, I'm hoping to do at least one session next week just to keep my stamina up.

Low Carb Christmas Cocoa - Wednesday 12 December 2012

B: Scrambled egg and smokey bacon
L: chicken drumsticks with stir fried cabbage.  Cashew Nuts
D:  Bolognese with cauliflower.  Mug of Cocoa

I always make my cocoa with lactofree cream to ensure I have enough fats but I vary the flavours depending on how I'm feeling. 

Rum:  add a few drops of rum essence or as a real treat use real rum but this will contain carbs
Peppermint: add a few drops of peppermint essence
Cinnamon:  add 1/2-1tsp of cinnamon powder - this is real Christmassy

I also have flavoured tea.   I use Redbush tea leaves and always make tea in the teapot.  To my tea caddy I occasionally add one or all of the following:

bayleaves broken up
cardammon seeds
powdered cinnamon
powdered ginger
cloves

I then use the tea mixture as I usually would to make a pot of tea.  The result is a lovely spiced Indian tea.  You can still add milk if you want to, I do!  Of course you could just add a few drops of rum essence to your mug of tea for an alternative flavour!

In the summer I have added mint leaves or even lavender to my tea mixture for a more refreshing taste.

Happy tea drinking everyone!

Monday & Tuesday 10 & 11 December 2012

Monday's Menu

B: Fried egg and 3 rashers of bacon
L: 3 sausages.  Peanuts
D:  Pork chop & fried cabbage.  Mug of cocoa

Quite a busy day and not much time to cook.   Had a work assignment this morning which I spent the afternoon writing up, and then I had do the weekly shop this evening.  So tired by the end of the day

Tuesday's Menu

B: Fried egg & bacon ( the egg didn't turn out very nice so I ended up having cashew nuts to fill me up)
L: Out to friends house not sure what we're having.
D: Haddock in cream cheese sauce (lactofree of course), celeriac chips & roasted green beans.

Off to deliver some home made jam to a friend today and we will be having lunch there.   Not too sure what we're getting but I will just accept whatever is given me as it would be rude not to.  I will try to eat low carb if it is at all possible.

My First Stone! - Sunday 9 December 2012

SATURDAY

Pleased to report I have reached my first milestone today - I have lost 1st 1lb so far.  Still got a long way to go, but so pleased.

Menu

B: Low carb raspberry cheesecake
D: 3 sausages & spicy green beans
T: 2 boiled eggs.  Salted peanuts.

Went to a Christmas quiz at church and whilst there I had:

2 mint Matchstickmakers.
1 Quality Street toffee penny
1 glass of  mulled (non-alcholic) punch

SUNDAY

Menu

B: Low carb raspberry cheesecake
D: Pork chop, mashed celeriac, cabbage, broccoli, sprouts & carrots.
T: 2 boiled eggs.  Salted Peanuts.  Mug of cocoa (no chocolate tonight as I had so much yesterday)

Spicy Green Beans - Friday 7 December 2012

Spicy Green Beans

(Masaladar Sem)

 Serves 3

 12 oz green beans (I used frozen ones)

1" cube  Ginger, peeled  and chopped

5 garlic cloves

5fl oz water

3 tbsps vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp Red chilli, crushed

4oz tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsps lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Trim the green beans and cut them, crosswise, at 1/4" intervals.  Put the ginger and garlic into an electric blender or food processor.  Add 2fl oz of the measured water and blend until fairly smooth.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over a medium flame.  When hot, put in the cumin seeds.  Five seconds later, put in the crushed chilli.  As soon as it darkens, pour in the ginger-garlic paste.  Stir and cook for about a minute.  Put in the coriander.  Stir a few times.

Now put in the chopped tomatoes.  Stir and cook for about 2 mins, mashing up the tomato pieces with the back of a slotted spoon as you do so.  Put in the beans, salt and remaining water.  Bring to the boil.  Simmer, cover  and turn the heat to low.  Cook for 8-10 mins or until the beans are tender.   Add the lemon juice, roasted cumin  and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.  Turn heat up and boil away all of the liquid, stirring the beans gently as you do so.

I did not have all of the above ingredients in the house so I improvised:

Instead of fresh ginger I used ginger powder and mixed it with the crushed garlic and water to make a paste.

I did not have cumin  or coriander seeds so I used the powder forms instead.

Instead of fresh tomatoes I just used tomato puree, but I'm sure Tomato passata or tinned tomatoes would be ok.

 Thursday's Menu

B: Fried egg and 3 rashers of bacon

L: Lamb broth. Peanuts

D: Chicken curry & vegetable bhaji. Mug of Cocoa

Callanetics: 40 mins

 

Friday's Menu

B: Scrambled eggs and 3 rashers of bacon

L:  Salted peanuts. Raspberry low carb cheesecake.   

D: Chicken curry, vegetable bhaji and spicy green beans. 2 squares 84% chocolate

Callanetics: 40 mins.

More Snow - Wednesday 5 December 2012

B: 3 rashers of bacon & fried egg
D: 2 lamb chops with stir fried vegetables.
T: Lamb broth.  Cashew nuts.  2 squares 84% chocolate

More snow fell today a day earlier than forecast. Got to the woodpile just as first flurries were falling, coal man has also been so hopefully that will keep us going for a while.  Not done much today, just listened to some teachings on the Gospel of Luke ready for tonight's bible study (weather permitting).

Productive Day - Tuesday 4 December 2012

B:  Flax Porridge
L: Lamb Broth.  Cashew Nuts
D:  Haddock, celeriac chips, roasted green beans in a cream cheese & onion sauce.  Mug of Cocoa

Slept like a log last night and as a result have had a very productive day.  Did the weekly shopping, ordered extra coal, and got quite a few surveys done.  Emptied my sealed pot of loose change and bagged that ready to take to the bank.  I did forget to bring in more wood from the woodpile but will do that tomorrow,  must stock up before the forecasted snow on Thursday.  Discovered a probiotic I've been taking contains lactose and that may be the reason for the weight stall.  Have now thrown the said probiotic in the bin and hopefully the weight loss will begin again.

Snow! - Monday 3 December 2012

Woke up to a white world this morning.   I don't seem to get time to post on Sunday's so I think I will just post Sunday's menu along with Monday's

Sunday's Menu

B: Low carb raspberry cheesecake
L: Roast Lamb, mashed celeriac, broccoli, carrots & sprouts, cabbage.
T: 2 boiled eggs.  Peanuts.  Mug of cocoa

Monday's Menu

B: Scrambled egg & rashers of bacon
L: 2 sausages & low carb bubble & squeak
D: Roast lamb, mashed swede, cabbage & carrots.  Mug of cocoa

Hoping to get 40 mins of callanetics done later today but I've already changed DS bed today so will see how much energy I have left.  Hoping to make broth with the lamb bone either today or tomorrow, this will provide my lunches for the rest of the week

Its Freezing! - Saturday 1 December 2012

Welcome to a new month, it is absolutely freezing today, I did not want to venture outside at all, but had to make the weekly trip to Lidl.   Also had to get more wood in just in case it decides to snow.  I pity DD2  who is climbing Snowdonia today brrr.

B: Low Carb raspberry cheesecake
L:  2 boiled eggs .  Peanuts. Brazil nuts
D:  Smoked haddock with broccoli in a cheese sauce.  2 squares 84% chocolate.

So dissapointed this morning to discover I haven't lost any weight this week.  I felt I'd worked really hard doing callanetics and sticking to my diet. I think perhaps I'm not drinking enough. I dislike drinking water in winter as it is so cold, I have tried compensating by having more hot drinks. Will just have to continue as I know it will come off at some point.  I would, ideally, like to lose another 4lb before Christmas.