Guernsey and a little surprise with a shock to the system!!

So last weekend (Bank holiday) The ISS (International Staff Songsers) of the Salvation Army went to Guernsey.....

In summary...

We sang here on the Saturday night (in a beautiful restored church)

  

I had a little walk and wonder through a little town (St Peter Port)

I visited 'The Little Chapel' / Les Vauxbelets ...

This is a tiny little chapel that is covered and decorated by broken pieces of pottery....

We also drove round lots of places - down their very tiny windy roads - and saw some amazing views.... 

Oh.... And of course I needed to take a 'Guernsey Selfie' !

After our flight back home, Mr O and I went for a lovely lunch at The Apperfield Inn (which is a restaurant near to us. I wasn't too hungry but I could eat something, So we decided to have a starter - Mr O had squid and I had the soup of the day (spinach and something!) and shared a garlic bread - which was more like a very garlicy, cheesey bread!

Then, for our main I decided to go straight for dessert and Mr O had posh bangers and mash.

*****

Now, to commence my shock!

For a long time I have felt like my body is in 101 pieces - all mixed up and never going down the right way. I have been thinking of a way to get my body back on track.

So for weeks I have been looking into going to a Weight Watchers class, so I thought, what better time to start than after a weekend full of food - especially all the naughty Guernsey full fat milk, cream and ice cream!

So after my afternoon nap, I got up, washed dressed and headed out in the rain to my first ever WW class. Nervous was an understatement. I always remember going along to the odd class with my Mum if there was no one to look after us. They used to seem scary things full of old women who would sit around talking about food after my Mum would be weighed and be upset after. I think that is one reason why I never had the urge before to go to one... But after realising that this weight was not going very far since Christmas, maybe I had to have someone who would kick me up the butt and record my weight for me each week? I used to use the excuse of working shifts as a way of saying I couldn't go to one, as well as that I couldn't afford it!

However, after looking at the price of it all and how now that Mondays I seem to work the early shift these couldn't be excuses any more. No more hiding behind my phone screen when tracking! Plus, after moving to Kent and not getting to any kind of class or club to meet new people I also used this as a positive excuse for me to go! 

I walked in and they looked very puzzled at me and then when I said it 'Was my first week' they took me over to a table and set me up with registration forms etc.... However, I knew that this was probably the easy part and that the worst was yet to come!

Once I had filled my forms in, I was then put to a que of people to be weighed. It came to my turn and then I suddenly felt at ease. The lady was so lovely and welcoming, and congratulated me on coming along and for realising that I needed help - as well as coming along to my first meeting on a rainy bank holiday Monday evening. She said I showed true willingness.... 

I then got weighed, paid then had the meeting part - which I thought was brilliant - really interactive and gained me some new thoughts and ideas.... 

After the meeting, the leader spoke to myself and another lady (which was also her first week) and gave us our introductory speal and introduced us to Simple Start - now my was I nervous about doing Simple Start?! It was because I had read so much about it and it made me nervous about doing Simple Start, with it being restrictive on the naughty stuff, not pointing food and not writing everything down! Because of that, I thought it was not for me, but, only this week will tell....

I have also got to add, the lady I met in my meeting (which was also her 1st week) was a real blessing - we chatted away before the meeting, both giving our reasons why we were here and found a common ground. When we left the group, we even gave each other a little 'see you next week & good luck!' She has been in my head this whole last week - not in a weird way, but in a 'I hope she's doing ok' and what has she been eating?!

So..... I got home on Monday night and had an evening at Mr Ding Dong's house with Mr O and we had some strawberries, cream and some lovely cake and that then set me off for the next week. When I got home I sat and read everything that I could and couldn't eat and understood the whole Simple Start ideas. 

The next morning, I got a lovely text from my leader wishing me luck and checking if I was OK.

One of the things I learnt in the meeting was a way of making Filling & Healthy / 0pp jam - however, when I was in Asda on Wednesday night I couldn't remember what I needed. So I texted my leader and she replied back to me - pretty much straight away - and told me how to make it - My, how I was impressed with that!!

So.... Here it is, my first ever homemade jam - and who knew it would be so easy?!....

You can find out HERE how to make it.... 

So my meals this week included: 

Breakfast: Porridge (usually topped with some fresh fruit) or crumpets with Jam

One day the porridge decided to explode in the microwave!

Lunches - I kept to my usual salads, but this time I introduced something different each day such as a hard boiled egg, jacket potatoes and even a home made tuna stuffing (from the SS book)

Dinners - This is where all the fun was! Everything was fresh and cooked from scratch...

Tuesday we had a chicken hot curry with cauliflower rice

Wednesday I had my usual 'ISS packed tea' but instead of Nutella and banana sarnie I had a tuna filling (same as above) sarnie

Thursday We tried for the first time a WW shake and bake bag - I will definitely be buying more of those! So easy - you literally put in two chicken breasts, wack in a load of chopped veg, tie it up, shake and then put in the oven for 45 mins. - I served it also with home made potato wedges

Friday - Tortilla wraps with bolognaise and salad.

Saturday - Tonight we might just have an omelette or JPs - whatever takes our fancy tonight 

Sunday - Roast - of course!!!

Snacks / desserts - I tended to snack on fruit or natural low fat yogurt with a bit of sweetener.

Or my best friend - jelly :)

I have also found that I get hungry just at the time of going home, so I always take an extra banana and or pear/apple with me to eat on my way home.

I found this beautiful, colourful fruit platter in Sainsburys - brilliant and great amount for your money - You get two packs for £4.

And look what arrived in the post yesterday.... :) So excited to go to my next class on Monday night :)

So far this week has gone OK - At first the whole controlling of the naughty stuff was really hard, but as the week has gone on, I have found better and healthier things to replace them. I have also learnt that if I have a craving for chocolate then to nip it in the bud and not keep eating other stuff and just eat it!

Weigh in is on Monday night..... I wonder how I will get on?!.....

Have any of you done Simple Start? Any hints or tips?

Love, Mrs O xxx

Mrs O, Mrs O, where have you been?!...

I've been up to London to visit the Queen!!! 

Well, not really! But I feel like I've not had a spare Saturday in weeks!!! So let me tell you a little story of what has happened in my life recently... (Just so you know, I it's all about the weeks leading up to last weekend)

So back in the last Bank Holiday, Mr O and I went to our friend's engagement party up in London (see i did go up into Town - but just not to see the queen!)

My outfit matched Jeremy's theme colour - I decided to go for a nautical theme, complete with red nails, shoes and handbag! 

We met up with some other friends before we went along to the party and stopped off for a few drinks. I fancied a mocktail and so the bar man asked me to name my favourite fruits / flavours - I gave him pineapple and coconut and this was his creation.... Oh my word I wanted to down it!!

If you follow me on Twitter or on Facebook you will have heard that my work finally got taken over by London Bridge Hospital. And my, did we rejoice and celebrate when we found out :)

On our first day as London Bridge Hospital they sent us a big bunch of fruit (as well as sarnies) all because it was national nurses day!!

Following a march one Sunday, our corps Band, Songsters and Singing Company did a lovely open air in the middle of the high street in Enfield...

I did a bit of investigation into Snacks, treats and desserts... And these were a few of my favourite finds....

Frozen vanilla milk lollies from Sainsburys work out as 1pp each :)

These ice cream things (I never know what to call them!) Are from Lidl and work out at 3pp each - I think I bought them for about £1.99 for the 12 of them!

And finally, the place that I find is the worst place ever to say no to chocolate....

The Petrol Station....

So from top to bottom.... 

Milky Way - 5pp 

Galaxy Ripple - 5pp (and so worth it!)

Reese's Nut Bar - 8pp = and so not worth it!!

Another kind of food investigation... I spend a while getting cold in the frozen fish section in Tesco to find the best and lowest pointed battered cod.... This worked out the best for 7pp per fillet and it was so tasty and a decent size too.

Another little find is my love for tinned pineapple - in juice remember - and this is the only kind of fruit in a tin 'in juice' that you can get from Lidls.... 

And now a little bit of a boring bit.... Some of my lunches, dinners and desserts over that time...  

  

  

(Fake apple pie)

 

  

And finally, my little man and I had a fancy dress party.....

Love, Mrs O x

Next post to come.... Guernsey and then this last week - which has been a real big shock to my system!!

Jam, Jam, marvelous F&H (0pp) jam :)

Got a load of fruit at home and you just don't know what to do with it? Or craving something sweet or need something to pop on your toast or crumpets?.... Well, this F&H 0pp jam has been my little life saver recently......

The other night I put up on my favourite little WW group what was the best way to make 0pp jam and this was one of the ways.....

Oh, and like most of the food I make it's so easy to make - I made it whilst I was doing the washing up!!!

Ingredients 

• 400g fresh / frozen fruit
• 1 packet of Jelly crystals - best if it is the same or nearest flavor to your fruit.... (I used Hartley's sugar free ones)
• 3 tbsp of granulated sweetener

Now once the weighing has been done (the hardest bit!) Now to start creating the yummy smells....

1. Put all the fruit into a pot and let it simmer away until it's all mushy

2. Whilst that is happening, dampen and leave a little bit of water in your jam jar, pop in the microwave for 30 seconds - to sanitise it.

3. Pour in the jelly crystals and stir in the sweetener and mix really well.

4. And it should look something like this....

5. Put it in a jar, stand back and admire

6. Pop in the fridge to set and keep - apparently it should keep for up to a month. 

7. The next morning, put it onto your crumpets or toast - you wont need much - and enjoy!

Love, Mrs O x