Christmas and the Low Fat Pizza

Hi Guys

so after the inactive (by ways of cooking) active (by ways of everything thing else) last week I managed to get back in the Kitchen yay.

Well not after going out to look for some decoration and coming across this rather creep snowman.

The little one was less than impressed lol.

I had time to make a lovely low fat "Cauliflower and Sprout Based Pizza" okay not as doughy as a normal pizza which I do adore - mmmm Dominos 

But if you trying (mostly in vain, like me) to loose weight especially before the festive season. As I know we'll all say no, I'll be good and won't go mad and then by new year you've realized you have eaten enough to feed a village for a year and drunk enough to fill in the local swimming pool you won't fall to far into your pit of regret. This is a healthy alternative.

A really simple and fun thing to do - good for gluten free and with a few tweaks to topping can even be a vegan meal (Although as my version contains topping of Egg, Cheese and ham definitely would need them removed lol)

So to make the base it very easy just get a Cauliflower and some sprouts:

Prepare them for cooking, Don't know why but my mother always says when you cook sprouts you need to put a cross in them and as the old adage goes "Mother Knows Best" so I do it too.

Cook in water now normally if you were having these as a side you would cook them for 15-20 minutes depending on how soft or firm you wanted them but for the pizza base I would say 25 minutes to get them nice and soft for mashing.

Once cooked drain the veg thoroughly then mash together. (some people add an egg to this mix to get them to bind better, but I find it works well without it.)

Prepare a baking tray line it with baking parchment and add some spray oil

Then add the mixture to the paper spreading it then and even and trying to shape it into a circle. I know mines a bit cack-handed but I am dyslexic and dyspraxia I find fiddle stuff sometimes difficult.

doesn't matter too much as when you put the topping on it will look awesome.

So you need to place that in a 200 degree oven for around 18-20 minutes - till the sizes start crisping up.

Once that's done take out of the oven and leave to cool. Then you can choose and add your topping - anything you want it's up to you.

I added:

cheese, Peppers, Tomatoes, chilies, Prosciutto and an egg.

I fried of the peppers a little first as I find they cook better.

Then for the Pizza I add a Tomato Puree and spread it evenly across the base.

Then you can arrange the topping in anyway you see fit.

then back in the oven at 180 for around 12 minutes.

What you are left with is a yummy low fat and healthy Faux Pizza.

Honestly it is so filling I had this over 3 meals as it was so big.

even something fun to do with the kids as, as soon as you have the base you can let them go mad throwing the topping on. I use to make french bread pizza with my mum when I was young and it was always one of our favorite meals.

So glad I got time to do some cooking this week as we still in pre moving hell. I hate all this stuff as there are so many forms to fill in and people to contact and anyone reading this who is dyslexic knows that form are a big pain in the pants. coupled that with the added stress as there are legal documents and you want to make sure they are filled in exactly right.

But the more stressed you get the worse your dyslexia gets. I really hate the process hopefully in years to come they might make it easier for us lot. but until then I'll go back to pulling my hair out and quadruple checking then getting my mum to check everything I do.

Couple this with the little ones new hobby of putting his toys down the loo ~(UK Slang for toilet) would show you a picture but I didn't think it was seemly putting a pic of the Bog (Another UK slang for Toilet) on a blog about food - somehow I don't think they go. This also cause further distress and he was not happy that I wouldn't let him have the toys back straight after I removed them from the toilet. Evil Mummy wanting to wash them so they were clean lol...

Thank goodness I am off to the Netherlands for a break this weekend, it can't come soon enough.. That does mean however that next week's blog will be full of fun, food and fantastical stories of our antics lol.

Mega Sandwich and Meatball Madness

Hello everyone :)

How are you all, I hope you're keeping well. I know I am.

So what have I been up to this week - hmm not lots but enough to keep me out of mischief.

It was a alright weekend in the Garden of England (That's Kent for you that don't know) So I spent a lot of Saturday outdoors with the little lad.

After some fun time in the park which involved 45 minutes of swings  - as from my previous post the little one likes the swings. Trying in vain at the moment to see my apartment to get a bigger place with a Garden and the first thing that I will put in it will be a swing. I still have all the pushing to do but at least I won't have too far to get there lol.

We went for some lunch at The Swan Street Cafe, it's a lovely little local business with good food and really reasonable prices especially compared to some of the other places dotted around where I live. I been in a few times but this is the first time I ordered a Club sandwich and when I say it was huge it was the biggest sandwich I've ever seen and I've eaten sandwiches in the USA lol.

Honestly it was nearly as big as my head (not that I have a huge head :) ) It was so tasty filled with Chicken and sun-dried tomatoes in lovely doorstep toasted bread. The coleslaw that came with it was scrummy too.

As it was so big I only managed to get through half of it before I was so full. The little one enjoyed his Kid sandwich but that was also made from the same size loaf so he could finish his too.

I think it would be the perfect sharing sandwich. I would definitely have it again although think I have to wait till I am mega hungry to finish it off.

On Sunday Hubby and my Father painted the outside of our apartment. So I had them painting, my mother on babysitting duty and I was running about picking up extra paint, paint hook, white spirit made about 5 trips.

Was a busy day and they did a great job and my Mum even with looking after the little ball of energy also known as my sun she managed to cook us all a Sunday Dinner which was yummy. Why is it that you mum's cooking always taste better than anyone else?

I did with all this going on manage to get one big cook on this week.

I made Meatballs with Bacon, Chorizo and Chillies.

for the meatballs I used:

420g of Low Fat Beef Mince
4 Rashes of Reduced Fat Bacon Medallions - chopped
Half a pack of Chorizo - chopped
A couple of medium Hot Chillies - chopped
and 1 egg

Oh and the boys used my big mixing bowl when painting the house so that had to go in the bin so will be getting myself a new big bowl this weekend luckily I have a could of smaller ones that did the job (just).

I added the mince to the bowl

Followed by the Bacon

Chorizo

Chillies

then the Egg

Then bind it all together you might want to use your hands to do this

Then using the mixture mould in to balls shapes I got 9 pretty big meatballs out of my mix.

I then sprayed them with oil and popped them in a 220 oven for 22 minutes

Also when this was happening I put also in to cook a pack of roasting vegetables.

When these were both firmly cooking in a pan I browned off some onions

then added in some chopped tomatoes

and "Oxo" beef stock cube

Then the roasted veg

When the meatballs came out of the oven I placed them in the sauce.

What I was left with was a yummy hearty meal (which is more fitting with the time of year than my Kebabs last week).

I think it really tasty and delectable but that's just my humble opinion lol.

Oh and last thing I am so happy with the result of the Great British Bake Off. for those of you who don't reside in the UK (although I know some country have their own version) it is a baking competition where 10 contest show of the baking skills in the hope of being crown the Winner. There is no prize money the only high octane action is when someone bake goes wrong.


It's one of the most popular shows here in the UK. just goes to show to make a great TV show you need some personable people and fun format and of course baking lol :)

The Cak-y Baptism, The Missed Week and the Curry

 Hello out there in the blogger-verse.

Sorry I was incommunicado last week it all went a bit crazy.

I had my little ones baptism.

So I had loads of stuff to sort out last week from the arrival of family to sorting out a cake topper. I was actually shameful and used Store bought cake instead of making my own. but what with getting the balloons ordered the venue set up and trying not to loose what little of my mind I have left it was the easiest options.


All I can say is thank goodness for "Not on the High Street" as I managed to get a great cake decal that my poor mother and sister in law spent one night cutting out and sticking on as I had to take the Godparents through the order of service.

Although in all the madness I did manage to whip up a curry - It a take on a curry I made before but as I know the recipe and I know it a fairly quick cook time (Well most of it is letting it simmer) I made Sweet Potato and Chicken Curry.


Ingredients
400g of Chicken
3 Sweet Potatoes
3 Bell Peppers
400g of tinned tomatoes
200g of Tomato Puree
350g of Spinach
Some Fat Free Fromage Frais
Curry Powder - No I picked Hot as I like it spicy but it up to you really.

Also 300ml of Stock (not featured as I forgot until I was in the mist of cooking)

Chop the sweet potatoes and put them on to par boil for 5 minutes.

Then in a big pan throw in the chicken and add the curry powder you can be as generous as you want it up to you spice it up a bit...

Then Throw in the peppers and start to cook off.

After then add the par-boil potatoes to the mix, stir in

Before adding a handful of the spinach.

Followed by the tomatoes

and the Stock

and another handful of spinach and the tomato puree

Keep adding the spinach till it wilted down then simmer for around 25 minutes until the potatoes are lovely and tender.

then you can stir in some fromage Frais to make it a bit creamer. Also if you've got someone who like it a bit milder you can always add a bit more to there curry to cool it down.

serve up with some rice and for added healthiness veg.

So glad I managed to get that in with in the madness. As it very filling and super nommy. 


You'll all be please to hear that the Baptism went off without a hitch, well the best it can with a 23 month old and a 45 minute service.



The reason we didn't have him baptized sooner, was because due to family being scattered across the world it was a logistical nightmare but  nearly everyone invited turned up which is amazing. It so nice to be able to celebrate a nice and happy day in actually really fantastic weather (for England in September).

Our Priest Father Peter was amazing and it was great service and everyone, what ever religion, was made to feel included and enjoyed a few laugh. Especially when my darling son didn't want to go over the font and was grotting my husband by clinging on for dear life to his neck tie lol..

Also the party afterwards was super success too I can't thank The Spitfire pub enough who put on a lovely do the space was amazing.

Made even more special by the fantastic balloons from Party on the Hill . They were such nice displays and I wanted something small and understated but set off the room.

As with kiddywinks running around you know they will be popped or when we're not looking the Helium used for hilarity (Warning Helium can be dangerous so not advisable) but considering some of the parents were doing it they couldn't really then tell their kids off. I don't know sometimes we can be worse than the kids lol..

Don't worry the little ones godmother is a nurse so we were safe from any calamity. lol


Also on the same day we had my in laws 35 Wedding Anniversary and our friends 33rd Birthday so we needed to get extra cakes to celebrate that too. Think I had cake overload.

What with that the glass of wine, the glass of champagne and did I tell you I started of the day with a bucks fizz my diet went truly out the window. But hey how many times am I going to get my son baptized.

So this week at weight club I had a gain so am back on the diet trying to loose it. So to make it more interesting I redid my wrapped chicken recipe (see my 1st July post for details) but this time I added fresh chilies in with the low fat cream cheese, now these were some fiery chilies. They were so nice to eat but did have a bit of heart burn afterward that will server me right for cranking up the heat a bit too much phew.

So I think my next post will be filled with nice and healthy dishes as I need to get the weight off.

As we booked another girl trip to Amsterdam - See Amok in Amsterdam parts 1-3 for what we got up to last time goodness knows what we will get up to this time but I can tell it's going to be filled with Fun, Food and a couple of drinkies (Don't worry I will be sans baby).


Which is great as I really need a break :), 

I had to decimate my Disney holiday fund to throw the baptism party which I don't mind as it was such a great day. Also I have managed to re-start the fund and have 1.5% saved up so far. Ooh so much I hear you say lol 

although with Epcot food and Wine starting and its coming up to the year anniversary of my last trip. I can't help being a bit bummed. As looking at the F&W previews it looks amazing and I would love to taste all the fun thing from all over the world.

Oh well as they say good things come to those who wait so I will keep at the saving try not to go mad at Christmas and hopefully in the January Sales I can bag a holiday bargin.

Faux Fun

So I had big plans for cooking and was going to teach the hubby how to make Bread and we were going to paint the front of the house be busy productive members of society...

The little man had other plans. He was a bit ill and when I say a bit ill if you've ever seen the "Exocist" you'll know what I mean.

Wasn't so bad when we were at home lots of cleaning up lots of hugs as you always worry so much when they are not well,. but his temperature was fine so obviously something just upset his stomach.

Or major error came when we thought he was doing better and took him out to the local hardware store "B&Q" to look at getting supplies for the house painting, and was subsequently very ill down one of the isles and all over his dad. To be fair the staff were wonderful and really helpful and didn't get upset even when I showed them the mess.

Just think that great for a store as there are times when you are a bit mortified but they handled it like it wasn't any trouble at all and I did even offer to do the mopping myself but they said to take care of the little one and they would take care of it.

So as for cooking, this week to make thing easier I stuck with quick simple dishes in between handing out a shed load of TLC.

I made a Faux Carbonara .

cooked up some leeks and Mangetout while frying some bacon..

After the leeks and Mangetout were cooked I thew them into the frying pan too for a couple of minutes.

Before mixing them all with some pasta and low fat fromage frais for very quick very easy and if you've cut the fat of the bacon low in fat healthy scrummy meal.

I even made another Lasange (See previous week's post for recipe) but instead of pasta sheets on top I used potatoes which gave it an added kick.

Don't worry the little one did get better and even managed to have some fun on the swings.

I am  a big kid at heart and the swing are one of my absolute favorite things to do and I am  so glad my son is like me and loves them.  I know when he upgrades to the big kid swings we'll be on them together from morning to night  :) 

As he was doing so well went out for a lovely brunch  at The Fancy Goat. I had a Bucks Fizz (mimosa) to celebrate his recovery

And enjoyed a wonderful Tortilla De Patatas.

Oh and when the waitress said the pan was hot I should have paid more attention as I burnt a finger on it ouchie, ouch.. Although being so yummy made up for the pain.

The little one got some tasty scramble egg very rich and creamy.

Another highlight of the week was another trip to Thomas Cookie Co to get some more of there fab cookies can see them become a staple in my life (but shh don't tell the diet)...

Right this weekend I am having no excuse (well a sick infant isn't really an excuse it a all encompassing situation) I will be making bread and will post it up step by step...

And as it's a Bank Holiday over here I've also got a few other interesting things planned so will be a far more exciting post, well they can't all be mad weekend in Amsterdam (even though I wish they were lol) :)