PPPOTD - Goujons!

Fishing is the sport of drowning worms. Author Unknown

These Lemon and Pepper Sole Goujons are found in your local ALDI store and at 14 PP per box there's enough for 3 good dinners ... spray your baking tray with a little low fat spray oil and get them all crispy in the oven, add some butternut squash home made fries (recipe below) and you've got a great portion of fish and chips for max 6 ProPoints!


BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHIPS

Preheat oven to 200ºC/450ºF

Stick your butternut squash in the microwave for 1 minute..
.... this will loosen up the skin and make it easier to peel and slice..

The trick with these fries are the size (you only have to google it and you can see all the variations..) too big and they get all mushy... too skinny and they get too crispy too quickly... So tip: McDs = too skinny, wedges = too thick ... a happy medium!

Spray your baking tray with oil and lay out your chips and coat them in spray oil too... then sprinkle with salt, chilli flakes, herbs, Chinese five spice, paprika whatever you fancy... Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 20 - 25 minutes.

These are 0 ProPoints and delicious.. once you try them .. you'll never go back!

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PPPOTD - ACTIMEL

The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit.
Rush Limbaugh

With all these Lactobacillus Casei drinkies strengthening our natural defences, and we are being bombarded with them... lowering cholestrol ... boosting our immunity... I often wonder what did we do before all these little pots of wonder came along ... I came across a fat-free version of a favourite... With 1 ProPoint saving per bottle and the same price... you can't really go wrong... the taste is just the same and I mix mine into my smoothies! YUM!


Actimel Strawberry 2 ProPoints per bottle



Actimel Strawberry 0.1% - 1 ProPoint per bottle

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Welcome!

Well its been quite a week... I have come out... not of the closet you might think... I've peeped out of the cave I was hiding in .. and shown my friends where I really am... and it turns out .. they are even MORE amazing that I thought they were.. who knew... So everyone ... here's my alter ego... and she's even happier to know you than I am!

Putting yourself out there is very easy when no one in the big wide world really knows you.. telling those nearest and dearest can be one of the hardest things to do... you wonder how they will react.. you judge them on your worst experiences with friends who didn't last (even though you know in your heart and soul that they would never be like that) .. you're nervous... you're concerned.. what if you fail at this.. what will they think of you then... what if they treat you differently... will you always wonder what if??? Sometimes a step of bravery is what you need.. and also a little push (you know who you are!)... In the last few weeks I chose not to fib to my friends about being in hospital, and to come clean on The Skinny Doll and my personal struggle... no more "I'm fine", "I'm busy", "don't worry about me... silly" and guess what.. something else to add to my CV... I'm a great judge of character! This group of friends have amazed me with their response... and now.. I've got even MORE support ... exactly where I need it..

Maybe today is the day to set that wheel in motion.. when you don't feel like you.. you think no one will care.. that you're not important enough... I mean really... who do you think you are? ... when your self esteem is in the gutter.. you wonder how anyone can care.. you will be pleasantly surprised ... they do .. and sometimes they are afraid and possibly don't know how to show it, they don't want to offend... and don't know how to approach you, but they care and they really want to be there for you ... Nothing can help more than the support of people you trust and love.. remember we choose our friends and they choose us! To my new readers... WELCOME!

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PPPOTD - The skinny on ice cream!

Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. Jim Fiebig

OK these are for the kids... but at 3 ProPoints per cone, they're not a bad option for the freezer... better than the 5 ProPoints you could spend on a cornetto... and the portion size is already dictated so you can't be "generous" with the scooper! The "fizzy" bit will bring you back to your space dust days!




NOW... THESE are delicious... I just came out of hospital last week and that yucky tube they shove down your throat .. nasty... swallowing was a bit of a problem but these saved the day... at 2 ProPoints each... they have a lovely toffee taste to them and because they are essentially an ice lolly they seem to last for ages! There's 8 in a box... worth annoying your supermarket manager ...


These skinny cow double choc mint ice creams are yum... they're very chocolately.. very minty... and a good size so you don't feel like you're missing out... at 3 ProPoints each & 3 per box.. they are perfect to have in for the summer .. when it finally gets here!




My ProPoints for Ice Cream is filed under the Wheat & Dairy page on the right - but here's some comparisons...

ICE CREAM...
After eight ice cream dessert 100g = 7 pp
Brunch = 6 pp
Carte Dor light ice cream 50g/100ml = 2 pp
Choc ice = 5 pp
Cornetto Classico = 5 pp
Cornetto Strawberry = 5 pp
Crème egg ice cream = 5 pp
Del Monte Iced smoothie (raspberry) = 3 pp
Del Monte Ice Lollies (orange) = 2 pp
Frozen Fruit Pastilles Ice Lolly = 2 pp
Ice berger = 5 pp
Ice cream, low-fat, 1 scoop = 2 pp
Loop the Loop ice pop = 2 pp
Magnum white = 7 pp
Magnum classic = 7 pp
Maxi twist = 5 pp
Mint Cornetto = 5 pp
Skinny Cow Triple Chocolate Brownie Ice cream = 2 pp
Skinny Cow Mint Double Chocolate Ice Cream = 3 pp
Snickers ice cream bar = 6 pp
Solero Exotic = 3 pp
Super split = 2 pp
Twister = 2 pp
Wibbly wobbly wonder = 4 pp

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THE NEW LOOK WW MAGAZINE...

Weight Watchers magazine has a "new look!" and its really really good!

Magazine taste is very personal! When you invest in a magazine you really want to feel like you're getting value for you money, not like a freebie trashy mag you pick up at the dentist or something that's been stuffed in the middle of the Sunday papers... As a regular Weight Watchers Magazine reader... I read and re-read my mag all month! I cut out recipes.. post quote to friends... stick motivating success stories on the fridge! So when the "new look" June issue landed on the door step I was intrigued...


The new look WW mag doesn't disappoint! it seems more tactile (did you guys change the paper?), better quality... it DOES look and feel quite luxurious, the page layouts are clean and fresh... really clear and clean and not cluttered.. which I love... and the cover isn't SCREAMING with lots of confusing headlines... BTW the cover girl looks amazing too... LOVIN' the dress.. The first stop was the contents page and this is very nicely done, I hate when it takes you longer to find what your looking for on the contents than it would to just flick through the mag itself! The breakdown is clear and the colour coding is nice and fresh... and that continues through the mag with nice little tabs, which stopped me in my tracks (literally!) I was on the tram yesterday... cute little idea..






The first thing I read when I get my monthly mag is the success stories... they are SO motivating! (something I'm always in need of!) and the mix is great.. the best thing is the variety of losses... if you have 1 stone or 5 stone to lose.. there is someone in there you can relate too.. and the super honesty really makes you realise you're not the only one with a closet crisp addiction ..


One of the best things about the recipe sections was the cost per portion breakdown.. something which can really determine whether you cook a recipe or not... many times you can look at a recipe and think,"yeah it looks nice but it looks like a pricey meal" which most of the time they're not.. its very clever... The pics of the recipes are great too... I'm the kinda chef (don't let Nigella hear me say that!) who likes to see exactly what I should be making and some of these look like they're straight out of a restaurant! YUMMY!




Only thing I miss is the Food Swaps page ... something I personally loved... I liked being able to see how much I could get for my ProPoints and we all know we eat with our eyes! The shopping guide is great at the back... it lists all the products throughout the magazine and the ProPoint value... the "what's cooking" section is good for someone like me who loves cooking...



The weekly food plan is great too.. laid out clearly .. you can still tear it out and stick it on the fridge and not miss anything... a small suggestion would be a little shopping list on the side... (just being picky!)




Overall the new look is fresh and appetising, it includes all the WW essentials (menus, success stories etc..) but lots more... wine comparisons... Health issues... and fashion tips... and I got the boost of motivation I needed! Job done!

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SERIOUSLY!

Well the clue is in the name folks... SERIOUSLY SATISFYING... this is one of the latest cookbooks from Weight Watchers, who have kindly sent me a copy to review some of the recipes!

Well, as you can see I've read it from cover to cover and already its covered in post it notes.. there are LOADS of yummy recipes in this one! I've got a quite a few cook books from WW, I have my favs and I use them religiously (with the odd Skinny Doll twist od course) others haven't been too inspiring but are dragged out regularly when I'm feeling creative .. some books I've picked up at meetings, some I've bought online and some have been gifts from pals ... Thankfully WW online have updated the old books with the the new ProPoint values so I can still use them, check it out here ... so with the new ProPoints programme I was delighted to get this one to review without having to sit down with the calculator for the afternoon first!



There are 10 sections to choose from including Great Starts, which have a selection of breakfasts varying from smoothies to omelette's, first on my list from this section is the banana bread! Other sections include "Make it Fast" for those eating on the run.. to "Chocolate Heaven" for ... yeah well we all know who that sections for! What I like about it is the variety.. there's recipes to impress, I'm DEFINITELY doing the Strawberry Trifle for the next monster-in-law visit! Ahem... I digress! Thing is... no one's even going to know how good it is for them! There's some SERIOUSLY good family dinners that will leave you ... hate to say it.. SATISFIED! This cookbook does exactly what it says on the tin!



In total there are 130 recipes and each recipe is clearly laid out... As well as the ProPoint value per portion, they also list the total ProPoint value for the whole recipe, which is handy because some of the dinner recipes are great and I'm the kinda gal who would bring some as lunch with heaps of salad the next day.. knowing the total ProPoints makes it easier to do the math!


They've included some tips throughout and the pics are great.. I'm a big fan of seeing the finished product and knowing what it should actually look like.. means I've got something to aspire too! I'm dying to do the Meatball Pasta Bake... lets see if hubby guesses its a WW recipe! Bless!



Another plus with the recipes are the ingredients... there is nothing way out of the ordinary to put on your shopping list... everything is basic, wholesome and tasty and all stuff you might have in the house or it's easy to pick up in the corner shop...



I'll definitely be making some of these like the Cook-Along challenge! I'll post up the results!

Doll x

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PPPOTD - Mini me...

Pic Courtesy of the Daily Mail

”Hmm, death by mini-bar. How glamorous.”

George Downes (Rupert Everet) - My Best Friend's Wedding

Firstly .. apologies.. I've been unwell and have had a short visit in hospital (I could still tweet on my phone but blogs were out..) and I have missed my weigh ins (boo!).. but I'll be back on the scales next week in full swing (YAY!), I haven't indulged or been bold.. but my medication has played havoc with my system... but I'm thinking by next week I'll be all sorted... so .. normal service shall resume as of today now I'm up and about...

Now.. where was I.. ah yes... how easily these marketing types think we can be tricked! (as an ex-marketeer I know all the tricks!) Mini... mini = smaller... must mean its better for me... a little of something does you good.. everything in moderation... we know the cliches.. The key here is portion control... WEIGH THE FOOD OUT! I know from meetings and other weight watchers out there that when the words light.. mini.. fat-free... etc etc are on the box... we tend to get a little generous with the portion sizes and out hands get lazy/heavy.. The thing I love about the standard weetabix is the fact that the portion size is already dealt with.. two biscuits are a portion .. end of.. if you want another one.. you add it on.. with these little lovelies.. you must weigh them.. and trust me 40g isn't much when its lurking at the bottom of your bowl... at 4 ProPoints per serving, I think the chocolate ones would be good as a bedtime snack (it may save you from the biscuit tin!) and they are filling so you could go to bed satisfied.. don't forget to add your milk! Doll x


4 ProPoints per 40g serving


4 ProPoints per 40g serving

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