Author: Scottish Mum

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Losing a bunch of weight.

Pink Tape Measure

It’s no secret to my readers that I’ve lost a bunch of weight recently, and I’d still like to lose around a stone more, but I won’t worry too much about that.  I’m still heavier than where I started at the
beginning of all this blubbery inflation, but I fit into UK Next 8 and 10 clothes mostly, with the odd 12, so I’m happy with that. I know I might not be able to keep it up, but for now, I’m in control of my weight.

What I have been most surprised about, was the amount of people who constantly ask me how I’ve done it, as if there’s some sort of magic wand around that melts fat off.  When I tell people what I’ve done, they begin to lose interest, then some even turn round and say something dumb, like,

‘no really, what else did you do?’

Or they assume that now my thyroid is in a better way, that the fat dissolved itself away.  Now I know having thyroid issues helps with weight gain etc, but losing it isn’t any easier for us than it is for the rest of you when it’s sorted out.  My thyroid being in sync now might stop me adding to weight, but it does nothing for losing what’s already there.

It’s simple really.  Just CICO.  Honestly, all other diets work on basically the same principle.  Eat less calories than you expend, and you will lose fat.   CICO is simply calories in v calories out.  I don’t believe in the real plateau either.  It’s impossible to eat more and lose weight as such.  Nobody living in a real starvation mode will retain their fat for a sustained level of time, and three or four weeks of the scales not moving, is not starvation mode.

Weight loss isn’t linear.  

Just because you eat 1200 calories a day, most people won’t lose 2lbs a week, every week, forever.  Some weeks you might lose 3lbs, some 4, then maybe some at 2lbs, a week or two here and there of half a pound, and maybe a couple of weeks gain one or two.  And boy, does it get demotivating for the scales not to move at all for nearly two months.  Yep, been there, but eventually, if you stick with it, the downward trend begins again.

The closer to goal we get, the longer it takes to shift.  It’s a journey, not a fast track to skinny blingdom.

Losing weight should be about health first, and the weight on the scale way down on the list.  In second and third place, I prefer to look at fitness, endurance and before the scale, even how my clothes fit.

That’s my view, and you’re welcome to disagree with me.   My clothes still don’t fit as well as I’d like around my midriff, and that’s why I’d like to lose a bit more fat, but on the whole, I’m happy enough with the rest of me.

You can’t outrun a bad diet?

Hmmm, well, I see this all the time on the internet, yet it’s possible that it’s completely wrong too.

Certainly, you can’t outrun a diet where you take in far more calories than you burn off by running.  And given a mile roughly equates to around 100 calories, then a fairly long run won’t even make up for a pig out session in front of the TV with a good sized pizza.

What you can do, with exercise, in increase the size of the CICO calorie deficit, which means you can eat a little more on those days.  If your daily target calorie count is around 1400, and you run for 6 miles, you could technically eat 2000 calories that day and still be in a modest deficit of calories.

Some diets are better than others.

Of course they are, but some are absolute tosh.  Any weight loss diet has to have you eating less calories than you use up in a day.  Whether you count in points, pounds, kcals or packets, it all adds up to the same.  I’m not a fad of diets that replace the calorie with a fancy name, and it isn’t any way to help someone maintain their weight when they’ve finished losing it in the first place.  If you find something healthy that works for you, then go for it.  Otherwise, learn portion control and nutritional value of foods and work it out for yourself.  I learned that I’ve spent much of my life with far too little protein.  I’ve fixed that.

There’s no easy weight loss method.

Losing weight sucks, big time, but if you’re determined and ready for it, nothing will stop you.   Good luck to anyone on a journey, and I hope you feel as good about yourself as I do for what I achieved over the last year.

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Recipe: Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding using Hamlyn’s Scottish Oatmeal

Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding 1300

Halmyns LeafletAlong with a few fellow bloggers, I had the opportunity to appear in a leaflet for the Scottish Royal Highland Show this year.

Hamlyns of Scotland, who commissioned the leaflet, kindly gave me permission to post my recipe on my blog too.  Here it is, the front cover of the leaflet, which apparently went down very well, and the recipe and images from making sticky toffee pudding with some oaty goodness in it.

I think I might even try replacing all the flour with oatmeal at my next attempt with this.  The consistency might be different, but as I love the nutty taste of oatmeal, I suspect it would go down very well here.

Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding 8 650

Ingredients

For the pudding.

  • 200g Medjool Dates, stones removed.
  • 100g Self Raising Flour.
  • 100g Hamlyns Scottish Oatmeal.Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding - Hamlyns Oatmeal 650
  • 150ml Boiling Water.
  • 2 Teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda.
  • 2 Eggs.
  • 100g Butter.
  • 2 Tablespoons Black Treacle.
  • 150g Demerara Sugar.
  • 100ml Double Cream.

For the toffee sauce.

  • 350g Golden Caster Sugar.
  • 100g Butter, cubed.
  • 500ml Double Cream.
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Treacle.

Method

For the pudding.

  1. Chop the dates into small pieces. Put them into a bowl and pour over the boiling water and set them aside.  Leave them to soak in until everything else is done.Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding - Add Dates Mashed Into Water 650
  2. Put your oven on, to around 170C/160C (Fan).
  3. In a mixing bowl, add your flour, oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda and sugar, and stir it around. Melt your butter so that it’s easy to mix in, and add it, along with your eggs and black treacle.  Mix by hand, or use a low setting on a mixer, to ensure the mix isn’t handled too roughly.  When the pudding mix looks slightly curdled, add in the double cream and fold it in by hand.  Don’t worry about the texture.  At this point, it might resemble batter more than pudding mix.  Just remember, that it isn’t a cake mix and doesn’t need lots of air added.  Using a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl is a good idea.Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding - Mix Ingredients 650
  4. Mash the dates into the water, then pour it all into the bowl with the rest of your ingredients. Again, fold in by hand.  The mix may look curdled, but it’s fine.
  5. Grease your baking tins and pour the mixture in. I used two moulds.  One traditional round pudding mould and a flat one for the family to tuck into as soon as our toffee pudding was ready.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pudding is cooked.

For the toffee sauce.

  1. In a thick bottomed pan, add the sugar and butter with around three quarters of the cream, then slowly bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
  2. When the sugar is dissolved, add the black treacle and bring the mix to the boil, letting it bubble for a minute or two at the most.
  3. Take the sauce off the heat and beat in the remaining cream. Your mix will be a gorgeous toffee colour, and look lovely and glossy.Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding - Toffee Sauce 650

Combining the pudding and sauce.

Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding - Pour Toffee Sauce over and Leave to Soak 2 650

  1. Slide a knife or spatula around the edges of your cakes, and slide them out of the tins if possible. If a little of the cake sticks to the bottom, its fine.  Just use your spatula to scrape it out and pop it on top, then use a knife to smooth it out.  The pudding is gooey and it will repair easily and can even be slightly moulded if needed.  Toffee sauce is going on the top, and it will hide any slight imperfection.  If in doubt, wait until your pudding is cooler before attempting to remove it from the mould.
  2. Pour a little toffee sauce into the bottom of your moulds. Replace your pudding, letting it sit in the toffee sauce, then pour some more on top.  Keep aside around one third of the toffee sauce for serving.
  3. If you’ve left the pudding overnight to soak up the toffee sauce, it will be more sticky and gooey than if eaten immediately. If you want to heat the pudding up before serving, that’s fine too.
  4. Enjoy on its own, or with a little yoghurt and strawberries.

Oaty Sticky Toffee Pudding 1 650

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Soup Maker Recipe: Cream of Sweet Potato and Tomato Soup

Sweet Potato and Tomato 1200

Lesley Smith

Cream of Sweet Potato and Tomato Soup

5 from 4 votes
This works fine for me, but you know your own soup makers and what the limits will be. Change the amount of ingredients to suit your machine. Check your instructions if you are not sure.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 Bowls
Cuisine: Soup Maker
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 350 g Sweet Potato peeled and chopped.
  • 200 g Onion peeled and chopped.
  • 100 ml Cream or Milk.
  • 400 g Tin Plum Tomatoes.
  • 2 Knorr Chicken Stock Cubes.
  • Salt and Pepper to taste.
  • 1 Level Teaspoon Ground Ginger.
  • 1 Clove Garlic crushed.
  • 1 Teaspoon Butter.
  • Water.

Method
 

  1. Method A

  2. Add all ingredients to the pot, crumbling the stock cube in, and stir well.

  3. Top up with water to below the maximum fill level and above the minimum fill level on a 1.6litre soup maker.

  4. Make sure the lid is on tight.

  5. Select the smooth setting.



  6. Method B

  7. Saute the onions, ginger and garlic in butter.

  8. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, crumbling the stock cube in, and stir well.

  9. Top up with water to below the maximum fill level and above the minimum fill level on a 1.6litre soup maker.

  10. Make sure the lid is on tight.

  11. Select the smooth setting.

 

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4 Classic Kids’ Meals with a Grown Up Twist

Collaborative Post

You might not have the best memory of school dinners, but there’s just something about classic kids’ food that’s comforting. Probably because kids’ food uses simple, straightforward ingredients, we don’t muck about with it. Warm and squidgy beans and mash just melts in your mouth, chicken nuggets come in handy bite sized pieces and jelly and ice-cream is marvellously moreish (and low-fat if you go easy on the ice-cream). It’s good food so why should it just be for kids?

Stovies-with-Beans-5702

If you’re one of those parents who feels guilty about swiping a few chips off the kids’ plates at tea time, why deprive yourself any longer? If London can have cafes selling chocolate covered cereal to adults then we can definitely learn a thing or two from classic kids’ meals.  Check out these ideas for a grown up twist on the mini meals.

Homemade beans on toast

Did you see Dragon’s Den earlier this year when an entrepreneur secured investment for his grown-up baked beans company? If this is a sign of times to come then it’s time to jump on the bandwagon now and they are not as hard to make as they sound, they just take time. Regular tinned beans are usually made with haricot but pinto work well too and you can even mix in chickpeas. This is a helpful article with links to various recipes but the secret to the best grown-up baked beans has to be chorizo. Thinly sliced on top, it makes for a delicious protein packed lunch.

Fish fingers and chips

Anything with chips goes down well with children and adults alike. While a fish finger sandwich has been a common feature of many gastro-pub menus for a while now, fish fingers and chips is a crowd pleasing evening meal for the whole family. Make your own simple fish fingers by cutting boneless white fish into strips, before rolling in breadcrumbs seasoned to your taste (try oregano with a touch of salt). Bake in the oven for 20 minutes along with McCain easy oven chips and serve with salad and lemon.

Macaroni cheese

Macaroni cheese is great option for meat-free Mondays and certainly not just for kids. Try experimenting with different cheeses, for example fontina, Taleggio, Gruyere, even Camembert. Go for a Mexican inspired mac and cheese by adding diced green chillies and a teaspoon of chilli powder, or bulk up the pot with diced pumpkin – the sweet flavour goes really well with cheese.

Mediterranean Spag Bol

You can make this Spaghetti Bolognese recipe with Quorn mince as well as minced beef. Although spag bol is always a family favourite, this recipe is more suitable for adults because it’s packed with fresh tomatoes, herbs and olives. To make the sauce you need to set up a pot with tinned tomatoes, fresh sliced cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, a glug of red wine and as many black olives as you like. Cook the spaghetti al dente and finish with a shaving of Parmesan. This one is too delicious for the kids!

Apart from the beans, which you might want to leave for the weekend, all of these meals can be made in half an hour! They are also a good way of introducing children (or teens) to new ingredients like olives and stronger cheeses by presenting them to cautious foodies in a familiar way. Have a go next time you’re craving your favourite comfort food.

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Race for Life 2016 – Aberdeen – 10K – Done

Well, it came and went, and I finished it, running all the way….  For a new runner, I can’t even begin to say how chuffed I was at the finish line, although the last couple of K were quite tough for me to keep running, especially after pulling a muscle at around the 8k line.

We rocked up around 9am, to see lots of women making their way to the side of the Ice Arena, where there was a stage set up for everyone.  As usual, when I’m doing anything, there’s a complete lack of photographs to show me doing it, as my nearest and dearest aren’t the best at taking photos for me.

Race for life 2016 10k 4

I raised £262 for my run, which I was happy with, given that my circle of real life friends is pretty limited these days.  As a carer, I don’t get out terribly much any more and I really have to thank everyone who donated from the bottom of my heart.  I gave a show of strength against cancer for my mother in law, who was taken too soon, both my mother and father who are cancer survivors and my friend, who is about to start her second fight against the disease.

I’d no idea what to expect, and half thought I’d be the only old huffer on the route, but I had nothing to worry about.  I’d done some training, and although the furthest I’d gone before this was 8k, I was hoping to get to the finish in one piece.

There’s a group warm-up at the beginning, but as an older runner, and one who used to be very unfit, in hindsight, it wasn’t enough for me.   If I do this again, I’ll do my five minute walk beforehand, to ensure my leg muscles are ready for getting feet off the ground.

Race for life 2016 10k 3

Before setting off, nerves gathered in my stomach, but once we were in the starting area, they eased off as he began to hike it up the little hill from the field to the beach boulevard.  It was a fairly easy route, but I’d expected it to be completely flat, which was a little misleading, as at the Bridge of Don end of the route, it’s a slow climb back to the level and flat run for the rest of the way, right to the roundabout beside the Beach Ballroom, and back to the Bridge of Don route for a full second cycle of running.    It’s effectively 2 rounds of the 5k circuit.

Water was handed out at around the 5k mark for us, and with only around 600 entries for the 10k, our route was very pleasant indeed, after the first kilometer, when people began to find their place and the crowd opened out.  There were some cancer uk supporters helping to chivvy us along and it did raise a smile, as in general, running is quite a lonely pursuit.

Starting off, I went too fast for me, but not at all fast for many others.  I think it was the need to find a bit of space to run in, and when that happened, I settled into a steady pace, getting around half way in around 32 minutes, which is ultra good for me.  At that point, I realised I had to do it all again, so I slowed down more and took longer for the second half of my 10k.  I’m new at running, so pushing it would have been daft.

In the second half, I suspect I could have speed walked/partially run in cycles and been faster, but my goal was simple…  Just to finish and still be running, from beginning to end.  And I did it, as my show of strength against cancer.  It affects us all, so if others can go through chemo, pain, uncertainty and misery, surely I could finish a 10k, somehow!

I’ve run at the beach before, but the pavements are definitely easier to run on than the road, which has a fair few stretches of uneven tarmac.   The pavements were reserved for the general public, so running on the road it had to be.  Apparently, I ran past my family and never saw them at all.  With my headphones in and music blaring into my ears, I think I had no idea what anyone else was doing, for almost all the time.

By the end stages, I heard my app get to around 8k, and I signed in relief.  I still felt ok, and my legs were fine, then I landed awkwardly on a rough patch of tarmac and slightly pulled a muscle.  Determined to keep going, I sort of hopped for a few steps until it eased, then slackened off my pace a bit more.  Keeping my legs going was all I cared about at that point.  9k was announced in my ears, and I knew I’d finish it by still running.  It was slightly disheartening to hear 10k announced, and realise I still had to go from the roundabout to the finish line, so in total, my app told me it was 10.44km.

I was about 75-80 minutes, not counting the forgetting to switch off my app when I’d finished, and it added on a few extra minutes where I walked over to meet my sister in law who was running the 5k after me, and my boys.

Race for life 2016 10k

Race for life 2016 10k Dog Tags

I’m chuffed to bits about finishing it.  Time was never a goal for me at this point, but distance was.

ps:  Remind me never to let anyone take a picture of me mid step again!

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I cut my expensive Hoka Clifton 2 running shoes – yes I did!

Before I say any more, this isn’t sponsored.  I bought and paid for my Hoka’s, and yes, I cut them……

I know, nuts right?  Especially considering they cost me £100.  To see the slit when I’m wearing them, you have to know it’s there.  If you look closely in this pic, you can see it on the right shoe.

Hoka Clifton 2

It’s hardly noticeable at all really.  But makes a huge difference to wearing them.

Hoka Clifton 2 (e)

They’re like pillows on my feet, and running with fibro isn’t the easiest thing in the world.  I get pain, and it’s not nice pain in most shoes I’ve tried so far, and when I saw Hoka running shoes, they reminded me of my well worn Fitflop clogs for the soles.  Anything that reminds me of Fitflop soles has to be good.  Well, that’s the plan.  I wanted to hate these, so that I could find something that didn’t look so much like clown shoes, but sadly, I’ve had to become a fan, and the colours are mostly just eye wateringly offending.  These aren’t too bad, but still bright.

So, with my credit card out, I scratched my chin, and duly bought a size to match the Saucony ones I already had.  This finding the right shoe can be expensive.  After my first run in the Clifton 2, I got a blister at the ankle behind my heel with the cuff, but that sorted itself out after a couple of more sensible short runs to break them in.

Then the problem started.

My right foot felt incredibly cramped, and after a little run, my little toe was squished against the side.  My toes would start to go numb and I had to stop every five minutes to stretch my foot and ease off the numbness.  I couldn’t return them as I’d worn them outside, and I didn’t want to either, as I struggle with forefoot cushioning in my right foot, which is the foot I have the biggest problem with.

A quick search online, brought up other squished toe runners with the same issue, as Hoka shoes seem to run quite narrow for women, even many men too.  Some online people mentioned cutting a slit at the side, to give that extra couple of millimeters needed for comfort.  Specifically, I came across Stephanie, a Hoka Cutter, who’s an awesome ultra marathon runner, and her blog is quite funny too.

Who’d have thought it – me – taking a blade – as a destructive force on an item that cost over a ton…..  I’m am established Hoka cutter now too..

Slightly glowing with the thought of completely destroying something that cost so much of my hard earned dough, I tried to poke a hole with a normal kitchen paring knife.  Not to be recommended.  Almost sliced my finger off.

I duly gave up and sent the hub for his stanley knife.  Needless to say, he huffed and puffed, but finally gave in and slit around an inch, which seemed to help, then I tried a run, and found I needed another half inch at least.  I decided to widen the slit myself, but this time, lady luck wasn’t on my side, although I did manage to avoid my fingers.  The errant slit went slightly upwards into the plastic, and I spent a few minutes in frantic regret, but it’s totally relieved the pressure, although it’s a very untidy cut.  After another 30k on the shoes, the slit hasn’t widened or torn any either.

Hoka Clifton 2 (c)

Forgive the wonky slit, I’m a novice at mutilating my shoes!!!

Hoka Clifton 2 (d)

That’s if you don’t count the elasticated ballerinas that I cut the elastic on, and made them fit my feet perfectly.

The Result

  • I don’t have to spend more money on a bigger pair of Cliftons in a size that would swamp my left foot, as the Cliftons are long enough for both feet.  I will however, order men’s next time round, as women’s are a B width, and men’s are a D.  Newbie Hoka running shoe buyer mistake.
  • The toes on my right foot are doing a happy dance now they have freedom and no pressure, with no numbness.
  • I’m convincing myself that it’s impossible to spot the slit in the shoe unless you know it’s there.  Humour me on this!
  • It’s like finding the holy grail of comfort.  I don’t want to run in anything else, really, everything I try now, feels like I’ve got blocks of cement on my feet.  But.  I have a perfectly good pair of Sauconys to wear out.  They might become my walking trainers, as they’re also plush, but harder under foot than the Cliftons.
  • The bouncy pillows might slow some people down, but I’m a slow runner anyway, so comfort wins out over speed for me.  I’m a plodder.
  • I’m wearing shoes that mean people expect me to be a better runner than I am.  Laugh at me, go on, it’s ok.
  • Don’t buy shoes with the express intent of butchering them….really…..unless you’re me, and you’d do it again.
Hoka Clifton 2 (b)

When these babies wear out, I’d love to try another different pair with even more cush.  I wish Hoka would make their shoes more foot size friendly with softer uppers, but hey ho.  I’ve worked around it.  Will I always be a Hoka cutter?  Who knows, but I wish their uppers were as good as their soles…

My absolute dream shoe would be Saucony Triumph ISO2 Upper, with the Hoka Clifton 2 sole.  Wishful thinking. 🙂

 

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Charity: Are you brave enough to let your child style you for a day on 10th June 2016?

I often get asked to help publicise events for charities, and I do pick some to share with you all, especially where I think they’re relevant to much of my audience.   The UK’s largest breast cancer charity asked me to write about a new fundraising event they have coming up in a few days…

Style a Child 1

The Very First Styled By a Child Day, is on Friday 10th June 2016.  

What that means, is having some fun with your child, and letting them give you a makeover, which they’ve styled in their own taste, after rooting through your wardrobe.  And you remain like that for the day.  It could be a fun challenge for some of you.  I remember one of my boys doing my make up when he was three.  Going on the school run like that, would have raised some eyebrows, for sure.  Mine are too old for this now, but many of you might enjoy getting involved.

Style a Child 2

Why?

To raise money for Breast Cancer Now, and help fund research into the disease, to help them achieve their aim, that by 2050, nobody will die from breast cancer.

How?

Style a Child 4

Let your kids choose your clothes, accessories, and even make-up, if you’re brave enough to let them.

Family and friends, as well as relatives and neighbours might be tempted to sponsore them, in a bid to see you look silly for a day.  Who knows, your child might send you out looking like a supermodel with a ballgown for a day.

This is the first year of the event, so they’re encouraging signups for the day on 10th June.

Themes – Some Ideas from Breast Cancer Now

Fashion face off – up the style stakes and challenge your friends, family or mums on the school run to take part and see which kid-adult team can create the wildest look for the most donations. Marks out of ten, please!

Strike a pose – so we promised you’d only have to dress up for a day, but we never promised there wouldn’t be proof you’d been styled by a child! Strike a pose and ask your nearest and dearest to pay for photographic evidence… or even a profile picture.

Kid’s catwalk – invite friends and family over in their own stylish creations and strut your stuff for the kids in a living room fashion show. Fundraising never looked so good.

Relive your childhood – throw a kids party… for adults! The kids are in charge of your wardrobe, so why not let them plan the party? Swap coffee and cake for party ring biscuits, balloons and party bags.

Finger foods of fun – secretly wish your lunch box was still full of sausage rolls and strawberry jelly? Let the kids pack your lunch for a day and indulge in the lunch of your youth, guilt-free! Then donate the money you would have spent on your grown-up lunch.

Do a dare – why should the kids have all the fun? Adults can get silly too by making a list of (very) public places to send you in the outfit… Whether it’s the local shop, the office or even your favourite restaurant, prepare to be dared!

Dare to let the kids choose what you wear? The challenge is simple: for one day only, the kids are in charge of your wardrobe.

Whether you’re a model mum, designer dad, a gran that can or an auntie with attitude, sign-up to look funny for money and help fund research that will save lives.

For more information or to sign up for Styled by a Child visit – http://breastcancernow.org/styled

Social Media

Support Styled By a Child on social media, encouraging everybody to get #StyledbyaChild – tag @bcnow_scotland on Twitter.

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Recipe: High Protein Frozen Mango Yoghurt

This is something I tend to make quite frequently, with differing amounts of fruit, to change the taste.  I’ll add others as I get time to.  I quite often forget to take pictures, which I should get better at.  It’s fab for adding protein, especially where it’s missing in anyone’s diet.  I can’t persuade my mother to eat meat now, unless it’s cold, and I’m hoping to find a version of this that she’ll eat, but I’m not there yet.  #fussyelder

Two of my boys love this style of dessert, especially if I add a few sprinkles on the top, like this one, or some chocolate shavings, or mix a little fresh cream through it before serving.    This recipe could easily be split into two, as it’s rather a large serving.  I often have something like this for breakfast or lunch.

Cut the carbs by using berries.

Mango Frozen Yoghurt Main

Lesley Smith

High Protein Frozen Mango Yoghurt

My preference is for Skyr, because of the silkier taste but today, I had Fage, Total 0% in the fridge, which has similar properties in the plain, with slightly different protein amounts from Skyr.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: High Protein
Cuisine: Dessert
Calories: 195
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 170 g Fage Total O% Yoghurt see summary above
  • 150 g Mango chopped.

Method
 

  1. Take one or two chunks of your mango and keep it to one side. Add the rest to a blender, with the yoghurt, and blend until it reaches a consistency you like. I prefer mine not to be completely smooth, but we all have different preferences.

  2. Add the mixture to an ice cream maker if you have one (and use it) or if you're like me today, I popped it into a freezer proof plastic tub and let it chill for an hour, then took it out and stirred it before putting it back.

  3. I like to leave mine for around 4 hours, then stir briskly, before it's totally set. I like that consistency. If I make for the kids, I'd add a touch of cream at this stage and mix it in well, then pop it back for another hour. The larger portion you make, the longer it will need to be in the freezer for.

  4. Use the mango set aside to decorate the top, and add sprinkles for some lovely colour, or to make the dessert look impressive on the table.

 

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Is taking your children on holiday during term time acceptable?

Sponsored Guest Post, by Michael Todt of Lending Works

It’s the subject of hot debate at the moment – should parents be allowed to take their children on holiday during term time? Given the prohibitive costs of travel and accommodation, there will no doubt be many families weighing up the cost of the £60 statutory fine against the premium of going away during school holidays, which can sometimes be as much as 115 per cent. It can thus be a big money-saver, depending on the itinerary, destination and length of the trip – which is why tens of thousands of families willingly absorb the penalty.

Of course, the goal posts have now shifted completely with the recent High Court ruling which went in favour of a father who refused to pay his fine. The man, who lives on the Isle of Wight, was a former law student, and argued that even with the six days his daughter missed, she still had sufficient or ‘regular’ attendance to meet the minimum requirement implied by the Education Act.

A game changer?

Some have hailed it as a breakthrough and a precedent for other parents to exploit. However, it’s important to note that judges who cleared him of his fine still haven’t laid out a clear definition or minimum of what ‘regular attendance’ actually is, so it would be wrong to assume that holidaying during term time won’t result in a fine in a general sense.

It’s a thorny issue, and people argue strongly on both sides. Certainly, I’m a big believer in the importance of school attendance, but it’s easy to understand the other side of the argument whereby certain families simply can’t afford to go away during school holidays, or even get leave from work during that time.

The value of family holidays

outdoorkids4

What is certain is the very importance of holidays themselves, and it’s good to see that there is at least some sort of fightback against the rising costs families are facing. I found it shocking that nearly 1.5 million families in the UK can’t even afford a single day out together, let alone a holiday which involved putting heads on different pillows in terms of accommodation elsewhere.

There are specific organisations and charities like the Family Holiday Association which help struggling families out by organising day trips and holidays. For the rest of us, an increasingly popular option is taking out a loan. Given that interest rates are now pretty low on personal loans, and they are pretty quick and easy to get, it’s not a great surprise that more than 1 in 5 Brits use some kind of finance to fund their holidays.

Of course, the important thing to establish before going down this route is whether the repayments are affordable, and that they aren’t going to apply ever-more pressure onto your household finances – otherwise the whole idea of going on holiday could prove to be self-defeating in terms of R&R!

Deciding what to do

Every family’s individual circumstances and viewpoints are different, and deciding the best course of action is very much down to personal choice. Some are starting to favour ‘staycations’ as a means of avoiding the wallet-draining costs of going abroad altogether.

Either way, as far as possible, do what you can to ensure there is at least some sort of getaway in the pipeline for the family. Holidays shouldn’t be seen as some sort of elite privilege. In the busy lives we lead, they’re a vital way of maintaining sanity, and, more importantly, a way to build lifelong memories that can mould families together. So make some plans and give yourselves something to look forward to – you all deserve it!

Disclaimer:
The Scottish Mum Blog is in no way affiliated with or to Lending Works.  Any agreement you make is between yourself and Lending Works.  The Scottish Mum Blog and authors are not responsible for any outcome, legal or otherwise, as a result of an agreement you make with Lending Works, in any form.

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Recipe: Slow Cooked Round Steak with Mixed Sweet Potatoes

For however it happens, sweet potatoes don’t send my blood sugar as high a regular potatoes.  It’s a real shame, as we grow potatoes on our plot and have some to use year round.  We do eat a lot of potatoes though, and many go into soups.  Sweet potatoes aren’t an easy grow, especially this far North of the border, where there isn’t much sunlight in a year, although I really do wish we could grow them.

Anyway, this is a nice and simple slow cooker recipe, although remember that my amounts are fairly large, and you might be better cutting them down for a smaller slow cooker or smaller family batches.

I’ve used round steak from my local butcher, the lean butcher in Chattan Place, Aberdeen.  He delivers across the UK, so it fits in well for me.  I dislike having to actually go shopping terribly often. I find the round steak is perfect for us, but slow cooking does well with tougher cuts of meat too.

Steak and Sweet Potato Slow Cooked

Lesley Smith

Slow Cooked Round Steak with Mixed Sweet Potatoes

Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Mains
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g Carrots chopped.
  • 2 Red Onions loosely chopped.
  • 1 kg Round Steak cubed or cut into chunks.
  • 500 g Mixed Sweet Potatoes. Mine are white and orange.
  • 2 Dessertspoons Cornflour.
  • Seasoning or Stock. I used chicken seasoning, and put in 3 teaspoons.
  • Salt and Pepper to taste.
  • Water.

Method
 

  1. When you're vegetables are all chopped, add them to your slow cooker, with the meat. At times, I will lightly fry the meat and onions, but for slow cooking, the method of cooking seems to be more than enough for us to miss out this step at times.

  2. Stir the cornflour into a little water in a cup, until it forms a smooth paste or is dissolved completely. It should look a little like milk. Add to the slow cooker.

  3. Add seasoning and or stock cubes etc.

  4. Stir the ingredients around well.

  5. Add enough hot water to cover around half way up the ingredients. Be careful not to scald yourself.

  6. Pop on the lid and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, for a high wattage slow cooker. Adjust the cooking time based on your knowledge of your own machine. The vegetables are likely to take the longest to cook, especially the carrots and white sweet potatoes.

  7. If your gravy looks too thin close to the end of cooking, mix up a little more cornflour and water, and add to the slow cooker, stirring the ingredients, and let cook for a further half hour.

  8. Serve with buttered bread to mop up the gravy.

  9. I often freeze some of this for another day.

 

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Race for Life Training – A few weeks to go….

Well, what can I say….  I’m pretty rubbish at this running thing.  I’m doing it, but almost everyone else I see, seems to have got it licked, whereas I just plod along, step after step until I’ve had it.

The treadmill, I can do, but I’m struggling getting above 5 + k outside.  I get to around the 5k mark and I seem to have this mental block for actually continuing to run terribly much further without stopping for a good walking break.

I went out with a friend this week, for her first day of couch to 5k.  I really actually enjoyed redoing the walk 2.5 minutes and run for 1 minutes spells.  She struggled, as I did when I started, and I found it quite strange to not even get the slightest bit of change to my breathing while she struggled…  BUT, I was there a few short months ago…..

I’d love to be able to run the whole 10k, I really would, but with only 4 weeks to go, I’m nowhere near ready to manage that distance.  I’m not young, and I’m about a stone away from where I’d like to be.  I tell myself that running will be a whole lot easier when I’m carrying around that 14lb less, but I know that’s only fooling my brain while I’m reaching the end of a run… 🙂

Raceforlife3

I’m still self conscious outside.  Actually, I find it excruciatingly embarrassing to plod along, as people tend to look up.  I know they don’t give a fig, but hey, we’re only human, and it’s tough to ignore people looking when you’re very self conscious.  I’m ignoring it as much as I can, and persuading myself not to care, although I’m still only very rarely running in our village.

It goes a little like this:

See a car coming towards me, lift my head, speed up a bit till it’s passed, then slow down a bit to get breathing under control.  See someone walking towards me, close my mouth and breathe through my nose till they go out of sight…….

But, it’s for a good cause, right?  Without the race for life, I wouldn’t be outside at all really.  I’d still be plodding on my treadmill, sweating buckets and thinking I was slower than a sleeping tortoise.  At least I know my timings are faster outside now, even if I’ll still struggle to finish the 10k in the alloted time.  I’m practicing speedwalking too, in the attempt to finish my 10k in the hour and a half, even if I have to walk half of it.  I’ll be alone, so I hope to have a bit of a crowd somewhere I can get lost in.  It’s a daunting first public distance outing.  I’m half wishing I’d opted for the 5k.  At least I know I could finish that, but then I wouldn’t be pushing myself, would I?

Raceforlife4Perhaps doubting yourself is common for a new runner who found it tough to get this far.  I love running, I really do, but seem to be taking much longer than other people to build up distance.

There’s no shame in walking though, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed there will be other walkers on the 10k, and they’re not all the local super speedies I see out and about 🙂  I know lots of people walk the 5k, and I wouldn’t mind having walkers on the 10K, but with only 456 people signed up to my local 10k so far this year, I’m starting to worry…..

In the meantime, I’m off out for another run, and intend to walk a 3k afterwards to build the distance to run and walk outside.  Oh, and if anyone has any tips for how to stop myself going scarlet in the face while I’m out running, I’m all ears…….

Sign up for a race for life place yourself at Race for Life – Cancer Research UK

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Review: Harvester – Ghillies Lair, Aberdeen

Before I start my review, I have a confession to make.  A miserable tale of electronic devilishness.

Like the annoying snapper at a wedding, I’d walked around the restaurant, pointed my lens at everything I thought looked amazing, and sat back in the knowledge I’d a lot of lovely images, including great ones of my kids enjoying a rare evening out with their parents.  Cheerily I loaded my SD Card, looking forward to printing some off for the kids and for my review, to find nothing registering, nada….dead as the preverbial Dodo.

So, in short, all I can do is tell you how it went for us.  Pictures usually say a thousand words, but in this case, the thousand words will have to do instead.  I’ll try to make them easy reading, but I know that without those colourful additions, it’s really difficult to convey how good our experience was last week.

To make up for it, I’ve borrowed some images directly from Harvester, so thanks go to the PR team allowing me to do that.

This blurry picture is the only one I’ve got from my phone when we were about to leave the house.  Not ideal, but I was looking forward to going out with my family.Harvester Lesley

Setting

The lovely offer of a meal at our local Harvester was welcome indeed.  We had a very lovely meal, which was a really nice family evening, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Seeing my boys eat so much was nice too, although the fussy youngest went for a kids meal, which was no problem.

HARVESTER'S GHILLIES LAIR IN ABERDEEN. Ghillies Lair, Aberdeen Monday 26th October 2015 1510017 Great Southern Road Bridge of Dee, Aberdeen Aberdeen City AB12 5XA
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

HARVESTER'S GHILLIES LAIR IN ABERDEEN. STAFF MEMBERS (L TO R) CRAIG ROSS, DEAN RITSON. VAL HUGHES, MONIA BROZEK AND IAIN CURRIE. Ghillies Lair, Aberdeen Monday 26th October 2015 1510017 Great Southern Road Bridge of Dee, Aberdeen Aberdeen City AB12 5XA
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Our Harvester, the Ghillies Lair, is set at the Bridge of Dee, and overlooks the Dee itself.  The restaurant has a lovely extension with views over the River Dee, which would be a lovely sight on a nice evening.

The Bridge is old, very old, and dates from 1527.  It’s used daily by all sorts of traffic, to leave or enter the City of Aberdeen.  It’s built along a row ribbed arches, using granite and sandstone.   I’ve known that bridge my whole life.  Along with the old suspension bridge a bit further along, it’s steeped in history, and we’re lucky enough to still be using this one, although the suspension bridge was closed to traffic long ago.

Harvester Ghillies Lair 3

The Ghillies Lair has an outdoor seating area, overlooking the river, for lovely summery days, and although we’re not there yet, but I’ve fond memories of sitting outside on a nice day for an ice-cream when I used to work at that end of town.

Harvester Ghillies Lair 1

Service

What can I say!  Our server was lovely and nothing was too much trouble.  She was polite and friendly and they accommodated my wish for the BBQ Chicken Stack, without the BBQ sauce as I don’t often like it.   She even posed, in good spirits, for an impromptu picture that’s gone belly up with my SD card.  Perhaps she’ll be very pleased about that…  I did spring it on her, without warning…. 🙂

Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Menu

Three of us went for the set menu, we had one child dish and I chose from the regular menu.  In our local Harvester, there’s an evening set menu, where from 5pm every evening, we have the choice of a main meal + either a starter or a dessert for £10.99, or add a third course for £2.  There was lots to choose from and the menus are online, so it’s easy to take a cheeky peek before you go.

Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Drinks

It was nice to see the option of drinks that we can refill as often as we want ourselves, as with three kids, our drinks bills, even for soft drinks, often outprices the cost of meals.  No worries here, with the ability to choose from several different options, and fill up with ice and fizzy drinks as much as we wanted.  I know many people don’t like fizzy drinks for kids, but when we’re out, it’s a treat, and I’ve always been happy enough for my kids to choose what they want.  Sometimes one of mine chooses a water or orange juice, but refillable drinks tick the boxes for me.

Sauces

A whole bar of them.  Loads and loads to choose from.  BBQ, tomato, relishes, mayonnaise, speciality glazes and lots of different sauces to choose from.

Salad Bar

What can I say.  Lots of different choices, from coleslaw, beetroot, pickled onion, tomatoes, lettuce, carrot, and much much more.  The trays were replenished throughout and I felt confident I was eating fresh food.  It’s not a one visit fits all, so we could visit the salad bar as often as we liked.  My eldest went up three times for a top up.  There was plenty to go round for everyone.

Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Bread, butter, croutons, dressings, bacon bits and more, were also available.  If someone goes in there and says there’s nothing to choose from, I’d think they were nuts…  Wait, that’s exactly what my youngest said……  No problem.  Kids menu and chicken in a southern fried coating with chips saved the day.

Main Courses

The man and middle child chose from the set menu, going for the Signature Fish and Chips, with Ice-Cream for afters.    When their fish and chips arrived, the plates were brimming over with the large fish and enough chips to even keep middler happy.  He’d already eaten four or five of the small bread rolls from the salad bar, and a bowl – brimming full of salad.  Eldest went for the set menu burger, and I had the BBQ Chicken Stack.  There’s a sauce station with lots of different sauce and glaze options, so I had plenty to choose from.  Much more than I’ve ever seen in any restaurant I’ve been to in the past.

Harvester Burger
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Harvester Chicken
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

Dessert

Spoiled for choice, we couldn’t decide.  Three opted for the simple ice-cream, but I decided to throw my calorie budget to the wind and go for the Rocky Road – a sundae full of chocolate brownie deliciousness, topped with fresh cream, and including honeycomb and fudge pieces.

My youngest chose the Chocolate Fudge Cake with Belgian chocolate sauce and real dairy ice-cream, and the slice that came seemed huge.  He did have a dilemma when he compared it with the Eton Mess Cheesecake, as the raspberries in sauce and fluffy cream were a definite screaming taste bud temptation.

His eyes popped when the cake was carried out.
‘I’m going to eat it all,” he announced to our waitress, with a smug grin….  She smiled knowingly.

Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk
Image Courtesy of Harvester.co.uk

At the point he exhaled with exhausted happiness at eating as much as he could, eldest quickly slid the plate over and began to dig in.  By the time he sat back and patted his full belly, there was even a little left over.

Information and Nutrition

This may not seem like much to some of you, but to some pernickety chiels, like me, and many others, allergens and nutritional content is important.  I want to know where I sit with my calorie and nutrient budget for the week.

Working a weekly budget fits high calorie items into my life.  I don’t do deprivation.  As a diabetic, it’s essential for me.  At many restaurants, I have to guess by plucking figures out of thin air and hoping for the best, but not with the Harvester – as they had all the information on their website.

They also have an allergen, gluten and milk guide, so meals or special diets can be planned in advance.  I had two very high calorie dishes, but because the information was all there, it was easy to fit it all in, and be confident that I’d got it pretty right.  And it was worth every last wicked calorie…

Overall

Between the five of us, we ate masses of food.  Apart from the meal, how much else we eat, is up to us.

With the unlimited salad, sauces, breads and fizz.  I can’t imagine anyone ever leaving a Harvester, and still being hungry.  And with a clean and fresh ladies room, everything I looked for ticked all the boxes.  I don’t remember having such a lovely evening with my boys for quite a while.  Having all the teens in one place and eating together gets harder and harder as they grow older.

Although we benefited from a welcome voucher towards our meal, we thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be back as full paying guests.  We’ve been to Harvesters before, and always enjoyed the experience.