Eatbetterers part 3 -gather around healthy people !

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Third thread of healthy eating, no calorie counting just good, healthy food for us and our families.

Hello all! Hearing about your coconutty soup and thai curry is making me hungry, Bramshott! Still struggling with my inner sugar demon here, but some positives too. Doing really well on the exercise front - managing at least 3 runs a week, plus dog walking and a couple of circuits sessions a week. Dh mostly cooks at the weekend and we had some lovely roast pork, of which he used the leftovers to make a delicious lasagne (with homemade lasagne sheets!).

We've just done a bit of a post-move look at our finances and realised what a frankly outrageous amount we have been spendinh on groceries! (I blame it on the fact that our nearest supermarket is the wonderful Booths - not toooo pricey for everyday stuff, but has so many tempting things!)

So now that I'm not working, I want to try and combine the healthy eating with a bit of an economy drive food-wise. (Simple, home-cooked stuff with plenty of veg, economical cuts of meat slow-cooked etc).

I know the feeling Holmes, DH freaked at our Xmas credit card bills, which is fairly standard but they need to be a lot lower for a couple of months to try and compensate. Part of that is doing more veggie based dishes and having a night a week where we take our chances with what's in fridge or freezer. It often works quite well, on Sunday we did that and I made Spanish omelette with left over roast potatoes from the day before, there was a pack of Thai fishcakes from the freezer and some jamon iberico, made a salad of raw courgette, pine nuts, tomatoes and Parmesan, it made a very nice carpet picnic

I've got a freezer full of stuff! I just need to be more organised about meal planning. I've just made a list of everything in the freezer so that I can plan better.

Dh got a fantastic whole butchered lamb at a very good price through a pupil whose patents are local farmers. We've still got loads of that in the freezer.

I've just discovered Rude Health ultimate granola, which is the best I've tasted and has no fruit and no refined sugars. It's not actually very sweet at all, but is very delicious. Doesn't fit in with my new frugality, so I'm going to have a go at replicating it myself. Anyone else have a non-sugary granola recipe?

I'm another one who is trying to be a bit more frugal by meal planning more and wasting less. We have a generous fixed budget for shopping each month and over the next few months I will try to economise vas save money off it each month to put towards spending money for our week in a caravan in July.
I stock up massively in November and December "for Christmas" so the cupboards and freezers are pretty full. More effective meal planning and less meat will be good for our health and our purses.

Holmes I'm sure there's one in the Medicinal Chef, will post when I get home.

Ooh thanks Sleep! I have lots of oats, nuts, seeds etc in my cupboards which I could use. I think I want to mainly use the granola for sprinkling over yoghurt in the morning. A whole bowl of it is a bit much! Dd loves granola too - which has got to be better than her Cheerios habit. She eats like a bird the rest of the day and is small and skinny, but is always really hungry at breakfast time and has occasionally been known to eat two bowls of cereal and four pieces of toast ! Ds doesn't like nuts, so he won't be keen.

Ok it's a HFW recipe, there's a harder core Hemsley one but this looks friendlier . For 8-10 servings.

350g buckwheat flakes or porridge oats
150g whole almonds/whole hazelnuts or a mix of nuts, very roughly chopped
150g pumpkin/sunflower seeds or a mix
A pinch of salt
50ml of rapeseed or sunflower oil (but I'd try coconut!)
150 ml maple syrup
2tsps vanilla extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 150degC and line 2 (lipped) baking sheets with parchment.

Put oats, nuts, seeds and salt in a bowl and mix. Pour on oil and mix so evenly distributed

Combine the syrup, 50ml water and vanilla, if using. Pour over the oats etc and mix thoroughly.

Spread the mixture on baking sheets and bake for 50 mins or until golden all over, giving it a good stir halfway through and swapping the trays around in the oven. Then leave to cool and crisp up. Store in am airtight container for up to several weeks.

Says you can also customise with other seeds or nuts, maybe add ground flaxseed or whole pumpkin seeds or shelled hempseeds before serving. Also suggests adding finely grated zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange before baking to make a zesty citrus version.

I might try it myself now

Fantastic - I think I've got most of those things! I was wondering about adding some chia seeds if I can get hold of any. I've never tried them before and keep mraning to - would they work in granola?

I think they should work Holmes

I had lunch out today so wanted a light meal this evening, made the Hemsley broccoli, ginger and white bean soup, it was great, highly recommend it. Served with avocado and chilli/lemon on sourdough toast - yum!

That sounds lovely sleep! I am just checking in. I'm fighting a horrible bout of depression - not entirely losing, but not entirely winning. but thought it worth reporting that dp is still off sugar. He has allowed himself things like baked beans but no obvious stuff. Considering the extent of his habit it's incredible. He says he feels better for it. He is scarily single minded though.

I wish I were that single-minded! So sorry to hear tjat you are feeling so low, Still. Depression is a bastard.

Just re-read my post- I meant ds is still sugar free!! I am not sweary on the Internet (unlike rl where I swear like a trooper!) but if I were I'd be turning your screens blue with how I feel about depression. I'm ok though. Still at work (just, it is possible to hide for short periods). I think that it's scary when you know how bad it can get. Still hopeful...just

Oh sleep do you put 4" of ginger in that soup? Seems like a lot. The recipe I found says serve immediately but does it keep? I like to get it made in advance.

Oh Still, I'm really sorry to hear that. It's surely a positive that you are recognising the signs and symptoms though? Thinking of you and hoping you turn a corner soon.
Very impressed by your DS.

It said 160g I guessed and think it must have been about 4" in the book Still, it is a lot and it is very gingery, I thought maybe too much the first couple of mouthfuls but then it was great. I have lots of leftovers so I hope it keeps, will be my solo dinner tonight!

Sorry to hear about the depression . Is it usually a seasonal thing for you? It's a miserable time of year anyway.

I think I'll tone it down then first time- no reason why it wouldn't keep. Soup never lasts long in this house (I found it on the vogue website- I am not a frequent visitor there I can tell you )

I'm usually ok this time of year so a bit caught off guard. It will be ok but it's bloody hard work, and wearing for the rest of the family.

I'm sure it is hard for the rest of the family but try and put yourself first for a bit, know that it's a phase, take good care of yourself, retreat (cry, sleep, snuggle under a blanket with some tea, walk, run), when necessary.

I think sometimes our culture has unrealistic expectations that people should be 'up' all the time when it's just as normal to become very low and working with that rather than fighting it (as with pms!) can actually be more effective to move through the phase, life is a flow after all...what do you think?

I just want to clarify - I am talking about relatively short periods, which you imply you are used to having still. Becoming stuck longer term in depression is a different situation, obviously then people should seek help, not take to their bed indefinitely .

Right - granola is in the oven! I didn't have enough seeds, so I chucked in some coconut flakes. And I used quite a mix of nuts - brazils, pecans, pistachios and cashews. I went with your suggestion of coconut oil, Sleep. Didn't get around to buying any chia seeds (I'm wondering if they sell them in the independent local health food shop - I'm not sure chia seeds have made it as far as Cumbria yet ).

Anyway, thanks again for the recipe, Sleep. I'll report back when I've tasted it!

Wow - it is absolutely delicious! I slightly reduced the amount of maple syrup - partly for healthy reasons and partly because it's bloody expensive stuff! It still looked like a lot when I was pouring it on though! It makes you realise what a large amount of sugar/honey etc must be in bought granola to make it taste that sweet. Anyway - big success! Will definitely make it regularly.

Great, I'm going to try it later now!

It sounds lovely. Scared to try it in case I eat the whole lot in one grazing sitting.

Umm yeees, Neeko. That could certainly be a problem. I wolfed down tasted a bit more than was necessary after making it!

I am going to try the broccoli soup over the next few days. I know what you mean sleep - I'm used to low moods but this one has teeth! Have failed to get out today - dd now home ill from school. But I will try tomorrow.