Anyway, thought you might like the recipe as it is so easy to do ………

150g Butter,  50g Caster Suger, 4 tbsp Golden Syrup, 275g Rolled Oats.

1.  Preheat the oven to 190°C  and grease & line a baking tray.

2.  Place butter, sugar & syrup into a pan over a low heat and stir until melted.  Pour in the oats and mix.  Press into the tin and bake for approx 20 minutes until golden brown at the edges.

This is what it should look like when it comes out of the oven, has cooled and been cut into squares!!  Whether my daughters turns out that good – who knows!  I will try and be brave later and let you know.

As you all know I’ve been trying very hard to stick to my diet and get some weight off!  Well, so far I’ve lost 13lb, nearly a stone and I have to say I’m quite proud of myself.

It hasn’t been easy the last couple of weeks with starting a new job as a care worker and having a totally different routine to work around but I’ve managed quite well considering.

I find myself totally addicted to yoghurts at the moment.  If I find myself in a hurry they are just really easy to grab out the fridge and, this got me wondering – why are they so good for us?

Did you know that if you have some plain, live yoghurt after a course of antibiotics it will help to restore normal flora back to your gut.  It is also great for yeast infections and you can treat infected areas with yoghurt.  Anyone that suffers with thrush may already know this one!

Yoghurt is basically made from milk or cream which is cultured with active live cultures.  Active live cultures are good bacteria that are necessary to help the body to function at its best.  The good bacteria prevents the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause infections and diseases.  It keeps the yeast levels in our bodies more balanced and has also been know to help prevent urinary tract infections.

And, since it is made from dairy products it is also rich in calcium which, as we all know is great for bone and teeth health.  Calcium is especially important for those of us seeking to prevent bone density loss and osteoporosis.  It is also a great source of protein which give the body energy.

It is so versatile and easy to get into your diet from smoothies made with fruit pulp to frozen deserts to adding to curry dishes.  And babies from 6 months old absolutely love yoghurts and they will definitely thrive from eating them. 

In many middle eastern homes it is made freshly at home from a culture handed down, perhaps even over generations, but western tastes may prefer to buy a new culture every few weeks or so. Just add a pint of finger warm pasteurized milk to a small pot of live, plain yoghurt. You can use full cream or semi skimmed milk. Stir in a large tablespoon of dried milk powder. You then cover it and leave for about 8 hours in a warm place.

So, if you really want to look after your insides on a daily basis and keep your system topped up with good bacteria, eat a yoghurt (or in my case 2) a day!  You will definitely feel the benefits.

I have to say that at the moment, pasta is one of my favourite food items.  While im having a go at doing my Weight Watchers programme from years ago, pasta is one thing that I can eat and really fills me up!  As long as its not the filled pasta (no tortellini then!) I can eat it freely so I tend to grab it for quick easy meals.

Have a go at this lovely recipe for Tuna & Lemon Pasta, its fab and I really love it! x

Ingredients:

• 350g pasta shells
• 200g pack trimmed fine beans , cut into short lengths
• 200g can tuna in oil (or brine/spring water if being good!) 
• grated zest of a lemon
• 1 heaped tbsp small capers
• generous pinch of chilli flakes
• olive oil for drizzling

Method:

This is a great tasty treat! They can be eaten cold or straight from the oven and are definitely worth doing with the kids in the half term holiday!

Ingredients

100g/3½oz good dark chocolate
125g/4½oz unsalted butter
100g/3½oz granulated sugar
75g/2½oz soft brown sugar
1 free-range egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
150g/5¼oz plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt

Method

Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment then chop the chocolate into little chunks and set aside.

Heat the butter in a small saucepan very gently until it has just melted. Meanwhile, put the two types of sugar into a mixing bowl. Pour the melted butter on top of the sugars and beat well with a wooden spoon, the add the egg and the vanilla and beat until well blended.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the mixing bowl and stir them in, then add the chopped chocolate.

Dot heaped pudding spoonfuls of the mixture over the lined baking sheets, leaving plenty of space in between them, they spread out a lot while baking.

Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are just turning golden brown. (If you have a glass door on your oven, watch the extraordinary transformation as these cookies bake–one moment you’ve got lumpy brown dough, the next, you have pale golden cookies)

Leave the cookies on the baking sheets to harden for a couple of minutes, then carefully lift up the baking parchment and transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

Enjoy!  I know my lot will demolish them in minutes x

This is a great chicken recipe for the kids.  Have a go and let me know what you think!

18 Chicken Drumsticks, 2 tbsp Brown Sugar, 5 oz Dark Soy Sauce, 1 tsp Dijon Mustard, 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Mix all the marinade ingredients together and add the drumsticks and leave for at least 1 hour.  Tip drumsticks and marinade into a roasting dish and cook on 180 C for approx 1 hour or until marinade is all thick!

The kids will get in a mess but who cares!

2 Medium Sized Ripe Bananas, 2 Cups Skimmed Milk, 1/2 Cup Skimmed Dry Milk Powder

1/3 Cup Wheat Germ, 1/2 Cup Fat Free Plain Yoghurt, 1tsp Vanilla Essence, 2.5 tsp of Low Calorie Sweetener

Blend all ingredients together and divide into four glasses.  For a little bit of extra zing try adding  just a pinch of ground cinnamon!

Calories per Serving  :  190 Cals

Fat : 2 g

This is a great way to get the day started, it is low in calories and fat which is definately worth trying.

Interesting facts about the Banana!

Bananas are one of the most nutritious fruits available year-round. Bananas are a versatile fruit that can be cooked, baked, toasted or eaten raw, and make a nutritious addition to a variety of recipes. Mixed with other fruits in a salad or smoothie, used to top hot or cold breakfast cereals, as an ingredient in baked goods or just peeled and eaten as a snack, bananas are a healthy food choice for both kids and adults.

Banana Nutrients

Bananas make for a nutritious and healthy food choice because they are a good source of fiber, are low in sodium, cholesterol, calories, and contain almost no fat. Because bananas are loaded with potassium (422 mg per medium banana), bananas are a great post-workout snack for those who strength train or engage in cardio exercise to help replace potassium lost through sweating. Bananas are also a good source of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Manganese and Folate.

Bananas provide trace amounts of calcium, zinc, copper, iron, vitamin E, and selenium. In addition, bananas also contain fructo-oligosaccharide, a resistant starch that acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics promote a healthy gut and help the body more easily absorb nutrients from food.

As you can probably tell ….  I go Banana’s for a Banana!

This is a real favourite in our house!

Lime & Ginger Cheesecake (Yummy!)

225g/8oz Ginger Biscuits, 115g/4oz Unsalted Butter melted, 300g/11oz full fat Soft Cheese,  

250ml/9floz Double Cream, Juice & Rind of 2 Limes, 4tbsp Ginger Syrup, 8 Pieces of Stem Ginger

Lime Zest & Icing Sugar to decorate!

Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter, divide the mix between 6 x 9cm individual ring moulds layed out on a baking sheet. Pressing firmly down and then chill for approximately 1 hour.

Lightly whip the double cream and add the soft cheese, ginger syrup & lime juice and mix in.  Then add stem ginger and lime zest, mix thoroughly and spoon mixture onto the biscuit bases smooth over evenly.  Then chill for 2  – 3 hours.

Serve on individual plates and decorate with lime zest and sprinkle with icing sugar.  Heavenly!