New Years and Lentil Soup

Well I don't really subscribe to the whole New Years thing, grew somewhat out of it (my mother went to bed at 10pm, she told me today so I know where it's from).
I will post later about my plans for the year, if nothing else a new year gives a definitive point where you can say something is finished and start new things.  A much easier way to make goals really and track how they go over a clearly defined 12 months.
 
This post though is about something better...  Food. Healthy food, vegan food, and food which according to lore should make you rich if eaten on New Years day.  I tweeted about eating lentils on NYD as they bring you money (they are shaped like little coins).  This is the recipe I make on NYD most years (or a salad if it's stinking hot)

Lentil, Spinach and Lemon Soup
(I found a similar recipe somewhere once, I've not found it again though to compare my version (i'm a bit of everything cook)).
Link to the recipe on Sparkrecipes for easy viewing. and the nutritional break down is below.  As I said I'm generally a bit of this bit of that cook.  This will make a fairly think soup, more water for a bit runnier, less water for an even thinker stick to your ribs version..

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1378470


I hope if anyone tries it they enjoy.  I love lentil soup, mostly in winter but this one is so fresh with the lemons its great in summer too.  I ate too much crusty bread with it, and enjoyed every last bite.  I had a great New years day.


Now the aim for me is to get over this tonsillitis.  Back to the Dr tomorrow to have another look as I have irritated my throat really badly coughing, I have a bad fit every 5 mins or so and nothing I've done is helping, tea, honey, lemsip, aspirin, Water... so... much... water... about 7 litres today ><  Although I think my tonsils have gone down somewhat they still hurt just as much...  Still no running, just doing ST and little bits of that in between the coughing fits.
I'm glad I have this week off as it would be horrible to be at work like this.  I just want to be better to enjoy  my days off more.

This week should be nice weather so a few walks and some more ST are in store.

New WW Propoints - Day 1.

Well my Wi day is not until Wednesday but everything online was updated this morning. So on i logged to track and I've found out my new "rules of food".

I have daily 46 Propoints®, and the additional 49 a week. So today I tracked and re-jigged some of my recipes. My Muesli works out at 9pp a serve, quite respectable I think considering how long it keeps me going for, it's Vegan, high protein, fibre and a good dose of good fats from the seeds, not to mention good fibre as well. Basically a rocking meal to start my day with. I got some apricots and mango and will add them tomorrow morning along with the apple just to change it up a little, I think I might have some mango for dessert tonight as well.

So day 1 breakdown:

Breakfast:

Bircher style muesli

Green Tea

Morning Tea:

3 corn things

Yoghurt Top muesli bar

Lunch:

Mega grainy bread with; Roast Pork, Cheese, pickled onions, lettuce, tomato, carrot, alfalfa, capsicum and cucumber.

Some cucumber spears

Jarrah hot chocolate

Afternoon Snack:

Banana

Dinner:

Jarrah Hot chocolate

5 bean mix with bamboo shots and salsa quesadilla with light sour cream 1/4 avocado and some more salsa on top

Maybe a Mango for dessert?

I was a bit excited about the sour cream (love it) and probably a bit over the top with cheese (new pack and it moved a bit faster than I liked so I've written off all my points for the day. 46 done and dusted.

Had I replaced some of the beans with green beans and peas and some more corn then probably could save some points. Also moving the 1kg bag of cheese into a container rather than pouring over the stove would save me about 4 pp. Sour cream, well it's light and it's my fav, and I have points, it's dairy. Considering I'm edging more and more towards Vegetarian / Vegan I may as well love it whilst I still buy it :P

Doing well this week all in all, looking forward to my HUGE salad with chicken tomorrow night, it has become the usual Tuesday fare. Lots and lots of salad little bit of chicken from the Turkish Takeaway place. Works out at about 5 points (if that) total, there is a tiny amount of chicken, maybe half a breast and then a few cubes of feta. and it ROCKS!

I hope everyone else starting on PP is doing okay. I'm not overly fussed or worried about the change, it's something new and interesting if nothing else.

It's basically a focus on low GI foods, I know how to eat like that already, just working to incorporate the vegetarian slowly into my diet now. I've decided for the rest of this week I'm not having meat in my daily sandwich i'm having char-grilled eggplant instead. Something with a bit of body, flavour and not just salad vegies which I already have 3 inches of in my sandwich (can hardly close the container).

The Wednesday we see how we go :)