One day at a time...

20th March 2015

The same boiling water that softens potatoes hardens eggs.  It's all about what you are made of not your circumstances.

One day at a time was what a lot of my members decided is the best way for them at the moment, as looking at the big picture can seem a bit intimidating when you're struggling with it all!  So I made it through another day yesterday, I'm realising I can get by on less food, even though I'd got it into my head I needed all that food I was eating, the truth is I WANT and I NEED are two very different things!   I happily entering the weekend with 27 weeklies and 11 activity ProPoints earned, I reckon that's a good bit of red wine if I want it! 

Today's going to be a test of strength, I'm off for a catch up at https://www.facebook.com/Cakesadaisy, so I may be swapping some of those wine ProPoints for cake, this is why Weight Watchers is wonderful because you can have your cake and eat it!  I have to say I can resist cake, but I've just had a look at their facebook page and there's rhubarb and custard tray bake - well that's a little tempting isn't it!  Whatever I have will be my lunch before my massage so it's all good, ooo I do love Fridays.

I've had a poorly mom this week, but hopefully she's on the mend now, I might even have to bring her a slice of cake back with me, I'm sure it'll do her more good than hot lemonade and honey! 

Bloomin heck!  How easy would it be to pretend a slice of cake is about 7pp!  I just found a recipe for a rhubarb and custard traybake on the Waitrose website and it works out at 13pp a slice!  Ouch...  Here it is if you're interested;

Rhubarb & custard traybake

Rich Harris makes a simple but delicious traybake, with the classic flavours of rhubarb and custard.

Recipe - Serves: 12

400g pack essential Waitrose Rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2cm lengths
225g caster sugar (24pp)
250g slightly salted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing (53pp)
3 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Eggs (6pp)
175g self-raising flour  (15pp)
50g custard powder(5pp)
100g ground almonds (17pp)
500g tub Waitrose Seriously Creamy Madagascan Vanilla Custard (29pp)
12 sugar cubes, crushed (4pp)

1 Preheat the oven to 230°C, gas mark 8. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Pat the rhubarb dry on kitchen paper and spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with 25g of the caster sugar and bake for 20–25 minutes or until the rhubarb is lightly caramelised. Remove from the oven and leave to cool while preparing the cake.

2 Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 28 x 22cm shallow baking tin with baking parchment. Beat together the remaining sugar with the butter, eggs, flour, custard powder, ground almonds and 100g of the custard until pale and creamy. Fold through the rhubarb.

3 Turn into the prepared tin and spread in an even layer. Press deep cavities into the mixture with the back of a dessertspoon and pour the remaining custard into the tin. 

4 Bake for 45–50 minutes until risen and the sponge feels just firm to the touch but the custard is still quite wobbly in the centre. Scatter with the crushed sugar and leave to cool in the tin. Serve cut into 12 pieces.

Cook's tip
If you prefer, you can scatter the rhubarb over the cake before baking instead of folding it through the mixture.

http://www.waitrose.com/home/tv/baking/rhubarb-custard-traybake.html there's a video to watch him baking it too!

Mmm it'd have to be an amazing slice of cake for me to blow 13pp, I'm just not that big a fan of cake!  We shall see, but whatever I do, I shall stay on track and get a weight loss on Monday.  Me and my members are in this together, we're sharing the struggles and the successes because that's what we do in our meetings.

I even came away with food for thought this week, I loved yesterday how one of the things that members do now that they didn't before was WALK, rather than jump on a bus of get in the car and I loved that one member said, "it gives you time to think", we rush through life, multitasking constantly that we rarely stop long enough to think.  I hope to spend some time in the garden this weekend because like walking, it gives me time to think.  I have two wooden wheelbarrows that were made for me as a gift that I need to paint, so if it stays dry that will be my task and I'll go get some lovely plants to brighten them up.

Whatever your plans for the weekend, make a little time for you to stop and enjoy this world we live in, it really is incredible.