I'll get by with a little help from my friends!

Almost at the end of the weight watcher week - on reflection it hasn't been too bad. Being back in work my lunch consists of soup and a naan bread. I've made a number of soups this week including mexican bean chilli, cream of tomato and minestrone. (recipe's below)

4 O'Clock is still my 'danger' time! I crave sugar and the fact there's still Christmas sweets in the office makes it hard not to indulge! Perhaps I should just eat all them also and be done with it. I'm not a big fruit fan so need to come up with a 4 O'clock plan - so any suggestions welcome!

We have started a weigh-in class in work too and are divided into two camps - Slimming world and weight watchers. I've never tried slimming world but think that calling food a 'syn' and having a daily 'syn' allowance doesn't bode well... everything in moderation and all that. In saying that - one of my amazing colleagues has lost about 6 stone on slimming world - so maybe daily 'synning' in the way forward!

Our work place weight is encouraging comradery with people sharing the ups and downs of the weight loss journey during our working week .... and hopefully keep us all on the straight and narrow on the weekend! On more than one occasion this week, while I'm mid way through un-wrapping a quality street, I hear "do you really need that?" therefore acting as my conscience!

We pay a pound a week to weight - which is then spent on a National lottery ticket..... so beware CHC, someday 10 members of staff might not turn up for work. Instead you'll find us squiffing champers, eating our fill and enquiring about the price of lipo!

Smoky tomato Soup (Olive Magazine: February edition)

Total points per recipe 2 (YES PER RECIPE)

Serves 6

2 onions, chopped

1 carrot, grated

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp smoked paprika

Oil spray

2 tins chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato puree

400ml veg stock (using 2 stock cubes)

Method

1 spray the saucepan with oil and cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until softened.

2 add the smoked paprika and cook for a minute

3 add the tomatoes, puree and stock and simmer for 15 minutes or until the veg is very soft

4 whizz in a blender and serve

Optional: add a tsp of double cream to each serving for an additional 1 point per serving

Minestrone (This is from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite book - Gordon used to be on my shouldn't but I would list! I'm happy to say my taste in men has got better but this is a good book for weight watchers and you'll see a few recipes from here over the coming weeks)

Total points per recipe 10

Serves 2

Oil spray

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

salt and pepper

few sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp tomato puree

240g butter beans, rinsed and drained

75g cherry tomatoes, halved

500ml stock

30g spaghetti, broken into small pieces

handful of basil

Options:

40g smoked bacon (I left this out because of my vegetarian month!) (extra 2 points) Parmesan, for grating (1 tbsp 2 points)

1 spray the saucepan with oil and add the onions, carrots, celery and seasoning. stir frequently over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the veg become soft.

2 add the thyme, bay leaf and bacon if using and increase the heat slightly and cook stirring for 2 minutes then add the tomato puree and cook for another minute.

3 tip in the butter beans and cherry tomatoes and pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer and add the spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes. taste and adjust seasoning.

4. ladle into warmed bowls and scatter with shredded basil and parmesan if using.

Enjoy!