Marshmallow Snowmen

Marshmallow Snowmen

Another easy one for the kids!


Buy some wooden skewers and cut down to size (approximately length of 6 marshmallows). Snip off the very pointy bit.
Thread on 3 marshmallows leaving just a tiny bit of the remainder point visible.
Dip into melted white chocolate. Allow excess to dribble off.
Roll in coconut (I use mix of desiccated and shredded), being sure to also get underneath and top of head.
Place on a tray lined with baking paper and place in fridge to set (approximately 1/2hr).
While they are setting, use a mixture of liquorice to make the hats. Here we used Liquorice all sorts cut in half,  then shaped with an apple corer. The top hat coming from tube liquorice. All glued together with white chocolate.
Take snowmen out of fridge and tap off excess coconut.
Using a fudge edible decorating tube (as well as red and green gel edible decorating tube), decorate with eyes, nose, smile and buttons.
Put a smear of melted white chocolate on bottom of the hats and pierce onto the small portion of skewer visible on top of snowmans head.
Lay back down on baking paper tray and return to fridge.
When set, place in cellophane bags and seal with a ribbon.




nb: The fudge and gel pens don't effing set properly. So don't use them if you are putting into cellophane bags because it ends up a bloody mess!
Next time I will use melted dark chocolate, and melted coloured white chocolate and pipe it on.

More meals under 250 calories

Egg and green Bean Salad - Total of 229 calories
1 hard boiled egg, peeled and quartered
80g green beans, blanched and sliced
1/2 baby cos lettuce, washed and torn
4 baby roma tomatoes, quartered
3 radishes, sliced
25g reduced fat cheese (30%), cubed
1/2 lebanese cucumber, sliced
Drizzle with citrus dressing (see recipe below)


Chicken and Avocado Salad - Total of 239 calories
60g Skinless chicken breast, cooked and sliced
1/4 small avocado, sliced
1/2 lebanese cucumber, peeled into strips
1 tomato, cut into thin wedges
1 cup baby rocket leaves
4 snow peas, shredded
2 asparagus spears, steamed and sliced
1/2 cup of cooked pasta (any shape)
Drizzle with apple and balsamic dressing (see recipe below)


Lean beef, chickpea and sweet potato salad - Total of 233 calories
1/2 red capsicum, cut into strips
125g can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
1 cup mixed asian salad leaves
50g lean beef, cooked and sliced
80g sweet potato, peeled, cubed and cooked (boil or steam)
(this goes well with the apple balsamic dressing, but the calories from dressing have not been included above)


Citrus Dressing - total calories per serve 37.5 calories
Whisk together 1 teaspoon orange zest (fine), 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice, 1 tablespoon fresh sqeezed lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon EVOO, 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard and 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley.


Apple and Balsamic Dressing - total calories per serve 27 calories
Whisk together 1 tablespoon 100% apple juice, 1 tablespoon balsamic viegar and 1 teaspoon dijon mustard.


Salmon and cream cheese crackers - Total of 242 calories (halve serve for half the calories)
4 vita-weat crackers (original) (90 calories)
2 tablespoons Philadelphia extra light cream cheese (52 calories)
50g smoked Tasmanian salmon (100 calories)
fresh dill sprigs


Breakfasts


Special K with strawberry and nut - Total of 250 calories
3/4 cup of Special K
1/3 cup of skim milk
2 large strawberries, sliced
1 tablespoon low fat ricotta
1 tablespoon pistachios, unsalted and chopped


Special K with mango and passionfruit - total of 228 calories
3/4 cup of special K
1/3 cup of skim milk
1 mango cheek, sliced
Pulp of 1 passionfruit

Ungingerbread House

This is super easy and a good Christmas craft to do with the kids...

My eldest made this one

Then we made a heap more a few days later for all the kids coming to the Christmas Party.

Ingredients
2 100s and 1000s biscuits
3 Tina wafers, any colours
2 Iced Vovo biscuits
2 Mint Leaves
2 Liquorice Allsorts
Icing sugar
A little water
12cm piece of card covered in Christmas paper/Aluminium Foil.


Make the icing by putting some icing sugar in a  bowl and adding water a bit at a time until you have the right consistency (thick, but very slightly runny paste). Put into a small ziploc bag and seal. Then snip off one small section of the corner.


Place the 100s and 1000s biscuits pink side down and ice along their short edges. Attach 2 wafers to one biscuit and then press the other biscuit onto the wafers to make the four walls.
Allow the icing to set.


Ice along the bottom edges of the walls and press onto the cardboard base.
Cut the last wafer in half, making two triangles, ice the long edge and press onto the top of the back and front walls.
Allow the icing to set.


Place the Iced Vovo biscuits pink side down and ice along the short edges. Press iced sides onto the triangle wafers and make the roof.
Allow the icing to set.


Then, basically, stick whatever lollies and sweets you want onto the board/surrounds. And then dust with icing sugar for 'snow'.

Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD). 15 snacks/meals under 250 calories!

So, For the next month I am supposed to be doing a VLCD in order to reduce the size of my massive liver (I have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD).
I am supposed to be doing it on 2 optifasts a day (they average out at around 150-200 per shake), and one meal of up to 250 calories.
Groan. I hate the word DIET!
So, to help me in my endeavours, I have made a list of 15 snacks/meals under 250 calories!


Meals under 250 calories
* 1 poached egg (80 cal), 1 slice of wholemeal toast (91 cal), 1 cup of fresh strawberry halves (39 cal), and a cup of coffee with skim milk (15 cal). 
Tot = 225 calories

* Cream of mushroom instant soup (103 cal), 1 slice wholemeal toast (91 cal). 
Tot = 194 calories

* 2 cups cucumber (32 calories), Saidoun pita pocket (121 cal), philidelphia extra light 20g (26 cal), 1 cup cherry tomatoes (27 cal). 
Tot = 206 calories

* 4 Saos (157 cal), 10g lurpak lighter (54 cal), vegemite (11 cal). 
Tot = 222 calories

* 1 tub Bulla low fat cottage cheese (170 cal), 1 125g serve of pineapple in natural juice (71 cal). 
Tot = 241 calories

* 1 tub Bulla gherkin cottage cheese (186 cal), 5 captains table water crackers (64 calories). Tot = 250 calories

* 2 Ryvita (70 cal), 4 Laughing Cow light cheese pieces (114 cal), 1 small apple (45 calories). Tot = 229 calories

* 100g Black Swan skinny hommus (183 cal), 2 small carrots (64 cal). 
Tot = 247 calories

* 1 avocado (125 cal), 1 slice wholemeal toast (91 cal). 
Tot = 216 calories

* 3 bocconcini (185 cal), 1 large tomato (36 cal). 
Tot = 221 calories

* 1 x 95g can Sirena tuna, drained (113 cal), 225g sliced beetroot (137 cal). 
Tot = 250 calories

* 4 thin style rice cakes (94 cal), 75g old el paso roast capsicum salsa (56 cal), 1 medium banana (99 cal). 
Tot = 249 calories

* 1 tub mini tzatziki Copperpot (71 cal), Saidoun pita pocket (121 cal), 1 small apple (45 cal). 
Tot = 237 calories

* 3 Weetbix Kids (159 cal), 200ml Pura Light start (88 cal). 
Tot = 247 calories

* 2 cups Campbells tomato soup (180 cal), 1 coles bake at home mini roll (53 cal). 
Tot = 233 calories


Please note that individual calorie counts may vary from brand to brand. Ones provided here are general (unless brand is stated).