making sacrifices (badly)

Oops - where did those three weeks go? Whereas I'm sure you weren't mourning my absence, my lack of blogging has been niggling away at me. Unfortunately, when you're skint, on a diet and crazy busy at work, life aint all that interesting! I finish for the Easter break on Thursday and it can't come soon enough. 

Espirit Boyfriend Jeans

ASOS Willow Strappy Bra

ASOS Acetate Retro Sunglasses

ASOS Lattice Triangle Bra

ASOS Pointed Toe Pumps

Naturally, when one has no money, their ASOS saved items list just grows longer and longer! This year is an exciting one for us as we're saving for a big travelling expedition next year (details to come next week) but it does mean money is tight and I need to start making sacrifices. I mean, what's better - a new pair of boyfriend jeans or a couple of extra days in SE Asia?! While the latter is of course the answer, at the moment those boyfriend jeans just seem a complete necessity. Any ASOS codes out there? Help a sister out!

As I said, this Thursday marks two weeks off for me and I've got a whole load of recipe posts, style bits and lifestyle things to share with you. Maybe I'll even have time to read and can finish the book I've been attempting to read for over 2 months! Until then, back to the huge pile of marking sat in front of me... 

get nakd

When it comes to snacking I suck. If I see a chocolate bar on my desk I wont be able to deny myself it, and unless I have some fruit or a low-cal snack at the ready I will do my best to seek out something sweet and naughty. As I'm trying to shed some lbs and lead a healthier life style this isn't ideal. A friend at work brought in some of these homemade Nakd-style bars last week and I knew I had to try them myself! When a singular 35g Nakd bar costs me over a quid at the gym (yeh, I know) and a pack of four costs £2.50 at Sainsbury's, these homemade versions are far more budget friendly... as well as being totally yummy and full of goodness!

I used this recipe and can vouch for how easy they are to make.

You can make a whole load of varieties - these are choccie orange flavoured, but on Gemma's blog she has recipes for gingerbread, peppermint and pecan pie varieties. I'm going to try gingerbread next!

alaskan

After trying a few variations of this tomato and chilli based cod stew I think I've nailed it. Warming yet fresh, this is the perfect meal during these colder months but would also be delicious enjoyed on a warm evening in summer. 

You will need

Cod fillets

2 tins chopped tomatoes

Vegetable stock

Spinach

1 red pepper

1 red chilli

Onion

Garlic

Start by crushing your garlic into a pan with a chopped onion and chilli, and frying on a medium heat until the onions are golden. Empty in the tins of tomatoes and 400ml of vegetable stock, along with the red pepper (sliced) and season well with salt and pepper. Throw in some oregano or mixed herbs if you fancy. Simmer on a low heat for about an hour. If you aren't watching the calories a slosh of white wine would be a good addition! This tomato sauce is best if left to simmer away for about an hour so the flavours can develop - or you can pop in the oven on 200C. 

When the sauce has started to thicken, add a couple of handfuls of spinach and stir into the sauce. Once they have begun to wilt, place the cod fillets in the sauce and push in so they are submerged. I use frozen cod fillets from Lidl (under £3 for 4 fillets) and depending on size and appetite add 1-2 per person. Pop in the oven on 200C for 25 minutes or according to packet instructions, before serving with rice and/or crusty bread. 

You will probably have leftover sauce - I purposely make a large quantity so I can freeze the leftover sauce and defrost again another day. Simply defrost and then cook again in the oven with the cod as before. In terms of other additions, thyme or basil work well as well as a handful of king prawns and black olives. 

Slimming World - syn values

Completely free, served with rice