Reducing sugar intake

That's my diet, jingl. I bake cakes and get other people to eat them

I'll eat 'em!

Only on a weekend though. [halo]

janea, how does anyone measure syrup in tablespoons? It doesn't behave itself well enough to be measured that exactly in my experience.

Thanks Jane I shall make those and DH will cut into tiny squares, can taste it now.

I am not on a diet Jing just a healthy eating plan so as to avoid type 2 Diabetes which I could be prone to as I am on steroids. Someone else with the same illness as me said if only someone had warned her about the possibility of diabetes (which she now has) she would have taken action from day 1 and that is what I am doing.

I am going to a friend's birthday tea today and will have small portions of the sugary stuff, as you have said before it is all about moderation.

I think you have to have a warm spoon to measure anything like syrup

Oh right. Perhap's a very small portion of apple crumble then? Without any sugar in the crumble topping? Healthy enough I would say.

(I didn't actually mention a weight reducing diet, to be fair)

My approach to four tablespoons of syrup is to plunge a tablespoon into the tin, pull it out well loaded and twirl it till it gets to my mixing bowl. Done. Estimate but, hell, I don't care.

I remember my mum teaching me about spoon measures as equivalents to weights. A heaped tablespoon of flour is about an ounce (near enough, dam it! did nobody else's grandma cook using spoonfuls ?); a rounded tablespoon of sugar is about an ounce; butter's easy; eggs are easy; hey presto, one cake.

So, in similar mode, I reckon one well loaded Tbsp syrup is near enough equal to four tiresomely measured separate ones

I still cook things like Yorkshire pudding, and crumbles, using spoonfuls. Works fine.

PS if you want to add some protein to your flapjacks, nankate, my nutty, seedy flapjack recipe is here: www.gransnet.com/recipes/dish/5426-Nutty-seedy-flapjack-recipe

Would you settle for chewy in your main course perhaps? I made lamb kebabs last night and the lamb was very tough chewy.

Just thread bite-sized pieces mushroom, tomatoes, peppers, onion and lamb onto a skewer, brush with a little oil and season. I gridded this for about 15 (?) minutes turning quite often. Took me ages to eat so that's a plus.

Think sometimes our food doesn't give us enough of a 'work-out' if it's mushy soft

Or perhaps if it's something sweet you want then biscotti? Sainsburys do a packet with small ones with nuts in. Two of those with a coffee or tea perhaps? Only dunk if you feel you're in danger of breaking your teeth

One loaded spoonful of golden syrup is equal to one in the bowl and some over the work surface, with a bit to spare for the floor.

I hate cooking with Goldn Syrup!

Bags As instructed by my domestic science teacher circa 1962:

Put tablespoon in syrup tin.
Remove from tin, twirling spoon round and round as quickly as you can until syrup stops dripping.
Scrape syrup from tablespoon with knife into whatever you are making.

It's easier now that syrup comes in squirty-type packaging as you can squirt directly onto your tablespoon.

I agree that measuring syrup isn't an exact science. But neither are 'heaped' tablespoons, which is how we were taught to measure out flour. Never used scales.

By the way has anyone tried date nectar? Seriously yummy!

That was to NanKate

NanKate, are you following the low carb thread too? Not a chewy dessert but delicious, is the Elizabeth David classic chocolate mousse mentioned a few times on there. Very easy to make.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jul/22/how-to-make-chocolate-mousse

Squirty syrup is more expensive (quite a lot more expensive). I'll stick with the tins.

Besides, syrup tins make me happy:

And my grandad used to keep nails and screws in syrup tins. #nostalgia

. Are they all full? You've got some willpower!

There will come a day when you find you just need nothing but treacle sarnies for your lunch and you will scoff six slices straight off. But it will be alright because the bread will be wholemeal.

Oops! Sorry to wander from the purpose of this thread.

Just while we are off subject, here is a recipe which my GCs love as a cake or pudding, using Golden Syrup. Definitely not low sugar!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1566633/golden-syrup-cake

Thanks Anya and all. Yes it is the chewy crunchy feelings I miss and will follow up on biscotti, which I love but thought were off bounds and shysal I will look up the choc mousse which I can almost taste now.

I know I am going to regret saying this but heyho. Jing I can tell you have a good sense of humour, you often make me laugh, however I notice from time to time on this thread you seem to sabotage the help other Gransnetters kindly give me, when I am at a bit of a wobbly time in my life. I wonder if, a bit like my late mum, you like a bit of an Argie Bargie? Please don't ask me to give examples as I feel too flippin' tired to do anything. PAX

No, they are empty, jings. I saved them from the Queen's Jubilee year; they are fancy ones

My Mum was a brilliant cook and never owned any scales. She used the 1 rounded tabs = 1oz system and measured margarine or lard by using the 8oz block and cutting half or a quarter etc. as needed She had a good eye and could tell when "it looks right".

I still make Yorkshire pudding/pancakes by "when it looks right" and never weigh the ingredients although I do for everything else. Apart from golden syrup!