Morning Readers! Can I first apologise for the lack of blogs over the past few weeks. I have been away on my holidays. It was my first holiday in five years and I have to say, we had a fantastic time. We went to Florida and I have to say, I'd forgotten what it's like to see the sun and feel warm.

I even faced the world wearing shorts and t-shirts. I must have been feeling brave. To be honest, nobody cared or stared at me fir being bigger which made me feel really comfortable. I wasn't treated like an outcast or leper like I would have been if I'd done it in the UK. It felt great to be free and not have a care in the world.

When we were away, we had the choice of following the Slimming World healthy eating plans, or to relax and eat what we wanted and face the consequences when we got back. We decided on the latter. The hotel we stayed in provided a complimentary breakfast which was lovely but not overly healthy.

It was a cooked breakfast which had clearly been cooked with cooking oil. The only fruit available were grapefruit which I can't eat due to my medication. We found also that it was so hot out there. Over 100 degrees Fahrenheit or over 38 degrees Celsius which ever one you follow. There was also the humidity on top of that too. Due to the heat and humidity, we really didn't want to eat anything during the day. All we wanted to do was drink water to keep our fluids up and stop ourselves dehydrating.

On the whole, we had a fabulous time. We did gain weight but we enjoyed every lb that went on. Now we need to get back on track and lose the weight we gained and more before Christmas which is fast approaching. We found our first week back a struggle with the jet lag. Our body clocks were all over the place and we were so tired all the time so once again, sensible eating went out of the window. This week though, we're back on track and operation "Skinny Minnie" is back on. Tune in next week to see if I manage to lose.

Spaghetti Bolognese (serves 4)

Ingredients:

Fry Light Spray

2 Shallots, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

340g/12oz Extra Lean Minced Beef

227g/8oz Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 x 397g/14oz can Chopped Tomatoes

284ml/10fl oz Beef Stock

1 level tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

283g/10oz Spaghetti, dried

Method:

1. Spray a pan with Fry Light and cook the shallots and garlic for 2–3 minutes until just softened. Stir in the mince and cook for 2–3 minutes until browned.

2. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Season lightly and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until reduced and thickened. Check the seasoning.

3. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of salted boiling water, as per the packet instructions, until just tender. Drain and divide between 4 serving plates. Top with the Bolognese sauce.

It's that time of year again when the dark nights have crept in and the weather is definitely colder. This recipe is great as a winter warmer but also great for all the family too. Why not give it a try.

Have a great week, don't forget to put your clocks back this weekend and hopefully I'll see you lighter next week.

Love Wendy xxx