Morning Readers, I hope you’re all managing to stay warm on these cold, frosty mornings. I think we’ve definitely skipped summer and headed straight into winter.

Thank goodness we haven’t had any snow. How did you all do on the scales this week? I’m pleased to say that I maintained my weight this week which was a big relief. I hadn’t been off my eating plan but with such a massive loss last week, I honestly thought I’d have gained.

Another positive this week was when, on separate occasions, I bumped into a couple of people I haven’t seen for a while. We’re friends on a social networking site and do chat on there but I haven’t seen them face to face in over a year. They both gave me such amazing compliments. They thing is, I don’t really see any difference in myself and because you can really tell on my Husband, people tend to compliment him. To be told I look gorgeous by one friend was just fantastic. I know they both follow my journey so thank you so much for giving me a much needed boost.

It’s so easy to lose heart especially when you don’t think there’s any difference in the way you look. It’s when you get the compliments from unexpected sources, that you start to think, “Wow! Maybe I do look okay!” It’s certainly given me the push to crack on and lose that st before Christmas. Here’s hoping!

Steak And Mushroom Pie Ingredients 1 medium Onion 681g/1½ lb Lean Braising Steak cubed 1 level tbsp Cornflour 2 Bay Leaves Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper 284ml/½ pt Beef Stock 227g/8oz Closed Cup Mushrooms 3 x 22½g sheets Filo Pastry 1 medium Egg, beaten Method 1. Peel and slice the onion and place in a pan.

2. Remove all visible fat from the steak, toss in the cornflour and add it to the pan with the bay leaves and seasoning.

3. Add the stock and about 142ml/¼pt water to just cover the beef. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1½ hours until the beef is tender. Cool, then discard the bay leaves.

4. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Quarter the mushrooms and place in a 1136ml/2pt pie dish. Add the beef and onions using a slotted spoon, and pour over about 200ml/7floz of the cooking liquid to come halfway up the dish. The meat will come to the top, but once the mushrooms cook down the level will sink.

5. Brush each sheet of pastry with egg, lightly scrunch up and place on top of the meat, pulling the sheets out to make sure all the meat is covered. Brush generously with egg and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 180°C/Gas 4 and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes until golden and hot. Serve with vegetables.

This is another hearty meal that can be enjoyed by all the family. It's warm and comforting too as the weather gets colder. It's definitely one I will be using a lot over the coming months.

See you lighter next week, Love Wendy xxx Based on information supplied by .