About Me

I’m a 36 year old guy living in Dublin, Ireland with my partner and have no foodie training other than a decent belly and an Irish mammy.

This blog grew from us deciding to save a deposit to buy an apartment. Our budget told us we were spending too much on pre-packed food, takeaways and deliveries. We decided to try to make more meals from scratch, which was very successful until our waistlines told us we needed to lose weight!

In July 2009, we then decided to make a determined effort. I knew that we’d never stick to traditional "diet food" so I decided to see if I could re-create our favourite dishes, but with reduced fat and calories. This lead to my ever growing collection of recipes which I want to share with you on this site.

As I write this in February 2010, I have lost over 8 stone in weight, my partner, who had a lot less to lose has lost over 3 stone, so I know it works when used in conjunction with regular exercise, drinking water and generally behaving yourself.

The recipes start with the basics (yes I do have a post about how to cook pasta!) but I wanted to show that even the basics can be made with less calories. All the recipes are designed to feed two people and the ingredients reflect that.

I hope you enjoy the recipes as much as we do and they allow you eat well, lose weight and stay sane while saving a few quid at the same time.

Update February 2011

A year after I set up this site, it's still going strong and going from strength to strength. I'm still eating well and have kept the weight off, but due to changes in my work situation, I'm no longer able to post as often as before. I haven't abandoned the blog and I'm still working on more recipes that I hope to post when time allows.

I welcome all comments and feedback about the site in general or particular recipes (be nice!) You can also e-mail me directly at the following address:



All the photos and content on the site are original. 

Enjoy and happy grubbing!

Darren