I forgot to mention this week's weigh-in. I lost 1.5#s. WooHoo!
Tonight I'm fixing spaghetti. Yeah, no recipe. I just throw stuff in by looking at it so I'm gonna give some more opinions on products I've tried.
Smart Ones Broccoli and Cheddar Roasted Potatoes - LOVE this! It's 6 PointsPlus and absolutely delicious (and filling). I always have this onhand.
Smart Ones Creamy Rigatoni with Broccoli & Chicken - This is just okay. The flavor is non-existent and the sauce is very runny. It's 7 PointsPlus so not too bad, but I don't think I'll buy it again.
Healthy Choice Roasted Chicken Verde - I might be the only one who doesn't know this, but evidently "Verde" means super spicey! LOL Actually, it's a place (westernmost point of Africa). I am not a lover of super spicey and actually threw this out after ONE bite. It's only 6 PointsPlus so if you like hot food, you might like this.
I'm going to a two-day scrapbooking crop tomorrow and Saturday (10am-10pm) so I might not get around to posting until Sunday, but I will be back.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Only Baking Today
Tonight at our church, the Lenten Supper is being done by the choir. Joel sings in the choir. They are doing baked potatoes with toppings. Joel is making chili so I am not going to be cooking again today, BUT... Carl (our 17 year old) is in the play (Anything Goes) at school. On performance nights, they do food so the kids don't have to run around trying to eat and get back on time, etc. You only have to "pitch in" food one night and your child gets to eat every night. Tonight is our night to "pitch in". The e-mail said that they kids LOVE desserts (I've always sent regular food) so I am baking desserts.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
15 oz can solid-pack pumpkin
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c egg beaters
1/3 c water
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
2 1/2 t cinnamon, divided
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1-2 T skim milk
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, egg beaters, water, applesauce, 1 t cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into Bundt pan coated with Pam.
Bake at 350 for 65-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, remaining cinnamon and enough milk to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cake.
Yield: 14 servings at 7 PointsPlus each.
Spiced Brownies with Cream Cheese Swirl
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c sugar
1 egg yolk
1 T all-purpose flour
18.3 oz box of brownie mix
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
1/4 c water
2/3 c melted butter
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Line 9x13 baking dish with foil, extending foil over the pan edges. Lightly grease foil. Set pan aside. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Beat in egg yolk and flour; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Follow instructions on brownie mix box, substituting melted butter for the amount of oil called for. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Spoon cream cheese mixture in small mounds on top of brownie batter. Use a table knife to swirl cream cheese mixture into brownie batter.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until center is set (cream cheese swirl will be lightly browned). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill until serving time. Using the foil, lift the uncut brownies out of the pan. Cut into bars.
Yield: 32 TINY brownies at 4 PointsPlus each.
Note: This is NOT something I would normally bake for having around the house. If I did, I would substitute fat-free cream cheese and use "No Pudge" brownie mix, light butter and egg beaters.
I will be baking one more thing, but haven't decided what it will be yet. I was thinking of a recipe I have for Cranberry Vanilla Blondies since I have all those ingredients.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
15 oz can solid-pack pumpkin
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c egg beaters
1/3 c water
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
2 1/2 t cinnamon, divided
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1-2 T skim milk
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, egg beaters, water, applesauce, 1 t cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into Bundt pan coated with Pam.
Bake at 350 for 65-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, remaining cinnamon and enough milk to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cake.
Yield: 14 servings at 7 PointsPlus each.
Spiced Brownies with Cream Cheese Swirl
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c sugar
1 egg yolk
1 T all-purpose flour
18.3 oz box of brownie mix
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
1/4 c water
2/3 c melted butter
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Line 9x13 baking dish with foil, extending foil over the pan edges. Lightly grease foil. Set pan aside. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Beat in egg yolk and flour; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Follow instructions on brownie mix box, substituting melted butter for the amount of oil called for. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Spoon cream cheese mixture in small mounds on top of brownie batter. Use a table knife to swirl cream cheese mixture into brownie batter.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until center is set (cream cheese swirl will be lightly browned). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill until serving time. Using the foil, lift the uncut brownies out of the pan. Cut into bars.
Yield: 32 TINY brownies at 4 PointsPlus each.
Note: This is NOT something I would normally bake for having around the house. If I did, I would substitute fat-free cream cheese and use "No Pudge" brownie mix, light butter and egg beaters.
I will be baking one more thing, but haven't decided what it will be yet. I was thinking of a recipe I have for Cranberry Vanilla Blondies since I have all those ingredients.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Leftovers Night
We've got too many leftovers in the refrigerator so tonight I won't be cooking, but I wanted to share some products I've tried and my opinions of them.
Smart Ones Slow Roasted Turkey Breast
Absolutely delicious! And only 5 PointsPlus! The only thing I could say that I don't like about this is no vegetables. When I put it in the microwave oven, I added a container with a cup of broccoli (zero PointsPlus) to cook at the same time. Sometimes, I'll also put a piece of light bread (1 PointsPlus) in the toaster at the same time then spray once or twice with Parkay and sprinkle a bit of garlic salt. Definitely fills me up.
Lean Cuisine Alfredo Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli
This was okay, but I won't buy it again. The sauce was very runny and had practically no flavor. Also, it was 8 PointsPlus which is high for a lunch for me. I've mentioned before that non-Weight Watchers brands have "old points" on the box. This one said it was 6 Points. I'm guessing they'll eventually update their system, but until then I don't think I'll buy their products without knowing the actual PointsPlus.
Have you tried Weight Watchers yogurt? It's amazing and only 2 PointsPlus!
Have you tried anything new lately?
Smart Ones Slow Roasted Turkey Breast
Absolutely delicious! And only 5 PointsPlus! The only thing I could say that I don't like about this is no vegetables. When I put it in the microwave oven, I added a container with a cup of broccoli (zero PointsPlus) to cook at the same time. Sometimes, I'll also put a piece of light bread (1 PointsPlus) in the toaster at the same time then spray once or twice with Parkay and sprinkle a bit of garlic salt. Definitely fills me up.
Lean Cuisine Alfredo Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli
This was okay, but I won't buy it again. The sauce was very runny and had practically no flavor. Also, it was 8 PointsPlus which is high for a lunch for me. I've mentioned before that non-Weight Watchers brands have "old points" on the box. This one said it was 6 Points. I'm guessing they'll eventually update their system, but until then I don't think I'll buy their products without knowing the actual PointsPlus.
Have you tried Weight Watchers yogurt? It's amazing and only 2 PointsPlus!
Have you tried anything new lately?
Monday, March 28, 2011
Catching Up
Okay, I took 2 days off while we had company, but I'm back.
Today's post will be kinda long because I'm going to include what I fixed yesterday. I was gone all day Saturday so I didn't cook. ;-)
Parmesan Pork Tenderloin
1 lb pork tenderloin
3 T seasoned bread crumbs
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
Pam
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Cut tenderloin crosswise into 8 slices, about 1 inch thick. Place each slice on its cut surface and flatten with heel of hand to 1/2 inch thickness. Combine crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; dredge pork slices to coat. Heat large non-stick skillet coated with Pam over medium heat. Add pork, onion and garlic and saute 8-10 minutes, turning pork once and stirring vegetables occasionally.
Yield: 4 servings (2 pieces of pork) at 4 PointsPlus.
Green Beans with Bacon
3 c fresh or frozen cut green beans
2 bacon strips, diced
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 1/2 t all-purpose flour
1/2 c skim milk
1/4 t salt
Dash white pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
Place beans in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhil, in a nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Drain, reserving 1 t drippings. In the drippings, saute onion and green pepper until tender.
Drain beans; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth; stir into onion mixture. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Add beans; heat through.
Yield: 4 servings (about 3/4 each) at 2 PointsPlus.
Patrician Potatoes
5 pounds medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 T butter, melted
8 oz fat-free cream cheese
8 oz reduced-fat sour cream
2 t salt
2 t minced chives
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 t paprika
Place potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl; mash with butter. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and salt until light and fluffy; add to potatoes. Stir in chives.
Transfer to 9x13 pan coated with Pam. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Yield: 12 servings (1 cup each) at 6 PointsPlus.
Tonight we are having:
Bacon Chicken Alfredo
16 oz whole wheat fettuccine
8 bacon strips, chopped
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 t salt, divided
1/4 t pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T butter
3 T cornstarch
3 c skim milk
1 c half and half
16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 t Italian seasoning
Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 t salt and pepper. Cook chicken and garlic in butter over medium heat 4-6 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; remove and keep warm.
Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth; stir into skillet. Add cream and remaining salt. Brin to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the spinach, chicken, 3/4 c cheese, Italian seasoning and half of bacon; cook and stir until cheese is melted.
Drain the fettuccine; add to chicken mixture. Cook and stir until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon.
Yield: 8 servings (1 cup each) at 12 PointsPlus. Yes, a bit higher than most dinners that I eat, but VERY worth it. I plan for this meal by eating lighter breakfast and lunch on this day.
I'll also have a salad on the side (3 PointsPlus for fat-free cheese, bacon bits and fat-free salad dressing).
Today's post will be kinda long because I'm going to include what I fixed yesterday. I was gone all day Saturday so I didn't cook. ;-)
Parmesan Pork Tenderloin
1 lb pork tenderloin
3 T seasoned bread crumbs
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
Pam
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Cut tenderloin crosswise into 8 slices, about 1 inch thick. Place each slice on its cut surface and flatten with heel of hand to 1/2 inch thickness. Combine crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; dredge pork slices to coat. Heat large non-stick skillet coated with Pam over medium heat. Add pork, onion and garlic and saute 8-10 minutes, turning pork once and stirring vegetables occasionally.
Yield: 4 servings (2 pieces of pork) at 4 PointsPlus.
Green Beans with Bacon
3 c fresh or frozen cut green beans
2 bacon strips, diced
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 1/2 t all-purpose flour
1/2 c skim milk
1/4 t salt
Dash white pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
Place beans in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhil, in a nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Drain, reserving 1 t drippings. In the drippings, saute onion and green pepper until tender.
Drain beans; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth; stir into onion mixture. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Add beans; heat through.
Yield: 4 servings (about 3/4 each) at 2 PointsPlus.
Patrician Potatoes
5 pounds medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 T butter, melted
8 oz fat-free cream cheese
8 oz reduced-fat sour cream
2 t salt
2 t minced chives
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 t paprika
Place potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl; mash with butter. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and salt until light and fluffy; add to potatoes. Stir in chives.
Transfer to 9x13 pan coated with Pam. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Yield: 12 servings (1 cup each) at 6 PointsPlus.
Tonight we are having:
Bacon Chicken Alfredo
16 oz whole wheat fettuccine
8 bacon strips, chopped
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 t salt, divided
1/4 t pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T butter
3 T cornstarch
3 c skim milk
1 c half and half
16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 t Italian seasoning
Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 t salt and pepper. Cook chicken and garlic in butter over medium heat 4-6 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; remove and keep warm.
Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth; stir into skillet. Add cream and remaining salt. Brin to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the spinach, chicken, 3/4 c cheese, Italian seasoning and half of bacon; cook and stir until cheese is melted.
Drain the fettuccine; add to chicken mixture. Cook and stir until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon.
Yield: 8 servings (1 cup each) at 12 PointsPlus. Yes, a bit higher than most dinners that I eat, but VERY worth it. I plan for this meal by eating lighter breakfast and lunch on this day.
I'll also have a salad on the side (3 PointsPlus for fat-free cheese, bacon bits and fat-free salad dressing).
Friday, March 25, 2011
In-Laws Coming
Joel's parents will be here sometime today (not sure what time) and staying through Sunday. I have an all day scrapbooking crop to go to tomorrow so I'm cooking dinner tonight, but they are on their own tomorrow. I figured Joel will probably take them out for dinner. Tonight we are having:
Butter Roasted Chicken
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 c chicken broth
1/3 c lemon juice
4 t butter
4 t paprika
1 1/2 t salt
4 t brown sugar
2/3 t pepper
2/3 t dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cayenne pepper
Place chicken in un-greased 9x13 baking dish. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat and pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 325 for 1-1/4 hours, basting occasionally. The ENTIRE dish equals 42 PointsPlus so just divide it by how much you eat. I usually eat one small-ish breast and it is 4 PointsPlus.
Favorite Corn Bake
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c cornmeal
3 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 egg
1 c reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c butter, melted
15 oz can whole kernel corn, undrained
15 oz can cream-style corn
In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, sour cream, applesauce and butter. Stir in corn. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Transfer to 9x13 baking dish coated with Pam.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Yield: 12 servings at 6 PointsPlus each. Yes, kinda high for a side dish, but definitely worth it!
Note: When I bought the corn for this last week, the whole kernel corn was in a 15 1/4 oz can and the cream-style corn was in a 14 3/4 oz can. Not sure why the change, but wanted to point out that you might not be able to find the exact size cans listed.
Broccoli & Cheese Casserole
1 can reduced-fat Cream of Celery Soup
1/2 c skim milk
2 t yellow mustard
16 oz frozen broccoli, thawed
1 c shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/3 c dry breadcrumbs
2 t butter, melted
Stir soup, milk, mustard, broccoli and cheese in 9x13 casserole dish sprayed with Pam.
Mix breadcrumbs with butter in bowl and sprinkle over broccoli mixture.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings at 3 PointsPlus.
Note: I found this recipe in a magazine. It had all "full fat" ingredients AND it used Cream of Mushroom soup. My kids don't like mushrooms so I changed that to Cream of Celery and I changed the soup, milk and cheese to reduced/non-fat versions.
I also wanted to point out that since I only have one oven, I am baking these all at the same time using 350 as the setting. Since the Corn Bake recipe involves "baking" and needing to "rise", I didn't want to change it's temperature. The chicken will do fine with just a 25 degree change, but I'll have to watch for the time and check the temp of the chicken before taking it out.
Another thing I wanted to mention is my "cookbook". I subscribe to Weight Watchers Monthly, Healthy Cooking by Taste of Home (formerly named "Light & Tasty") as well as Better Homes & Gardens, Women's Day, etc. I also find recipes in the newspaper, online, etc. When I find a recipe I want to try, I cut it out and put it in my "cookbook". It's a Mead Composition Book (not the spiral kind, but the one with the black and white "marble" cover). I use a glue stick to attach it to the page, along with a photo if there is one and I immediately calculate the PointsPlus. If after trying the recipe, I don't like it or for whatever reason decide I won't make it again (too much work, too expensive ingredients, etc.), then I just peel it off the page. You can usually see that there was a recipe there, but it's quickly covered by another recipe I find.
When I do my menu before shopping, I look through my "cookbook". I pick a recipe, I write down all the ingredients I need on my grocery list then I also write down the page number on my menu so I'll be able to find it again when it's time to make it. I long ago realized that it was a lost cause to try to keep these recipes organized since they are constantly changing so this works for me. Weight Watchers changed their plan recently. The PointsPlus values are different than the "old points" so every few days I re-calculate some more recipes.
Okay, I'm going to make my first attempt at posting a picture.
Not sure if it's gonna post... It looks like it might be at the top of this entry, but we'll see when I hit "publish"! LOL Yes, that is a shadow of my cell phone, but I'm not "technically inclined" and that's the only way I could think of to get a picture here. In the picture you can see 3 recipes. When I stick them on a page, it's kinda like doing a puzzle so I can fit more than one per page. When I change things, I make notes right on the page. This works better for me than an actual recipe box or anything else I've tried.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Back to normal
I had a great day yesterday. Joel (my wonderful husband) fixed dinner and cleaned up after. It was delicious!
Thursday is Craft Day. A few friends get together weekly at another friend's house to work on crafts (or just hang out and talk). I'm working on Carl's Graduation Announcements. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to post pictures and share them on here. Since I'll be gone a good portion of the day, often times on Thursday I make a crock pot meal. That is what I'm doing today. Also, I try to have a 2 pointsplus or lower breakfast and very low point dinner because we take our lunch to Craft Day and I opt for fast food. Yeah, it's evil and very high in pointsplus, but it's one day a week and I can fit it in using my weekly "bonus" pointsplus. In case you don't know what that means, Weight Watchers gives you a daily pointsplus amount, but you also get weekly pointsplus that you can use however you want (all at once for a special event or a few each day) or not at all. I usually end up using a few of these each Thursday. Today I'm having a McDonald's Angus Bacon & Cheese hamburger (21 pointsplus) and a medium fries (10 pointsplus), but I'll be drinking an Arnold Palmer (make with Splenda = zero points).
Potato Soup
32 oz pkg of frozen hash browns (some manufacturer's make a 30 oz pkg now. It's fine to use that)
30 oz chicken broth
1 envelope Country Gravy mix
Throw it all in a crock pot and give it a stir. Cook on low 4-5 hours. A 1 1/2 cup serving is only 4 pointsplus. I will also make Krusteaz Fat-Free Honey Cornbread. While not "southern cornbread", it's okay and only 3 pointsplus for a piece.
Thursday is Craft Day. A few friends get together weekly at another friend's house to work on crafts (or just hang out and talk). I'm working on Carl's Graduation Announcements. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to post pictures and share them on here. Since I'll be gone a good portion of the day, often times on Thursday I make a crock pot meal. That is what I'm doing today. Also, I try to have a 2 pointsplus or lower breakfast and very low point dinner because we take our lunch to Craft Day and I opt for fast food. Yeah, it's evil and very high in pointsplus, but it's one day a week and I can fit it in using my weekly "bonus" pointsplus. In case you don't know what that means, Weight Watchers gives you a daily pointsplus amount, but you also get weekly pointsplus that you can use however you want (all at once for a special event or a few each day) or not at all. I usually end up using a few of these each Thursday. Today I'm having a McDonald's Angus Bacon & Cheese hamburger (21 pointsplus) and a medium fries (10 pointsplus), but I'll be drinking an Arnold Palmer (make with Splenda = zero points).
Potato Soup
32 oz pkg of frozen hash browns (some manufacturer's make a 30 oz pkg now. It's fine to use that)
30 oz chicken broth
1 envelope Country Gravy mix
Throw it all in a crock pot and give it a stir. Cook on low 4-5 hours. A 1 1/2 cup serving is only 4 pointsplus. I will also make Krusteaz Fat-Free Honey Cornbread. While not "southern cornbread", it's okay and only 3 pointsplus for a piece.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
My Birthday
Today I am 46. I'm okay with it. Kinda weird to actually write it down, but REALLY...I'm okay with it.
About a week ago, Joel (my wonderful husband) asked where I wanted to go for dinner on my birthday. I told him that I wanted him to cook for me. He makes INCREDIBLE pancakes. Also, I wanted some Boca "meatless breakfast links" (I guess they can't call them sausage?). They are to die for! And, they have fooled my dog (he thinks they're "real" sausage).
Anyway, no recipe for today, so instead I'm going to tell y'all about what I had for lunch. I usually eat leftovers from dinner the night before, but sometimes there are either no leftovers or the thing we had is too many points for a lunch so I buy LOTS of those frozen "healthy" meals. My favorite brand is Smart Ones, but I've been known to buy the occasional Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice. The one I ate today is Healthy Choice Sesame Glazed Chicken. The disadvantage of buying this brand or Lean Cuisine is that they do not have the PointsPlus value on the box. It had the "old points" on it, which was 6. I got home and figured it out to be 8. Kinda high for a lunch, but I ate it anyway. It was good, but I probably won't buy it again because of the PointsPlus amount. I really like to keep lunch at 7 or less so this won't be detrimental to my whole day, but still not likely to repeat the purchase. I had 1 1/2 cups of fresh pineapple for breakfast (zero pointsplus) and a cup of coffee, which is also zero pointsplus BUT I insist on REAL SUGAR for my coffee. Yes, I drink Arnold Palmer ALL THE TIME made with Splenda, but just don't like the taste of it in my coffee.
About a week ago, Joel (my wonderful husband) asked where I wanted to go for dinner on my birthday. I told him that I wanted him to cook for me. He makes INCREDIBLE pancakes. Also, I wanted some Boca "meatless breakfast links" (I guess they can't call them sausage?). They are to die for! And, they have fooled my dog (he thinks they're "real" sausage).
Anyway, no recipe for today, so instead I'm going to tell y'all about what I had for lunch. I usually eat leftovers from dinner the night before, but sometimes there are either no leftovers or the thing we had is too many points for a lunch so I buy LOTS of those frozen "healthy" meals. My favorite brand is Smart Ones, but I've been known to buy the occasional Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice. The one I ate today is Healthy Choice Sesame Glazed Chicken. The disadvantage of buying this brand or Lean Cuisine is that they do not have the PointsPlus value on the box. It had the "old points" on it, which was 6. I got home and figured it out to be 8. Kinda high for a lunch, but I ate it anyway. It was good, but I probably won't buy it again because of the PointsPlus amount. I really like to keep lunch at 7 or less so this won't be detrimental to my whole day, but still not likely to repeat the purchase. I had 1 1/2 cups of fresh pineapple for breakfast (zero pointsplus) and a cup of coffee, which is also zero pointsplus BUT I insist on REAL SUGAR for my coffee. Yes, I drink Arnold Palmer ALL THE TIME made with Splenda, but just don't like the taste of it in my coffee.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
New Workout
I've been doing "Walk Off the Weight in 12 Weeks" (http://www.familycircle.com/fc/printableStory.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/fc/story/data/1269279551482.xml&catref=fc71) but I wanted to add something else so yesterday I found this: http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/blbeginnerabs.htm?p=1 It's a beginner's ad workout. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to complete the workout except that when I did the final exercise (Superhumans), I had to stop at 5 reps (they recommend 10 reps). My knees were absolutely killing me. I will fold a towel or something to put under my knees today and try it again.
Tonight for dinner we are having:
Individual Tuna Casseroles
1 1/2 c uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
12oz white water-packed tuna, drained
10 3/4 oz can reduced-fat cream of celery soup
1 1/4 c artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
1/2 c reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 c roasted sweet red peppers, drained and chopped
3 T chopped onion
1 t dill weed
1 T capers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated lemon peel
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t Italian seasoning
Cook pasta according to pkg directions.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tuna, soup, artichokes, sour cream, peppers, onion, dill, capers, garlic, lemon peel and pepper flakes. Drain pasta; stir into tuna mixture. Divide among six 10oz ramekins or custard cups.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle over tuna mixture. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
One serving is 9 pointsplus.
I will also be having a salad. I buy bagged salad (zero points) then will add 2 T Kraft Free Catalina (1 pointsplus), 1/4 c fat-free shredded cheddar cheese (1 pointsplus) and 1 T real bacon bits (1 pointsplus).
Tonight for dinner we are having:
Individual Tuna Casseroles
1 1/2 c uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
12oz white water-packed tuna, drained
10 3/4 oz can reduced-fat cream of celery soup
1 1/4 c artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
1/2 c reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 c roasted sweet red peppers, drained and chopped
3 T chopped onion
1 t dill weed
1 T capers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated lemon peel
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t Italian seasoning
Cook pasta according to pkg directions.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tuna, soup, artichokes, sour cream, peppers, onion, dill, capers, garlic, lemon peel and pepper flakes. Drain pasta; stir into tuna mixture. Divide among six 10oz ramekins or custard cups.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle over tuna mixture. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
One serving is 9 pointsplus.
I will also be having a salad. I buy bagged salad (zero points) then will add 2 T Kraft Free Catalina (1 pointsplus), 1/4 c fat-free shredded cheddar cheese (1 pointsplus) and 1 T real bacon bits (1 pointsplus).
Monday, March 21, 2011
WooHoo!
I lost another 2#s! It's good to see that my efforts are paying off. Today's dinner will be Baked Macaroni & Cheese and Cinnamon Apples. I have my own recipe for this, but am trying a new one that I got from WW Monthly magazine. The Cinnamon Apples are a product made by Country Crock. They come in a container similar to a margarine container. I found it at my store near the meat with other "prepared side dish" things. I decided to try it because I had a $1 off coupon. A serving size is 1/2 cup at 3 pointsplus.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
3 oz whole wheat penne pasta
2 T canola oil
2 T all-purpose flour
2 c skim milk
2 1/3 c shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
14 oz Oscar Mayer Turkey Smoked Sausage
Preheat oven to 350.
Cook penne pasta according to pkg directions. Drain, then rinse under cold running water; drain.
Meanwhile, to make sauce, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil; boil 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in 2 c cheddar cheese, salt and pepper until cheese is melted.
Stir pasta into sauce. Chop Smoked Sausage and add to pasta mixture. Pour into 6 individual baking dishes or 1 (2qt) shallow baking dish; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/3 c cheddar cheese. Bake until lightly browned and bubble, about 15 minutes for individual baking dishes or about 25 minutes for 2qt baking dish. let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serving size: 1 1/4 c at 10 pointsplus. Note: The original recipe was made without the smoked sausage (servings size: 1 c at 7 pointsplus), but my family likes it with the smoked sausage so I added a reduced-fat version I found.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
3 oz whole wheat penne pasta
2 T canola oil
2 T all-purpose flour
2 c skim milk
2 1/3 c shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
14 oz Oscar Mayer Turkey Smoked Sausage
Preheat oven to 350.
Cook penne pasta according to pkg directions. Drain, then rinse under cold running water; drain.
Meanwhile, to make sauce, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil; boil 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in 2 c cheddar cheese, salt and pepper until cheese is melted.
Stir pasta into sauce. Chop Smoked Sausage and add to pasta mixture. Pour into 6 individual baking dishes or 1 (2qt) shallow baking dish; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/3 c cheddar cheese. Bake until lightly browned and bubble, about 15 minutes for individual baking dishes or about 25 minutes for 2qt baking dish. let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serving size: 1 1/4 c at 10 pointsplus. Note: The original recipe was made without the smoked sausage (servings size: 1 c at 7 pointsplus), but my family likes it with the smoked sausage so I added a reduced-fat version I found.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Weigh-In Tomorrow
I'm excited about it because I really feel like I had a great week. I've made a better effort of getting my 5 fruits/vegetables in everyday.
Tonight for dinner we are having:
Jambalaya
1 medium green pepper, chopped
28 oz canned tomatoes (I buy the diced ones)
6 oz canned tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T canola oil
1 T dried parsley
1/2 t dried thyme
1 c Minute Rice (white)
1 pound cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Combine everything but the shrimp in a crock pot. Cook on high 4-5 hours. Remove tails from shrimp if they have them. Add shrimp and cook until no longer pink, about 1 hour longer. Yield: 6 servings at 5 pointsplus each.
Spinach Corn Muffins
1 c cornmeal
1 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 egg
1 c fat-free milk
2 T canola oil
1 C fresh spinach, chopped
3/4 c shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in spinach and cheese.
Coat muffin cups with Pam; fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen at 4 pointsplus each.
Tonight for dinner we are having:
Jambalaya
1 medium green pepper, chopped
28 oz canned tomatoes (I buy the diced ones)
6 oz canned tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T canola oil
1 T dried parsley
1/2 t dried thyme
1 c Minute Rice (white)
1 pound cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Combine everything but the shrimp in a crock pot. Cook on high 4-5 hours. Remove tails from shrimp if they have them. Add shrimp and cook until no longer pink, about 1 hour longer. Yield: 6 servings at 5 pointsplus each.
Spinach Corn Muffins
1 c cornmeal
1 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 egg
1 c fat-free milk
2 T canola oil
1 C fresh spinach, chopped
3/4 c shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in spinach and cheese.
Coat muffin cups with Pam; fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen at 4 pointsplus each.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Two Days In a Row!
Scarlet (our beautiful and perfect 3 year old Granddaughter) spent the night with us last night. It was wonderful. She loved the spaghetti and garlic bread I fixed last night.
So, tonight we are having:
Salmon Cakes w/Tarragon-Chive Sauce
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 t Dijon mustard
2 t chives
1/4 t dried tarragon
1 t capers, drained and chopped
1 t olive oil
1 1/4 t black pepper
14 3/4oz canned salmon, drained
1/4 c fat-free mayo
1/4 c scallions, chopped
3 T dried bread crumbs
1/4 c dried bread crumbs
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 c mixed greens, salad
To make the sauce, combine the vinegar, mustard, chives, tarragon, capers, oil and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat the broiler. Spray a small baking sheet with Pam.
To make the salmon cakes, with a fork, mash the salmon and bones in a large bowl. Add mayo, scallions, 3 T of the bread crumbs and the egg white. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 4 patties.
Put the remaining 1/4 c bread crumbs on a sheet of wax paper. Coat patties with crumbs.
Place the patties on the baking sheet. Broil 4 inches from the heat until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes on each side.
Yield: 1 patty, 1 T sauce and 1/2 c salad per serving at 6 pointsplus.
Flavorful Mashed Potatoes
4 pounds red potatoes (about 12 medium)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c fat-free milk
1/2 c reduced-fat sour cream
2 T butter, melted
2 t dried parsley flakes
2 t dried thyme
1 t dried rosemary, crushed
1 1/4 t salt
Scrub and quarter potatoes; place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain.
In a large bowl, mash potato mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Yield: 12 servings (3/5 c each) at 4 pointsplus.
Lemonade Ice Box Pie
12 oz can fat-free evaporated milk
3/4 c pink lemonade concentrate
1 1/2 c low fat Cool Whip
1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust
In a bowl, combine milk and lemonade concentrate; fold in Cool Whip. Pour into crust. Freeze 3 hours.
Yield: 8 slices at 5 pointsplus.
Enjoy!
So, tonight we are having:
Salmon Cakes w/Tarragon-Chive Sauce
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 t Dijon mustard
2 t chives
1/4 t dried tarragon
1 t capers, drained and chopped
1 t olive oil
1 1/4 t black pepper
14 3/4oz canned salmon, drained
1/4 c fat-free mayo
1/4 c scallions, chopped
3 T dried bread crumbs
1/4 c dried bread crumbs
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 c mixed greens, salad
To make the sauce, combine the vinegar, mustard, chives, tarragon, capers, oil and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat the broiler. Spray a small baking sheet with Pam.
To make the salmon cakes, with a fork, mash the salmon and bones in a large bowl. Add mayo, scallions, 3 T of the bread crumbs and the egg white. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 4 patties.
Put the remaining 1/4 c bread crumbs on a sheet of wax paper. Coat patties with crumbs.
Place the patties on the baking sheet. Broil 4 inches from the heat until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes on each side.
Yield: 1 patty, 1 T sauce and 1/2 c salad per serving at 6 pointsplus.
Flavorful Mashed Potatoes
4 pounds red potatoes (about 12 medium)
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c fat-free milk
1/2 c reduced-fat sour cream
2 T butter, melted
2 t dried parsley flakes
2 t dried thyme
1 t dried rosemary, crushed
1 1/4 t salt
Scrub and quarter potatoes; place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain.
In a large bowl, mash potato mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Yield: 12 servings (3/5 c each) at 4 pointsplus.
Lemonade Ice Box Pie
12 oz can fat-free evaporated milk
3/4 c pink lemonade concentrate
1 1/2 c low fat Cool Whip
1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust
In a bowl, combine milk and lemonade concentrate; fold in Cool Whip. Pour into crust. Freeze 3 hours.
Yield: 8 slices at 5 pointsplus.
Enjoy!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Gonna try this again...
Yep, it's been almost a year since I posted. I'm back on WW (doing the online program) and exercising. I've lost 13.5 pounds and am feeling good about that. Tonight we're having spaghetti. The "recipe" isn't written down so kinda hard to share, but it's about 10 points per serving (1 1/2 cups) and the garlic bread I make is 4 points per 2" slice. Since I can't list that recipe, I'm going to include what we ate 2 nights ago. This recipe started out as stuffed pork chops that were grilled, but one time I wanted to fix it and it was too cold to grill out. I changed it around, but never changed the name of it. Feell free to call it whatever you want if you try it and like it.
Corn-Stuffed Pork Chops
6 boneless center loin pork chops (1" thick, about 10 oz EACH)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 medium green pepper, choppped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix
10 oz pkg frozen corn, thawed
1/2 c egg beaters
Sprinkle salt and pepper on pork chops. Set aside. In a nonstick skillet, saute green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Transfer to a bowl. Add stuffing mix, corn and egg beaters; mix well. Pour into a roasting pan (haven't measure mine, but it's bigger than a 9x13, but not the biggest one I have) that has been sprayed with Pam. Put pork chops on top of stuffing/vegetable mixture. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes (kinda depends on how thick the chops are). 1 chop and 1/6 of the stuffing/vegetable mixture is 8 pointsplus.
I started a "walking program" (http://www.familycircle.com/fc/printableStory.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/fc/story/data/1269279551482.xml&catref=fc71). It starts out very slowly (15 minutes of walking), but by the end of 12 weeks you are walking 4 miles.
I'm making a concentrated effort to post more. One of my sisters recently wrote on her blog (http://letmethinkonit.blogspot.com/) that she felt like Facebook had killed the Blog. It's unfortunate, but true. Hopefully, I will follow through with this new commitment.
Corn-Stuffed Pork Chops
6 boneless center loin pork chops (1" thick, about 10 oz EACH)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 medium green pepper, choppped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix
10 oz pkg frozen corn, thawed
1/2 c egg beaters
Sprinkle salt and pepper on pork chops. Set aside. In a nonstick skillet, saute green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Transfer to a bowl. Add stuffing mix, corn and egg beaters; mix well. Pour into a roasting pan (haven't measure mine, but it's bigger than a 9x13, but not the biggest one I have) that has been sprayed with Pam. Put pork chops on top of stuffing/vegetable mixture. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes (kinda depends on how thick the chops are). 1 chop and 1/6 of the stuffing/vegetable mixture is 8 pointsplus.
I started a "walking program" (http://www.familycircle.com/fc/printableStory.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/fc/story/data/1269279551482.xml&catref=fc71). It starts out very slowly (15 minutes of walking), but by the end of 12 weeks you are walking 4 miles.
I'm making a concentrated effort to post more. One of my sisters recently wrote on her blog (http://letmethinkonit.blogspot.com/) that she felt like Facebook had killed the Blog. It's unfortunate, but true. Hopefully, I will follow through with this new commitment.
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