Trivia Night

Joel (my husband) and I play trivia at area restaurants on a pretty regular basis. Tonight it's at Nebraska Brewing Company. There's a league that keeps your scores and has tournaments (I think yearly?). Anyway, we made it into the tournament that will be this Saturday. We just started playing in January so we are thrilled "just to be invited". LOL I will be having a Philly Cheesesteak, which has at least 2,000,000 PointsPlus, but it's just too good to not have. Seriously though, since this restaurant is a "mom and pop" place, I couldn't find nutrition info so I looked up a regular cheesesteak at Philly Connection. It's 12.5 PointsPlus so I'm going with that. They have the second worst fries on the planet so no side dish and I'll drink water (zero PointsPlus).

Here we go again...

I weighed this morning. It was the highest number I've ever seen on a scale. I wish I could say that I've never seen that number before, but it wouldn't be true. I guess seeing THAT NUMBER really shocked me back into reality. I can't "just eat this once" and I can't "just skip this workout". One salad and one workout won't make me healthy just as one cheeseburger and one skipped workout didn't make me fat. It's the continual habits that make me who I am and I'm not happy with the person I am right now. I (once again) reset my weight and measurements on the WW website. I then tracked everything I ate today and even worked out, earning 4 activity points. I will continue and I will blog about it. I've heard that facebook killed the blogger, but I'm hoping my renewed dedication to get healthy will spill over into my blogging habits. Tonight I'm having a Smart Ones Chicken Oriental Dinner (6 PointsPlus) and Arnold Palmer (made w/Splenda - 0 PointsPlus). My total for the day is 1 PointsPlus over my daily PointsPlus Allowance, but we get 49 Bonus Weekly PointsPlus so I'm doing good.

Chicken and Potatoes

Yes, it's been 3 months (and 1 day!) since I posted. Wow... I weighed this morning and am still hovering at the same weight as last May so I did something drastic. I started all over. Yep, I reset my weight on my Weight Watchers Online account so that today is my starting day and starting weight. After I post, I'm going to update my ticker so it will say I've lost 0 pounds. I'm hoping I can finally stick with this. It only takes one time of doing it right to erase all the times of doing it wrong, right?

Chicken and Potatoes

3 c potatoes, chopped
4 chicken leg quarters
1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
1 envelope of onion soup/dip mix

Put the potatoes in crockpot. Put the chicken on top. Cover with the soup then sprinkle the soup/dip mix on top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This makes about 8 servings at 5 PointsPlus each. If you eat more, adjust accordingly. I will sometimes eat about 1 1/2 servings, depending on what we are having for side dishes.

Broccoli-Cheddar Casserole

1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
1/2 c skim milk
2 t yellow mustard
16 oz frozen broccoli, thawed
1 c fat-free cheddar, shredded
1/3 c dried bread crumbs
2 t butter, melted

Stir soup, milk, mustard, broccoli and cheese in a 9x13 casserole dish sprayed with Pam.

Mix bread crumbs with butter then sprinkle on top of broccoli mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings at 3 PointsPlus each.

I will be serving Pillsbury Grands Biscuit and will have 1. I no longer buy the reduced-fat version of these because although I couldn't tell the difference, my sons said they could and when Weight Watchers re-vamped their points system, they now have the same number of points for either version.

Total PointsPlus for dinner: 13

I hope to "see" y'all tomorrow!

Cran-Orange Geleatin Salad

I made this the other night (I think Wednesday?) with Campfire Bundles (previously posted). It was great. The entire family enjoyed it, which is rare.

Cran-Orange Gelatin Salad

15 oz can mandarin oranges
2 pkgs cranberry Jello (3 oz each)
1 1/2 c boiling water
16 oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 1/2 c crushed pretzels
6 T butter, melted
5 T sugar, divided
8 oz pkg fat-free cream cheese
8 oz frozen fat-free Cool Whip, thawed

Drain oranges, reserving juice in a 2-cup measuring cup; set aside oranges and juice.

In a large bowl, dissolve the Jello in boiling water. Stir in cranberry sauce until melted. Add enough cold water to the reserved juice to measure 1 1/2 cups; add to Jello mixture. Stir in oranges. Chill until partially set (this took about 1 hour for me).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the pretzels, butter and 2 T sugar. Press into un-greased 9x13 dish; chill.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over crust. Spoon Jello mixture over cream cheese layer. Chill for at least 3 hours or until set.

Yield: 15 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

Notes: As usual, I changed several things from the original recipe. First, it called for sugar-free Jello. I am allergic to Nutrasweet so I used regular Jello. Also, it indicated "salt-free" pretzels. I have had similar recipe to this one made with strawberry Jello and strawberries. I thought it would taste better with the salted pretzels so I used those. Instead of sugar, the original recipe used "sugar substiture equivalent to 5 T sugar". I figured it's only 5 PointsPlus for REAL sugar so I used that (divided by 15 servings, it didn't matter). I also used fat-free Cool Whip instead of reduced-fat Cool Whip because my store doesn't carry the reduced-fat. Using the original ingredients will change the PointsPlus value (pretty sure it will be lower). This is another recipe I got from "Light & Tasty" magazine (now called "Healthy Cooking by Taste of Home").

This morning I made:

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

MUFFINS
1 1/2 c Oats (quick or old-fashioned), uncooked
1 1/4c all-purpose flour
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c skim milk
3 T canola oil
1 egg white

TOPPING
1/4 c Oats (quick or old-fasioned), uncooked
1 T firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 t cinnamon
1 t butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups OR lightly grease bottoms only. Combine dry ingredients; mix well. Add combined applesauce, milk, oil and egg white; mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill muffin cups almost full. For topping, combine all ingredients; sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake 20-22 minutes or until deep golden brown. Let muffins stand a few minutes; remove from pan. Serve warm.

Yield: 12 muffins at 5 PointsPlus per muffin.

Notes: The original recipe called for vegetable oil. I don't buy that and had canola oil on-hand so I used that. Also, it said to use margarine for the topping. I used butter instead.

These were a HUGE hit with my family! Will be making this regularly. Yum!

Popover Apple Pie

Last night we had Campfire Bundles (previously posted) and:

Popover Apple Pie

3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 c skim milk
1 c cold orange juice
1 pkg (3 oz) cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
3/4 t allspice
6 large peeled tart apples, sliced
1/4 c dried cranberries
1 t powdered sugar

In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Combine the eggs, egg whites and milk; whisk into the dry ingredients just until blended. Pour into a 10" ovenproof skillet coated with butter-flavored Pam. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 (do not open oven door). Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until deep golden brown (do not underbake).

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk the orange juice, pudding mix and apple pie spice. Stir in apples and cranberries. Cover and microwave on high about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 1/2 minutes or until apples are tender. Spoon hot apple mixture into crust. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

Notes: The original recipe (from "Light & Tasty" magazine, now named "Healthy Cooking") called for 1% milk, but we only buy skim milk so I used that. The crust turned out fine. Also, it said to use sugar-free pudding mix. I'm allergic to Nutrasweet so I used regular. And it said to sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped walnuts on it right before adding the powdered sugar. I'm allergic to nuts so I skipped that. Your PointsPlus value will likely change, but not sure which way since some changes I made would increase it and some made would decrease it.

Talk about your mixed reactions. As soon as my husband took a bite, he said, "you don't have to make this again". Yikes! I tried it anyway. I loved it! One of my sons said it was too "egg-y" and the other said he would have left out the dried cranberries, but they both said they like it anyway. I'm probably not gonna fix it again just because nobody said the same thing, but I did like it.

Tonight is Taco Salad Night. I am also fixing Cran-Orange Gelatin Salad. It looks fantastic so I hope I have good reviews tomorrow.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

I got this recipe from "Light & Tasty" magazine (it's since changed it's name to "Healthy Cooking"), but I changed it a bit.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

10 oz uncooked spaghetti
1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
6 oz light sour cream
1 c water
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
10 oz pkg frozen broccoli, thawed
10 oz pkg frozen carrot slices, thawed
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
5 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, combine the soup, water, lemon juice, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in chicken; heat through. Drain spaghetti; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 8 servings at 7 PointsPlus per serving.

The original recipe used a 16 oz pkg of "California-blend vegetables". I do not like cauliflower so I bought broccoli and carrots then instead of using partial packages, I added a few things. The original recipe also didn't include the light sour cream, but I didn't want to use a partial can of soup. Also, I added more of each of the other ingredients to come up with what I thought was a good ratio. It turned out fantastic. Even the boys ate it, although Adam did pick out the broccoli, and our 3 year old Granddaughter even ate it. Have added this to my favorites.

I've not totally been ignoring my blog, but lately I've been fixing a lot of re-runs so not much new to post about. I have several new recipes coming up, but tonight our dinner is a re-runs (Campfire Bundles). I will be posting about the dessert I'm fixing.

Bacon Hash Brown Bake

I think I'm back into my routine enough that I ought to be able to start posting regularly again.

Bacon Hash Brown Bake

8 slices Oscar Mayer Ready-to-Serve Bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 c vegetable oil
4 c frozen hash browns
12 oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
8 eggs
1 c fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 t salt
1 c shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add hash browns and cook for 2 minutes; turn over and cook another 2 minutes. Add vegetables and cook 3-4 minutes. Transfer to 9x13 baking dish sprayed with Pam. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt. Stir in cheese and bacon pieces. Pour evenly over potato mixture.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Tip: To save time, prepare this casserole ahead of time, except for baking. Store covered in refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Yield: 9 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

Note: original recipe used turkey bacon. My kids don't like turkey bacon so I switched to regular. Also, the original used regular cheese, but I switched to fat-free. It also called for "1 cup" chopped onion and red bell pepper, but I used a whole medium one of each.

My family LOVED this. Even the boys ate it, except they picked out the red bell pepper. I thought about substituting Egg Beaters for the eggs, but went ahead and used regular eggs. That change would have lowered the PointsPlus value by 1 1/2 per serving.

After an almost "mutiny" by my sons, I am going to cook "regular" (their words, not mine! LOL) for the next 2 weeks. I'll still be attempting to cut PointsPlus in areas they hopefully won't notice. As an example, tonight we are having meatloaf, but I'm using venison (as lean as 96% ground beef). Another night we are having a casserole that uses a can of cream of chicken soup. I will use the 98% fat-free version. I'll write about my results.

Hamburger Pie

Yesterday I forgot to mention that I gained 2.5 #s last week. Yep. To say it was a disappointment would be an under-statement, but to say it was a surprise would be a lie. Back on track this week.

Last night we had:

Hamburger Pie

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9" pie plate with Pam.

To make crust, mix 1 c reduced-fat Bisquick with 1/4 c skim milk in medium bowl just until soft dough forms. Transfer to lightly floured surface and knead 5 times. Roll out dough then ease into pie plate, pressing evenly against bottom and side of pie plate.

In non-stick skillet on medium-high, brown 1 # extra-lean ground beef (I used venison), 1 finely chopped onion, 2 T Worcestershire sauce and 1 minced garlic clove. Stir in 2 T reduced-fat Bisquick. Remove skillet from heat and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix 1/2 c Egg Beaters, 1/2 c reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese and 2 T grated Parmesan cheese in small bowl. Spoon beef mixture into crust; top evenly with cheese mixture. Bake until filling is set and crust is golden, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 6 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

This was okay, but it needed something (kinda bland). Am thinking of adding a green bell pepper next time IF I make it again.

For dessert I fixed a brownie thing that I included nuts in because I am allergic and I did NOT want to eat this. I figured the PointsPlus value just to see and came up with 30 PointsPlus each! Since this blog is about losing weight, I won't post the recipe.

Baked Chicken & Barbara Sue's Broccoli Casserole

I went to back-to-back all-day crops at Busy Scrappin' at the end of the week. It's a scrapbook store here in Bellevue, NE. If you live local, you should go by and see what all they have. Their workspace is fantastic and they couldn't have found better people to work there. LOVE IT!

So, I left my family with a full refrigerator of leftovers for Friday and Saturday. This was what we had Thursday for dinner:

Baked Chicken

In a bag, mix 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp minced onion and 1 t Season-All Seasoned Salt. Toss 2-3 lbs chicken pieces, a few at a time. Bake 1 hour in 350 oven.

Yield: 4 servings at 7 PointsPlus each.

Note: I used 2 #s boneless, skinless chicken breast. Also, I used a 9x13 casserole dish sprayed with Pam. This recipe came from McCormick/Schilling.

Barbara Sue's Broccoli Casserole

Boil 32 oz pkg frozen broccoli and 1 medium onion (chopped). Drain. Mix with 1 cup sour cream and 1 can cream of chicken soup (can use cream of mushroom). Mix with 1/2 an 8 oz pkg Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix. Pour into 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle the remaining stuffing on top then pour a melted stick of butter on top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Yield: 10 servings at 4 PointsPlus each.

Note: I use fat-free sour cream and reduced fat cream of chicken when I make this AND when I calculated the PointsPlus value. Also, I've been making this recipe over 20 years, but in the last year or so I have been unable to find an 8 oz pkg of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix. I buy the larger pkg (I think it's 12 oz) and have a little leftover.

Last night we had tuna salad sandwiches and chips (I had fat-free Pringles). Nothing exciting, but I was tired.

Overnight Stuffed French Toast

20 slices French bread (1" thick)
8 oz fat-free cream cheese
3 c Egg Beaters
2 c skim milk
1/3 c plus 1 3/4 c sugar-free maple-favored syrup, divided
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t cinnamon
2 1/2 c sliced fresh strawberries

Arrange 10 slices of bread in 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam. Spread each slice with cream cheese. Top with remaining bread. In a large bowl, whisk Egg Beaters, milk, 1/3 c syrup, vanilla and cinnamon; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until top is lightly browned and a thermometer reads at least 160. Serve with strawberries and remaining syrup.

Yield: 10 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

This was great! VERY tasty, filling, satisfying, etc. Our Granddaughter was here for dinner and also loved it. One thing I want to mention is that I was thinking the maple syrup and strawberries would be weird, but it was really good.

I also made bacon (3 pieces are 4 PointsPlus).

Campfire Bundles

Last night's meal was fantastic! It was VERY easy to prepare and incredibly tasty. Definitely adding it to our favorites.

Campfire Bundles

1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 EACH large green, red and yellow bell pepper
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices (I used Yukon Gold)
6 medium carrots, cut into 1/4" slices
1 small head cabbage, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
14 oz Oscar Mayer Turkey Smoked Sausage
1/2 c butter, cubed
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Place the first 8 ingredients on 3 pieces of double-layered heavy-duty foil (about 18" square). Top with sausage; dot with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold foil around mixture and seal tightly.

Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes. Turn and grill 30 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Open the foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

Yield: 6 HUGE servings at 8 PointsPlus each.

NOTE: My husband was working on our oldest son's car when I needed this grilled. I don't do the grill so I lined a 9x13 pan with 3 layers of foil then put everything on top and covered with foil (sealing well). I baked in a 350 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. It came out great.

Crock Pizza

Sorry for the long delay. It took me a little longer than I thought to be okay after my baby graduated high school. I think I'm better now.

I'm going to start writing about the meals we had the night before so I don't have to change things based on how it turned out. If I write AFTER I fixed it, I can include the notes in the original recipe.

So, last night we had Crock Pizza. My Mother-in-law gave me this recipe several years ago and it's still a family favorite.

Crock Pizza

12 oz. pkg Kluski noodles (I have ONLY been able to find these in Nebraska)
1 1/2 #s ground beef (I use venison)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 # mushrooms, sliced
16 oz jar pizza sauce
8 oz jar spaghetti sauce (haven't found that size so I buy a bigger one and freeze the leftover)
8 oz shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 oz pkg sliced pepperoni

Cook & drain noodles. Meanwhile, brown ground beef, onions, green pepper and mushrooms. Drain. Add sauces to meat mixture and simmer well. Layer twice (noodles, meat sauce, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni) in crock pot on high for about 30 minutes.

OR

layer in 9x13 casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

Way Behind!

I kinda fell off the wagon posting-wise last week, but am happy to say that I was down 2 lbs when I weighed this morning.

I had an ultra busy week last week and have another one coming up this week. Our youngest son will be graduating from high school on Saturday. We are having his party at our home so I've got a lot to do to get ready.

Last night we ordered in as my husband was sick, but didn't want me to have to cook on Mother's Day. We have plenty for leftovers tonight so I won't be cooking. I will try to make the time to post my recipes this week, but don't be surprised if I'm not back until Sunday or Monday.

I wanted to add comments about the last recipes I posted. We did NOT like the Baked Cod with Asparagus. There are too many easier recipes that taste much better so I won't be making it again. The cake was delicious, but very sloppy so next time I will make a point of going to a store that has the light Cool Whip (am thinking it will be thicker and make the cake more stable). VERY yummy though.

Baked Cod with Asparagus

Last night's dinner came out great. Was a little worried with all the changes, but it was very tasty!

Tonight's recipe came from the TV show "The Biggest Loser". They had a challenge a few weeks ago where the contestants were paired up and had a short time to come up with a tasty and healthy meal. The recipe I'm making was made by Moses and Olivia.

Baked Cod with Asparagus

4oz fresh cod fillet
1/2 bunch fresh asparagus (8oz)
1 bunch scallions (green onions), cleaned and trimmed
Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 lemon
Pepper
Garlic powder
Dill (preferably fresh)
Cooking oil spray (I'm using Pam)

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray baking dish with Pam. Place scallions on bottom of baking dish (making a bed for the cod). Season cod with 1/4 t garlic powder, 1/4 lemon juiced, 1/8 t black pepper and a sprig of dill. Tent cod baking dish with a piece of foil. Set aside while preparing asparagus.

Place asparagus in another baking dish sprayed with Pam. Season with 1/4 t garlic powder, 1 t Parmesan, 1/4 lemon juiced and 1/8 t black pepper. Place both dishes in preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes.

In the meantime, slice the other half of the lemon and caramelize the slices in a pan. Remove asparagus from oven; keep warm. Remove tent from cod. Bake cod for another 3 minutes. Place cod on a dinner plate. Top with fresh dill sprig and a caramelized lemon wheel. Place asparagus next to cod on plate. Sprinkle with remainder of Parmesan.

This makes 1 serving (I will be making 4 servings) at 4 PointsPlus.

Since dinner is so low in PointsPlus value, I will be also fixing a dessert.

Crumb-Topped Chocolate Cake

1/4 c plus 5 T butter, softened and divided
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1 t vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c cake flour
1/3 c baking cocoa
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I'm using low fat)
1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips
2 c reduced-fat whipped topping

In a large mixing bowl, beat 1/4 c butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce and vanilla. Combine the flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Transfer to two 9" round cake pans coated with Pam.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and remaining butter. Break into small pieces; sprinkle evenly over batter.

Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Spread whipped topping between layers and over sides of cake, leaving the crumb top exposed. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 16 servings at 6 PointsPlus each. NOTE: I calculated this using fat-free Cool Whip (they didn't have "light" at my grocery store).

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

Last night's Pizza Lasagna was excellent! The red bell pepper maintained a tiny bit of crunch giving it a unique blend of textures. Yum!!! The Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread was, as always, a hit with my family.

Tonight's recipe comes from Beth Hood's blog (http://notarealhousewife.blogspot.com/).

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

2 c cooked chopped chicken (about 2 large boneless breasts)
3 oz diced ham
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 c shredded Swiss cheese
1 box stuffing mix for chicken
butter and water called for on stuffing box

Cook stuffing according to package directions; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, ham, cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste (go lightly on the salt since the soup and ham are pretty salty on their own).

Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the chicken mixture. Carefully add stuffing in an even layer on top of the cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Yield: 6 servings at 11 PointsPlus with the following changes made: I am using reduced-fat cream of chicken soup, fat-free sour cream and olive oil in place of butter when making the stuffing. The PointsPlus value was too high for me as originally written.

Fettuccine with Spinach and Ricotta

6 oz whole-wheat fettuccine
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch spinach
1/4 c beef broth
1/4 t black pepper
3/4 c fat-free ricotta
2 t parsley

Cook the fettuccine according to package directions; drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add spinach, broth and pepper; cook, stirring, until the spinach is soft and the broth has thickened to a glaze, about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked, drained fettuccine to the pan along with the ricotta; cook, tossing gently, until just warmed through, 2 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.

Yield: 4 servings at 4 PointsPlus each.

Time to Catch Up!

The Pork Chops from Thursday were great! Definitely will fix those again.

We had leftovers Friday then I wasn't home on Saturday so I'm just one day behind on posting my recipes.

Last night was:

Hearty Egg Casserole

1# bulk pork sausage
1 small onion, chopped
16 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1 c reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese, divided
3 c Egg Beaters
1 c fat-free half-and-half
1 c skim milk
1/4 t ground nutmeg

In a large non-stick skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from heat; stir in spinach and 1/2 c cheese. Transfer to 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam.

In a large bowl, beat egg beaters, half-and-half, milk and nutmeg. Pour over sausage mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 12 servings at 7 PointsPlus each.

I got the original recipe from Taste of Home - Healthy Cooking, but changed so much about it that I just used the original more like a suggestion. The original had mushrooms, full fat cheese, 10 oz of Spinach, etc. It turned out great though. Ate some leftover for breakfast this morning.

Tonight we are having:

Pizza Lasagna

1/2# lean ground beef (I'm using venison)
29 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
15 oz canned ready-to-serve creamy tomato soup (I bought Healthy Choice)
6 oz canned tomato paste
1/2 c water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 t EACH dried oregano and garlic powder
1/2 t salt
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
4 oz sliced turkey pepperoni
1 1/2 c (6 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
6 green onions, chopped
2 1/4 oz canned sliced black olives, drained

In a non-stick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. For sauce, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, soup, tomato paste, water, onion and seasonings.

Spread 1/2 c sauce in a 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam. Top with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the sauce, then pepperoni. Sprinkle with 1 c cheese. Top with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the sauce. Top with red pepper, green onions and beef. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and cheese. Sprinkle with black olives.

Cover and bake at 350 for 70-80 minutes or until noodles are tender. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings at 5 PointsPlus each.

I'm also going to serve Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread. Not the lowest PointsPlus value, but my family loves it.

Will be going to Cracker Barrel for lunch with a friend. I will order the vegetable plate so I can get my "5 a day", but have to admit, I can't turn down their Sweet Iced Tea.

Pork Chops with Scalloped Potatoes

Today is Thursday. That usually means "Craft Day". Today it was cancelled. I was bummed, but considering it's almost noon and I'm still in my pajamas, I'm thinking it all worked out okay.

Even so, I had already planned a crock pot meal for today so here it is:

Pork Chops with Scalloped Potatoes

4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
8 boneless pork chops (about 4 oz each)
1 1/2 t canola oil
2 large onions, sliced and separated into rings
2 t butter
3 T all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
14 1/2 oz chicken broth
1 c skim milk

Place potatoes in 5 or 6 quart crock pot coated with Pam. In a large non-stick skillet, brown pork chops in oil in batches.

Place chops over potatoes. Saute onions in drippings until tender; place over chops. Melt butter in skillet. Combine flour, salt, pepper and broth until smooth. Stir into pan. Add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Pour sauce over onions. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until pork is tender.

Yield: 8 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

I'm also fixing the Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread that I previously wrote about. Sorry that my blog isn't advanced enough to look up a specific recipe like some are. I'm just doing this for fun. You will notice that we are having no real serving of vegetables for dinner. I had pineapple for breakfast and a huge salad for lunch to counteract that.

Cheddar Bacon Chicken

A quick "catch-up"... The Turkey Tetrazzini was great. Also, the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo was very good, but NOT as creamy and thick as that from L&N Seafood. Still, I'll probably make it again. The Lemon Crumb Cake...WOW! Absolutely delicious! I did make a few changes though. The Lemon Pie Filling I had was 21 oz. I went ahead and used it anyway. Also, I bought low-fat buttermilk. I figured the extra pie filling would make the PointsPlus go way up, BUT using the low-fat buttermilk actually made the PointsPlus drop to 6 from 8. I did NOT have vanilla ice cream with mine. Instead I opted for 3 T fat-free Cool Whip (zero PointsPlus added).

I got the following recipe from http://notarealhousewife.blogspot.com/

Cheddar Bacon Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thickness
salt and pepper
1 T olive oil
1/4 c barbecue sauce
1/2 c diced tomatoes
1/4 c real bacon pieces
1 c reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook on both sides until done. Place chicken on baking sheet and top with barbecue sauce, tomatoes, bacon pieces and cheese, in that order.

Place in oven and broil just long enough for cheese to melt.

Yield: 4 servings at 10 PointsPlus each.

Note: Original recipe used regular shredded cheddar cheese. I switched to reduced-fat to save a few PointsPlus.

Baby Carrots 'n' Broccoli

1 1/2 c baby carrots
4 c fresh broccoli florets
2 T olive oil
1 t Season All

In a saucepan, bring 4 c water to a boil; add carrots. Cover and simmer 5 minutes; drain and pat dry.

In an ungreased 10x15 pan, combine carrots with remaining ingredients. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 7-9 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring once.

Yield: 4 servings at 3 PointsPlus each.

Note: I'm not sure about this PointsPlus value. Carrots, Broccoli and Season All have zero PointsPlus. The olive oil has 7 PointsPlus, divided by 4 servings, this would be 2 PointsPlus each, BUT when I entered the info into the "recipe builder" on the Weight Watchers website, it came up as 3 PointsPlus.

I'm not fixing a dessert tonight because we have leftover Lemon Crumb Cake. Yum!

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

This was my favorite dish at L&N Seafood. We don't have one here so I'm not sure if they still serve that. This version is lower in fat than the original, but hopefully it will taste as good.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

6 oz uncooked fettuccine
2 T butter
4 1/2 t all-purpose flour
1 c fat-free half-and-half
1 lb cooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt
2 T minced fresh parsley

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add half-and-half. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Drain fettuccine; stir into pan. Stir in the shrimp, cheese and salt; heat through. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Yield: 4 servings (1 cup each) at 8 PointsPlus each.

We will be having a salad with this and the following for dessert:

Lemon Crumb Cake

2 c buttermilk
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 T butter, melted
2 t vanilla extract
3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 can (15 3/4 oz) lemon pie filling

Topping:

1 c all-purpose flour
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c cold butter
reduced-fat vanilla ice cream, optional

In a large bowl, beat the first five ingredients until well blended. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into buttermilk mixture until blended. Pour into a 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam. Drop pie filling by teaspoonfuls over batter.

In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

Yield: 20 servings at 8 PointsPlus (not counting ice cream).

Leftovers Tonight

Yesterday was Easter. We had Ham, Asparagus, Potato Salad, Deviled Eggs (usually wouldn't serve them at the same meal as potato salad, but one of the boys requested them) and Pillsbury canned Crescent Rolls (reduced fat at 3 PointsPlus each). I was a little nervous about my weigh-in this morning. I had been very careful about not using my Weekly PointsPlus Allowance because I was saving it until yesterday. I wondered if that would cause a gain since it was the day before my weigh-in, but was happy to see a 2.5# loss this morning!

Even though our oldest son joined us for Easter dinner (he lives local), we have TONS of leftovers so tonight I won't be cooking.