Eating Right, one day at time...

Egg Custard

2010-03-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Carlene sent me this recipe, she adds lemon zest and a splash of lemon extract to hers. I've made this several times now, it's just wonderful. Approximately 100 calories a serving. ~ jan

2 cups skim milk (sometimes I substitute 1/4 cup fat free Half & Half to give it more richness)
2 egg
1/3 cup Splenda
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash vanilla
dash ground cinnamon on top
grated fresh nutmeg on top.

Put milk, Splenda, salt and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until frothy. Pour thru strainer into 4 ramekins or custard cups. Straining it makes it smooth. Grate nutmeg on top, add cinnamon if desired.

If you want to make Carlene's version, add lemon extract to the custard, and grate lemon zest on top along with the nutmeg and cinnamon.

Put ramekins in a 9x9 pan, add hot water to the pan so that it comes up about an inch on the sides of the ramekins, and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled. It's fantastic!!!!

Herb Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2010-03-11T04:34:00.001-08:00

Dish up a company-worthy dish that calls for only four ingredients, plus salt and pepper. Choose roasted asparagus as a bright, fresh partner for this main dish.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1 tablespoon pan juices)

Ingredients

1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 ounces Canadian bacon, finely chopped
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 3 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket; close opening with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn chicken over; place pan in oven. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard wooden picks. Cut chicken diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with pan juices.

Roasted asparagus: Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 pound trimmed asparagus on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray; toss gently. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Place asparagus in a large bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives. Complete the meal with a sliced baguette and a glass of crisp white wine.

305 calories/ 13. 5g fat/42g protein/0g fiber

Source: Cooking Light

ORANGE CHICKEN

2010-03-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

Marinade:

1/2 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup cornstarch

Sauce:

3/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

5 teaspoons Splenda granular

4 teaspoons sugar-free OR regular honey OR Agave

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Pinch red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Kosher salt

Sliced green onions

Sesame seeds

Marinade: In a medium bowl combine orange juice, orange
zest, soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Add chicken tenders and stir to
coat. Allow to marinate for 25-30 minutes.

Sauce: In a small saucepan combine orange juice, orange
zest, chicken broth, Splenda, honey, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and apple
cider vinegar. Bring to a boil; lower heat to a simmer and cook until
liquid is reduced by 1/4. Season with salt to taste. Stir the 2
teaspoons cornstarch with a small amount of cold water and add to the
sauce. Bring back to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until
thickened. Set aside, but keep warm.

In a large bowl or ziplock bag add the 1/2 cup of cornstarch. Drain
the chicken and toss with the cornstarch, shaking off excess. In a large
skillet heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high. Add chicken
and cook until golden and meat is cooked through. Gently toss cooked
chicken with the sauce and serve. Makes eight WLS or four regular
servings.

Per WLS Serving: Calories 206; Protein 17 g ; Fat 9 g; Carbs 12 g;
Sugar 3 g; Sodium 418 mg

Source: Linda from Eating Well, Living Thin, one of my very favorite healthy food blogs..

Cranberry Bean Soup

2010-02-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

I have this in the pressure cooker right now - 1:30 minutes, beans were not presoaked. Where did I find dried cranberry beans? At a natural food store in Lexington. They aren't readily available in grocery stores.

~ jan

Ingredients
# 1 lb. dried cranberry beans
# 1 large onion, diced
# 1 stalk celery, diced
# 2 carrots, diced
# 1/4 lb. pancetta, chopped
# 2 garlic cloves, minced
# 2 c. peeled, seeded, and finely chopped tomatoes
# 1/2 c. chopped parsley
# 1/4 lb. spaghetti or tagliatelle, broken up into 1-inch pieces and cooked al dente
# salt
# black pepper
# 1 garlic clove, minced, for garnish
# olive oil, for garnish

Directions

Soak the beans in cold water to cover overnight. Drain and place them in a large saucepan with the onion, celery, and carrots. Cover with water, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the beans are almost done, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, saute' the pancetta until it renders its fat. Add the garlic cloves and saute'. Add the tomatoes and parsley and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove 2 c. of beans from the saucepan and puree them in a food mill or food processor
. Stir the puree back into the soup. Add the tomato mixture and the spaghetti to the soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cook the soup to warm it through. Garnish with minced garlic and a stream of olive oil.

Serves 8 as a first course.

Recipes from The Heart
of Sicily: Recipes and Reminiscences of Regaleali, a Country Estate by Anna Tasca Lanza (Clarkson Potter, copyright 1993 by Anna Tasca Lanza).

Raspberry Cream Pie

2010-02-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! Linda from Eating Well... Living Thin created this amazing pie. It's a must try!!!

~ jan

~~~~
1 1/2 cups sugar-free chocolate cookie or chocolate graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Two 8-ounce pkgs. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup Splenda
1/4 cup DaVinci sugar-free Raspberry syrup (or Torani, or any other brand)
2 cups Splenda-sweetened whipped cream (1 1/4 cups unwhipped) OR one 8-ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 cup sugar-free raspberry jam, warmed
Sugar-free dark chocolate shavings for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl combine cookie or graham crumbs with melted butter. Press into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl beat together cream cheese, Splenda, and syrup until smooth. Beat in 1/2 the whipped cream OR 1/2 of the container of Cool Whip. Pour filling into cooled crust. Spread warmed jam over the cream cheese mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (try not to let the wrap stick to the jam – use 3 or 4 toothpicks if necessary) and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with remaining Cool Whip and chocolate shavings.

Makes 16 servings.

Per Serving: 155 Cal; 4 g Protein; 11 g Fat; 11 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 3 g Sugar; 150 mg Sodium

Source: Eating Well...Living Thin

Chipotle-Salsa Burger

2010-02-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

Makes 4

servings
157 calories

Ingredients:

3/4 pound lean (93 or 95 percent lean) ground beef

1/4 cup Egg

Beaters or other egg substitute

3 tablespoons Panko or other

bread crumb

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon

salt

slices red onion

8 tablespoons salsa

4 Arnolds Rounds or other

multi-grain bun

Directions:

Combine first

six ingredients in a large bowl, shape into four patties.

Heat

a skillet sprayed with non-stick over medium-high heat. Cook burgers
until done (160F internal temperature) about 5 minutes a side.

Top

with cheese (if desired), one onion slice and two tablespoons salsa.

Source: Fight The Fat Foodie

Skinny Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010-02-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

Skinny Red Velvet Cupcakes
Source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 26 • Serving Size: 1 cupcake • Calories: 141 • Points: 3 pts

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup light buttermilk
1 tbsp red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with liners. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, salt, cocoa, and baking powder. In another large bowl beat sugar, applesauce and butter. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix baking soda and vinegar. Add half of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, mix well. Add buttermilk, red food coloring and mix well. Add the remaining dry ingredients and fold in vinegar and baking soda. Pour in prepared cupcake liners 3/4 of the way. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool, then frost with low fat cream cheese frosting. Makes 26 cupcakes.

Low Fat Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz 1/3 fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Copycat Red Lobster Crab Cakes

2010-02-11T16:31:00.001-08:00

1 lb lump crab meat (make sure you check for shells before preparing)

½ teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced onions

1 tablespoon diced celery

2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise

1 egg

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

¼ cup bread crumbs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil or Pam for sautéing

To start, in a bowl combine all ingredients except for the crab and
the bread crumbs. Mix the ingredients together and then carefully mix in
the crab meat. Spread out the bread crumbs on the counter. Role crab
mixture into a ball about 2 inches or so in diameter. Put the ball in
the bread crumbs flattening it out into a patty about 1 inch thick by 3
inches in diameter. Refrigerate the crab cakes until you are ready to
cook them.

To cook, in a skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil, brown the crab
cake on each side for about 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat to low and
cook for an additional 8 minutes.

Monday morning tales from the scale…

2010-02-08T07:53:00.001-08:00

It’s been awhile, and I’m not a happy girl. First of all, Windows crashed, and I lost my ongoing journal about my weight loss. I’ve got it until last August, it was backed up on my Mac, but from then on is gone. Grrrrrr

But of course, I haven’t lost much since August, and since Christmas I’m up 2 lbs. Not happy about it either. I’m struggling big time here, it’s winter, I’m bored, nothing satisfies me, I’m always hungry, but I’m not going to backslide, I’ve come too far.

So, it’s time to kick it in the ass, Dwayne, get back in the saddle and lose those last 15 lbs. I keep saying that, don’t I?

Eating out is killer, too! I’ve got to quit eating out, just can’t do it and eat healthy. Life is a struggle, gotta do this one day at a time. I should be counting my blessings, instead of fussing about gaining two pounds, in the overall scheme of things, that’s not bad at all!

I’ve been more active on this site, posting quite a bit more, I’ll continue to do this, maybe it will help us stay focused…

~ jan

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2010-02-08T06:17:00.001-08:00

One 15-ounce can unseasoned black or kidney beans – drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon water or coffee (the coffee will bring out more intense chocolate flavor)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup Whey Low granular or maltitol

5 eggs

.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9 or 10 inch cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.

In a blender, food processor or with a hand held blender wand, puree the beans, water/coffee, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the butter and the Whey Low for one minute with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs for two minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Beat in the bean mixture, just until combined. Beat in the cocoa mixture for one minute, until very smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap or frost and cover. Makes 10 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 171; Protein 6 g; Fat 11 g; NET Carbs 10 g; Sugar 5 g; Sodium 155 mg

Source: Eating Well, Living Thin

Bite-size Honey Popcorn Balls

2010-02-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Sweet, salty, and crunchy, these popcorn balls meet all of the typical junk food criteria, yet popcorn is lower in calories and higher in fiber than most snack foods, making these a healthy treat.

The only quibble we have with popcorn balls is that
they're usually too big and unwieldy to bite into. These miniature
clusters, held together with caramelized honey, are just the right size.
Prep and Cook Time: 1 1/4 hours. Notes: If you don't have an air
popper, you can pop the popcorn in the microwave: Working in 2 batches,
put kernels in a brown paper bag (any size). Do not add oil. Fold the
bag's opening several times to seal, then microwave at full power in
1-minute increments, checking popcorn and removing popped kernels as you
go (they burn easily). Be careful when opening bag; it will release
steam.

Yield: Makes 60 to 65 popcorn balls

20 cups air-popped popcorn (from 2/3 to 1 cup kernels; see Notes)

1 1/4 cups butter, cut into chunks, plus more for your hands
1 1/4 cups honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Put popcorn in a large roasting pan. Line a large baking sheet with waxed paper.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, use a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to stir together 1 1/4 cups butter, the honey, and salt until butter is melted. Increase heat and boil honey mixture gently 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla.

3. Carefully pour honey mixture over popcorn in roasting pan and stir gently to coat. Bake
popcorn, stirring every 5 minutes, until deep golden all over, about 25 minutes.

4. Let popcorn stand 5 minutes, or just until cool enough to handle. Working quickly with lightly buttered hands, press small handfuls of the mixture into 1 1/2-in. balls, occasionally loosening
popcorn from bottom of pan with a spatula. If mixture cools too much to be malleable, return it to oven for about 45 seconds to soften.

5.Put popcorn balls on prepared baking sheet and let cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Note:
Nutritional analysis is per popcorn ball.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 64 (56% from fat)
Protein:: 0.3g
Fat:: 4g
(sat 2.4)
Carbohydrate:: 7.3g
Fiber:: 0.4g
Sodium:: 67mg
Cholesterol:: 11mg

Source: Sunset, OCTOBER 2007

Italian Meat Loaf with Fresh Basil and Provolone

2010-02-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

In addition to providing the lift in cakes, egg whites act as a binder for dishes such as crab cakes, salmon patties, and meat loaf. Serve this dish with your favorite mashed-potato recipe.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)
Ingredients

* 1 cup boiling water
* 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
* 1/2 cup ketchup
* 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
* 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
* 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
* 2 large egg whites
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 pound ground round
* Cooking spray
* 1/3 cup ketchup

Preparation

Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes; finely chop.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, and the next 6 ingredients (breadcrumbs through beef) in a large bowl. Add tomatoes to meat mixture. Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 12 slices.
Nutritional Information

Calories:
294 (27% from fat)
Fat:
8.7g (sat 3.6g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:
24.3g
Carbohydrate:
30.8g
Fiber:
2.5g
Cholesterol:
53mg
Iron:
3.9mg
Sodium:
893mg
Calcium:
149mg

Source: Cooking Light

Cottage Cheese Stuffed Potatoes

2010-02-07T05:22:00.001-08:00

Baked potatoes stuffed with seasoned cottage cheese are a lavish low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-sodium treat.

4 medium baking potatoes
3/4 cup low fat 1% cottage cheese
1/4 cup 1% milk
2 tablespoons soft margarine
1 teaspoon dill weed
3/4 teaspoon herb seasoning
4-6 drops hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
fat free shredded cheese

Prick potatoes with fork. Bake at 425 for 60 minutes or until fork is easily inserted.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out potato with a spoon, leaving about 1/2 inch of pulp inside shell. Mash pulp in large bowl.

Mix by hand remaining ingredients except parmesan and shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into potato shells.

Sprinkle each top with 1/4 teaspoon parmesan cheese. Top with fat free shredded cheese and place on baking sheet and return to oven. Bake 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

If fat free cheese doesn't melt, spray it with Pam and return to oven, the Pam enables it to melt.

Yield 8 servings - Serving size 1/2 potato each

Note: Nutritional information does not included shredded cheese.

Nutritional Info

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 109.7

Total Fat:	2g

Total Carbs:	15.4g

Dietary Fiber:	6.6mg

Protein:	9.3g

Baked Oatmeal – The Best

2010-02-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

Servings 18 -

6 cups uncooked Old fashioned oats

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups evaporated skim milk ( I use one 12 ounce can and make up the difference with skim milk)

4 large eggs

1 cups Splenda

1 large banana

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

Mix oil, eggs, and Splenda until glossy. Add remaining ingredients. Let set for about 15 – 20 minutes. Bake in 13x9 pan sprayed with Pam at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cut into bars, okay to freeze finished product.

Source: WW Boards

2010-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Crostinis are fun little bite sized appetizers which are little
slices of toasted baguettes topped with whatever your heart desires. I
like this healthy White Bean Topping drizzled with a little balsamic.
You can make these ahead of time, the bread will store for a few days in
an air-tight container. The white bean spread can be refrigerated a few
days. This recipe can easily be doubled.

White Bean Crostini
Gina's Weight
Watcher Recipes
Servings:
17 • Serving Size: 2 • Calories: 33 • Points: .5
ww pts

For the White Bean
Spread:

2 cups Cannelini or Northern Beans
2
tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp water
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1
clove garlic
salt and fresh pepper

Crostini:

8-1/2" piece of
baguette (4 oz), sliced into 1/4" pieces
garlic clove
olive
oil spray
extra thyme for garnish
balsamic vinegar

Cut the bread into 1/4" thin slices.
You can toast these in the oven with a little olive oil spray at 400°
turning once until toasted or grill them. I used my George Forman grill
to toast them with a light spray of olive oil. Once the bread is
toasted, lightly rub it with a
garlic clove cut in half. Now your bread is ready to top.

Pureé in a small blender or magic
bullet all the ingredients for the white bean spread. If it's too dry
you can add a little more water.

Top each piece with 2 tsp of white
bean puree and garnish with
fresh thyme. Drizzle with a
touch of balsamic right before serving.

Source: Gina's Recipes

Chef Meg's Healthy Chicken Vegetable Casserole

2010-01-31T06:51:00.001-08:00

Try this inexpensive and fresh version of a chicken casserole--no need for processed soups or sauces!

INGREDIENTS
12 oz chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, poached, and cubed into 1/2 inch squares
2 T all purpose flour
2 T butter, unsalted
10 oz skim milk
1 pinch white pepper
1 t Italian seasoning
1 T parmesan cheese, grated
7 oz penne pasta, whole wheat
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 heads, approx. 12 ounces broccoli, chopped
1/3 c monterey jack cheese
nonstick cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
Place chicken breasts in a small saucepan with a lid. Cover chicken with cool water. Place saucepan over a burner on low to moderate heat. Bring to a simmer; cover with lid and poach for approximately 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked. (This step can be done the night before.)

Prepare the white sauce by placing the butter in a small sauce pot that has been preheated over medium heat. Once the butter foams, add flour and stir for 1 minute; try not to let the mixture turn brown. Add milk to the mixture and continue to stir until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pepper, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir to combine. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees. During the last minute of the pasta's cooking, add the chopped broccoli to the water. Allow to simmer for one minute.

Drain the pasta and broccoli. Spritz the bottom and sides of a 9 X 13 oven-proof casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta and broccoli with the chicken and chopped vegetables; cover with the sauce. Place in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the Monterey jack cheese and cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is melted.

Number of Servings: 6

Source: Spark Recipes

Dip It Good - Hungry Girl

2010-01-29T21:21:00.001-08:00

	This dip is so good it might make you shed tears of joy. The first time we tasted it, we did! BTW, this recipe's ripped straight from the pages of our #1 New York Times Best Seller, Hungry Girl 200 Under 200. Woohoo! *Ingredients:* 2 large sweet onions, chopped 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese, room temperature 1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown) 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper *Directions:* Heat butter in a large pan over medium-high heat on the stove. Once butter has coated the bottom of the pan, add onions, salt, and cayenne pepper. Onions may be piled high in the pan, but they'll cook down. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and caramelized. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, and cream cheese. Whisk until smooth. Then refrigerate. Once onions are caramelized, add mustard and vinegar to the pan. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, add onions to the large bowl and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to combine. Serve at room temperature with your favorite veggies, chips, and/or crackers for dipping. ENJOY! MAKES 6 SERVINGS
	Serving Size: 1/3 cup Calories: 74 Fat: 1.75g Sodium: 512mg Carbs: 11g Fiber: 0.5g Sugars: 4.5g Protein: 3.5g *POINTS®* value 2* Source: Hungry Girl

Sunday Breakfast Panini Stuffed with Apples and Cream Cheese

2010-01-25T19:17:00.001-08:00

Sunday Breakfast Panini Stuffed with Apples and Cream Cheese

Serves 2

1 large apple , thinly sliced
1 large egg
1 large egg whites
¼ cup fat free milk
4 tablespoons fat free cream cheese, softened
4 slices whole wheat bread
cinnamon

1. Place thinly sliced apples in microwave dish, sprinkle liberally with cinnamon, then cover. Microwave on high for 4 – 5 minutes until apples are tender.
2. Whip eggs with milk in a large bowl big enough to dip bread in.
3. Preheat panini grill, or nonstick skillet.
4. Spread 1 tbs cream cheese on each piece of bread. Take two pieces of bread and stuff the cream cheese sides with apples to make a sandwich.
5. Dip sandwiches in egg mixture and grill 4 – 5 minutes until nicely browned and cream cheese is melted.

What’s good for me in this dish?

Apples are a great source of vitamin C and fiber. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant for a healthy heart. The flavonoids in apples also contribute to heart health. High in fiber, apples can help lower LDL cholesterol.

Whole wheat bread contains fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6 and several minerals. One of the biggest benefits of whole wheat bread over refined white flour breads is the boost in fiber. Most people don’t get enough fiber in their diet. Fiber is necessary to keep your digestive system functioning at its best.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 272
Total Fat: 4.11g
Cholesterol: 109mg
Sodium: 541mg
Total Carbs: 40.89g
Dietary Fiber: 5.21g
Sugars: 17.39g
Protein: 18.00g

Weight Watchers Points 5

Source: Mother Rimmy’s Cooking Light Done Right

Sweet Potato Soup Crock Pot Recipe – 2 Points

2010-01-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
- 2 cups fat-free chicken broth
- 4 medium sized sweet potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free half-and-half
- 2 packets Splenda or Truvia
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dry mustard
OPTIONAL: I topped mine with a tablespoon of non-fat sour cream for additional flavor and 0 points
NOTE: To make this into a vegetarian recipe, just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
Directions:
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes. Place them with the chicken broth in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on medium for about 3 hours (or until the potatoes are tender).
Using an immersion blender (or putting the sweet potatoes and broth into a food processor), blend until smooth. Put the soup back into the crock pot. Add the half-and-half, Splenda, salt, dry mustard and allspice. Cover and cook on medium for about 1-3 hours.
Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Each serving = 2 Point Total
Nutritional Stats:
Calories: 112
Total fat: 1g
Sodium: 298mg
Total carbohydrates: 23.1g
Dietary fiber: 2.6
Source: LaaLoosh

Buttermilk Ranch Fried Chicken Recipe – 6 Points

2010-01-24T11:34:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
- 12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
- 2/3 cup reduced-fat buttermilk
- 1/3 cup Fiber One bran Cereal
- 1 packet Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix
- 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
- non fat cooking spray, butter flavored

Directions:
In a Tupperware container, or large Ziploc bag, mix the buttermilk, salt, pepper and dried parsley flakes. Add the chicken, and coat it well. Refrigerate overnight or at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with the butter flavored nonstick, non-fat cooking spray. In a food processor or blender, and grind the Fiber One cereal to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Pour the crumb mixture into a large bowl and add in the Panko bread crumbs and Ranch Salad Seasoning Mix. Remove each individual piece of chicken from the buttermilk, and dip it into the crumb/seasoning mixture. Make sure to coat each piece thoroughly. Lay each coated piece on the baking sheet. Give them all a quick once over spray with the butter flavored non-fat cooking spray. Bake for about 1-12 minutes on each side, or until the edges are crispy.

Entire recipe makes 2 servings
Each serving = 6 Point Total

photo credit: Food Network

Source: LaaLoosh

1 Point Weight Watcher Crustless Pumpkin Pie

2010-01-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

Things You'll Need:

1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 12 oz. can evaporated skim milk
3 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. alspice
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 Cup Splenda
9" round pie pan
Non-Stick Spray
Large Bowl

Mix: Combine Pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg whites, vanilla and Splenda in the bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Step 2
Spices: Add in all the spices and the salt. At this point, if there are other spices you prefer, you can add them now.
Step 3
Bake: Spray your pie pan with non-stick spray. Pour in the mixture. Bake on 325 for 50 minutes. Then crank it up to 425 to brown it on top. Before removing from oven, insert a toothpick in the center of the pie. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, give it another 5 minutes and test again with the toothpick.
Step 4
Serve: This pie makes 8 servings. Each serving is 1 point for those of you who count points. For a little added interest, top it off with some fat free whipped topping and some fresh berries or cranberry sauce

Source: eHow.com

Chunky Apple-Cinnamon Muffins from HungryGirl

2010-01-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

PER SERVING (1 muffin with topping): 127 calories, 2.5g fat, 325mg sodium, 24.5g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 10g sugars, 3g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Yup, guilt-free baked goods for breakfast. Stop pinching yourself. It's TRUE.

Ingredients:

For Muffins
1 cup peeled and chopped Fuji apples
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup light vanilla soymilk
2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup
2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
2 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1 1/2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown), room temperature
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

For Topping
1 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1 tsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread, room temperature
Dash salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients for topping except butter. Then add butter and gently stir until small crumbs form. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients for muffins (flour, Splenda, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt). Mix well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients for muffins (soymilk, syrup, egg substitute, butter, and vanilla extract). Using a whisk, mix until thoroughly blended. Don't worry if butter bits do not break up completely. Add dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until completely blended, and then fold in the apples.

Line four cups of a muffin pan with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute batter among the four cups. Sprinkle topping mixture evenly over batter in the cups.

Bake in the oven for 18 - 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool slightly before eating. Demolish!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Source: HungryGirl

From Hungry Girl – watch those nutritional labels

2010-01-20T08:43:00.001-08:00

Howdy, HG!

I have been hearing a lot lately that the nutritional facts on many food labels at the supermarket are OFF by around 15% and that it's totally LEGAL. I am so upset and feel betrayed (and defeated). How can we trust the labels of anything we eat? What do we do, Hungry Girl?

Gloomy in Gainesville
Dear Gloomy,

As long-time HG subscribers know (I have been writing about this for ages), the stats on food labels can LEGALLY be off by as much as 20%. It's not great news, but it's not HORRIBLE news either. While some foods have more calories, fat, etc., than the labels say, some have less. Plus, we're way better off knowing this information than NOT knowing it. Think about it... Now that you're aware that packaged foods could have more calories than the labels say, you can make adjustments to account for it. Here are a few tips:

1. If you count calories, pad your numbers a bit. What I mean by "pad your numbers" is that you can round up -- if something says it has 280 calories, count it as 300. Small changes totally make a difference.

2. If something tastes too good to be true (especially if it's from a small mom-and-pop company), it may very well be -- so don't kid yourself. If you start eating some new treat regularly, and then you notice extra pounds creeping on when they shouldn't be, you might wanna ditch that snack or count extra calories for it.

3. The nutritional stats for all types of food -- even fruit and lean protein -- vary due to size and weight. So weigh your food once in a while to see if the actual weight matches the given or assumed amount.

The bottom line is that no matter how hard we try to pin numbers down, they're always going to be a little off. It won't help to become outraged. Just keep those tips in mind, and you should be fine!

Monday morning tales from the scale….

2009-12-16T14:04:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I know it’s Wednesday and I haven’t posted this for a really long time, but it’s all good news. I’ve now lost 26 lbs. since last April, I’m making healthy choices, eating moderately, not really dieting, and NOT GAINING!

What do I do about holidays? I eat, hopefully don’t make too many bad choices, but don’t worry about it, then go right back to healthy eating the next day. That’s what I did at Thanksgiving, and it worked great! I’m a pretty happy camper these days.

Still no idea of how much more I will lose. I’m a 12 really comfortably, now. Another 5 lbs. and I think I’ll be starting to get into 10’s. When those 10’s fit like the 12’s do now, I’m done…

Hungry Girl Liquid S’Mores

2009-12-15T18:24:00.001-08:00

This is a healthy version of Liquid S’Mores. Everything we love, hot chocolate, marshmallows, chocolate chips, graham crackers. You did it again, Hungry Girl!

Ingredients:
One 25-calorie packet hot cocoa mix (like Swiss Miss Diet or Nestle Fat Free)
2 tsp. fat-free non-dairy powdered creamer (like the kind by Coffee-mate) **I’m going to substitute 2 teaspoons of fat free half and half for this**
2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
20 mini marshmallows (about 1/4 cup)
2 low-fat honey graham crackers (half a sheet), crushed
Directions:
Place cocoa mix, powdered creamer, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in a large mug. Add 1 cup very hot water, and stir until ingredients are fully dissolved, melted, and combined. Top with marshmallows.
Using a kitchen torch, toast the marshmallow layer for 5 - 10 seconds, until slightly melted and cooked to your liking. (Some like their 'mallows golden, some like 'em blackened!) Allow to cool slightly, and then top with crushed graham crackers.
Now enjoy!
MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: 1 mug (entire recipe)
Calories: 178
Fat: 3.5g
Sodium: 202mg
Carbs: 35g
Fiber: 2.75g
Sugars: 18.5g
Protein: 3.5g
POINTS® value 3*

2009-11-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hungry Girl’s Egg in a Mug – INCREDIBLE….

2009-11-12T07:49:00.001-08:00

Okay ladies, I have a fantastic, easy recipe for you this morning. It’s from Hungry Girl, one of her most requested, and now I know why. This is only 95 calories, 2 measly little WW points, and it tastes awesome. Even picky hubby requests it. And SO easy, too – if you like eggs, you have to try this…

~ jan

1/2 cup eggbeaters, or if you don’t have them 1/2 cup eggwhites (about 3 eggs) works great

pinch of salt and pepper

1 wedge Laughing Cow Lite Cheese – I used the Herb one, it’s SO good…

Spray an oversized coffee mug with Pam, put in the eggbeaters, and cut up the wedge of cheese and put it in, add the salt and pepper, nuke it in the wave on high for 1 minute, take it out, scramble it with a fork, back into the wave for another 30 seconds – that’s it – you will be shocked at how good this is.

Try it, you won’t be disappointed…

Here are some variations of it on her website

Monday Morning Tales from the Scale…

2009-10-26T07:31:00.001-07:00

I haven’t been good about posting updates every Monday, I haven’t been Tweeting what I eat, but I have been eating healthy and the scale is slowly moving downward. I’ve lost a total of twenty-four pounds now since the beginning of April, I’m learning how to eat in moderation every day, it will always be a work in progress, but for now, this minute, it’s working.

Has it been worth not eating dessert and burgers and pizza, well I do have had pizza occasionally. It’s totally 100% worth it. When I look in the mirror and can actually suck it in, it’s such a kick. And when my jeans fit and the muffin top is going down, down, down, it’s SO worth not eating the bad stuff. And when I go shopping and try on clothes in the dressing room, it’s so wonderful not to be horrified when I look in the mirror. It’s actually fun to shop now, well as fun as it can be for an almost sixty-year old woman…

I eat lots of fruit, salads, veggies, and beans. And I like it, I really like it!!!!!

Monday Tales from the scale on a Tuesday…

2009-10-06T15:34:00.001-07:00

Still status quo, weight is exactly the same. I had a couple of days this week that I ate too many points, we went on our annual old(er) lady picnic, and I totally overindulged with the sugar. But the next day, I was back on track, and no weight gain. I also went to Olive Garden for minestrone soup and salad, which I absolutely, positively, adore, ate a breadstick, and then another one, which I knew better than to do. But I did it, that bread gets me every time, so I cut back at dinner time, and squeaked thru without the scales showing a gain.

I’ve seen pictures of myself lately, and its apparent that this weight loss rodeo isn’t over for me yet. I’m guessing another 15 lbs. will do, though. It’s that damned midsection. Arughhhhh!!!

I can do another fifteen, just have to get myself psyched to lose instead of maintain. I told hubby yesterday that I really think I’ll make it this time. Something has changed for me, it really has. I don’t have it in me to do this again, it’s make it or break it time… I just don’t have the desire to eat unhealthy food anymore, well except for V’s yummy oatmeal cookies with browned butter frosting, everything in moderation. The 80/20 rule really does work. I just try and stay out of the restaurants as much as I can, they’re killer.

This week is Fall Festival in Heavensville. It’s a huge deal for the locals, 130+ food booths, everything imaginable to eat. We went yesterday, I had a corndog and half of a baked pretzel without the butter.

Hubby didn’t understand why I ate a 1 point muffin and drank a cup of coffee before we went. I did it so that I wouldn’t be tempted by all the bad food, and it worked! I was moderately hungry but able to control it. I had every intention of having a funnel cake, but passed on it, just didn’t want it.

So life continues to be good, and surprisingly, I’m not nervous eating while I await the birth of this granddaughter.

Staying focused, not tweeting what I eat like I should be, though, kind of burnt out with the tweets, but I’ll get back to it soon.

The next month or so will be a challenge for me, I’m always hungry in the fall. Body trying to store fat for the winter, ya know. But I’m going to try a lot of new soup recipes, I’ll post the good ones for you.

I hope some of the rest of you are having success along with me. One day at a time, one meal at a time, sometimes it’s even one bite at a time…

xoxoxo~ jan

Sugar Free/Fat Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee

2009-10-02T05:21:00.001-07:00

FF/SF Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer
1 cup Fat Free half-n-half
½ cup Splenda
3T canned pumpkin
½ t vanilla
½ t cinnamon
¼ t ginger
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t cloves

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat until Splenda is dissolved and spices are well combined. Stir in desired amount and enjoy in a hot cup of coffee. Store in refrigerator.

Source Mary Lea Wright/WW Boards

Monday morning tales from the scale…

2009-09-28T07:55:00.001-07:00

Same weight, Other than dropping a pound, I’ve held steadily for a few weeks now. I’ m not really dieting, just eating all healthy food, not much processed food except for those light chips that I just have to have. and an occasional piece of dark chocolate. I’m really careful when eating out, that is the downfall of all us, too big of portions, totally salt laden, fat laden food. I avoid fast food restaurants, with the exception of Wendys and Chic-Filet. My standby at Wendys – a plain baked potato and a small chili, pour the chili over the potato, and it’s a yummy meal for under ten points. And the cost - $2.00 for both. Yeah, it is, both of those items are on the dollar menu, and they have great chili, too, not greasy, tastes like homemade… Works for me, I can take the money I saved and buy a great pair of earrings. :0)

I can live with where I’m at right now, I would like to go down another ten pounds, and I will, I have no doubt about that,I’m as committed as ever, just taking a breather while I wait for this grandchild to be born.

V and I were talking just this morning that regardless of how much we lose, we’ll still be thick thru the middle. That is the bane of post menopausal women. It’s okay, I’m dealing with it. As long as I can shop and fit into size 12’s, I’m not going to complain, but a size 10 would have me happy dancing in the aisles! *cheesy grin*

Back next week…

Tales from the Scales on a rainy Friday…

2009-09-25T06:38:00.001-07:00

I haven’t been posting my weekly entries lately, haven’t been tweeting what I eat, but I have been diligent about what goes into my mouth.

My weight is down another pound, I’ve lost 23 lbs. now. I’m at the point where my weight is okay, I can live with it, I still want to lose more, but I’m not being strict enough with what I eat. I’m eating just enough points to maintain. But that’s okay, the point is I’m not gaining, like I normally do when I’m not being totally on program.

Just taking a breather, I’ll get back in the game soon, set a mini-goal for another five pounds, but in the meantime, I’m treading water, still excited about eating healthy, too. I’m in a good place…

Bonnie Hunt’s diet…

2009-09-14T14:30:00.001-07:00

I read her newsletter today, and thought some of you might enjoy what she eats to lose weight.

~ jan

Hey Everyone,

Wow, these weekends fly by don't they? I tried to stick to my meal plan as much as possible, and the veggies and fruits fill me up, but I was tempted and bought a piece of cherry pie... ugh... and yes, I put ice cream on it. I actually ran into someone at the grocery store who exclaimed, "Oh, Bonnie, I'm waiting to see the newsletter on Monday so I can follow your diet"...YIKES!!! Did I put the piece of cherry pie back on the pastry shelf? NO... ugh. I avoided my cart because I didn't want them to see the cherry pie.

You know that kind of thinking, right? If no one witnesses me buying or eating the cherry pie, then somehow the calories won't count. Yeah, I know that doesn't work.

After the guilt settled in, I decided that I'd like to have dessert once a week, so for right now I'm having a small dessert, like a small slice of pie on Wednesday nights. For now, this particular meal plan allows dessert ONE NIGHT a week.

I actually managed to do my morning hike on Saturday and Sunday. I will wait a minute for your applause to die down.

I promised to share my eating plan with all of you; yep my good old "getting in shape for being in a film" eating plan.

As an actress, I've had to get in shape before filming began (although as we all know, a studio prefers an actress be in shape... I did this for myself). I do this eating plan for my own comfort, energy level and, okay, at times I'm hoping to get a better "character wardrobe." (In "The Green Mile" the wardrobe was neither cute nor flattering, so I didn't worry so much about my weight.)

In "Cheaper by the Dozen," "Only You," "Jumanji," "Jerry Maguire," etc., I would always do the same "nutritional eating" at least a month before we began production. Yes, on this plan I would lose weight, my skin would look better, my energy levels would go way up, everything got better.

The plan I use is combination of what works for me and some tips I've learned along the way from experience, taking nutrition classes at Duke University and from a nutritionist by the name of Hermaine -- she was an inspiration and was dedicated to helping people learn healthier eating patterns. Mostly, she would recommend 1,500 calories a day for losing weight.

What those 1,500 calories consist of is just as important. We've all known people who have lost weight in an unhealthy way, or by some quick-fix diet plan that might include pills, but the outcome is usually at an awful price; kidney issues, an unhealthy look, gaunt appearance, lack of energy.

Let's all agree to do this in as healthy a way as we can... I'm not good at counting calories, so I'll just explain how I eat.

Planning is crucial -- when starting out, you might not want to try the diet at all, but instead simply write down everything you eat for one week so you can be more aware... then get yourself started. Number one hint: plan your meals. The night before, plan what you will eat the next day. If you are eating at restaurants more than most people, I will give you a few tips at the bottom of the page.

Please remember this plan is to LOSE weight; eventually you will want to maintain your healthy goal weight and when we get there, we can have our pasta back (once a week) and our wine and sauces that we miss -- once we get the metabolism up and burning fat, then we can put some extra calories back into our daily routine. I'll try to explain it as best I can. If you have any questions, please write in and I'll try to answer on the air. Here we go...

This plan is divided into a DAILY ALLOWANCE OF:
Men dieting: protein intake should be around 10 oz. per day.
Women dieting: protein intake should be around 9 oz. per day.

PROTEINS are: milk, eggs, meat, chicken, tofu, cheese. Combined total of above limited to 9-11 oz. per day.

CARBOHYDRATES are: veggies, fruit, bread, pastas, mayo, ketchup.
3-4 servings of fruit
4-5 servings of veggies
2 slices of a bread, (2 whole grain bread, or 1 scooped-out bagel, or 1 English muffin)

Liquids:

Alcohol: Please note that booze is SO fattening, and it bloats the face.
NO white wine. NO beer.
Red wine... (This is suited for me, that's why I'm adding this.) You may have one glass a week, remembering that one glass is considered 2 servings of bread. (This limit is so you can lose weight. After you get to ideal weight, you can go on maintenance, two glasses of wine.)

Coffee is fine, NO cream. NO flavored coffees. (If you put skim milk in coffee, that is considered a serving of 1-2 oz. of protein.)

Diet soda is extremely fattening, even if it is sodium-free. It is full of chemicals that are difficult for liver and kidneys to process, and in turn it affects your metabolism (ability to burn fat). If you must have a diet soda, limit yourself to 2 cans of Diet Rite a day. Or 2 Diet Cokes. (Diet Rite is less in... well, everything.)

Fruit Juices (apple, orange, grape juices) are very high in sugar and are not recommended, so limit to a small 6 oz. glass a day (if any).

It is important to have fruits and veggies with every meal.

The fruits and veggies list here are to lose weight, and are specific fruits and veggies because of their low sugar content.

To burn fat fast, remember to always combine a carbohydrate with a protein.

AGAIN: REMEMBER fruits, veggies and breads are CARBOHYDRATES. Meat, milk, cheese, soy and chicken are PROTEINS.

If you have a piece of fruit, have some cottage cheese or Laughing Cow brand low fat cheese with it.

FRUITS that are unlimited: Eat as much as you want from the below list, but have AT LEAST FOUR servings per day:

Raspberries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Black Berries

FRUITS that should be limited:
Apples: one a day
or
Bananas: one a day
or
Oranges: one a day
or
Grapes: twenty a day

Protein ideas:
FYI: When we say "scoop," you should picture an ice cream scoop size, which is estimated to be 3 oz. of protein; a chicken breast is about 3-4 oz. of protein.

PROTEIN: (meat, dairy)
Scoop of tuna salad.
Scoop of chicken salad.
Egg white egg salad from Trader Joe's (one small container 3 oz.)
Chicken breast
Steak
Non-fat yogurt
Hamburger patty
Tofu
Skim milk
Turkey
Cottage cheese
Laughing Cow brand spreadable cheese (two triangles)
Laughing Cow brand Bonbel light cheese (comes in red circle of wax in a small netted bag in dairy counter at most grocery stores)
Carbohydrates: (bread, fruit, veggies)
Bread: (one serving a day, meaning two pieces)

Types of bread: Choose ONE SERVING per day
Whole grain wheat, two pieces per day
OR
One bagel scooped out, (use a fork and scoop out the doughy inside of bagel before toasting or eating; this is considered a half-serving of bread)
OR
English muffin, sourdough is best, but any English muffin is less calories than bread or bagel.
OR
Sourdough bread, two pieces per day.

Carbohydrates continued: Veggies: unlimited ones, (as much as you like of this list per day, but at least 4 servings)
VEGGIES that are okay while dieting:
Green peppers
Red peppers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Asparagus
Onions
Mushrooms
Spinach
Brussels sprouts

Veggies below are one per day, meaning a limited amount, like a cup.
Carrots
Peas
Corn
Yams
Sweet potato

CONDIMENTS

Condiments that are a "yes": mustard in an unlimited amount (can have as much as you like). Condiments that are to be used in limited amounts (meaning two tablespoons): ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, olive oil.

Sample menu:

BREAKFAST:
Cup of coffee, or water, or hot tea, or iced tea
Three egg whites omelet with all or some of the following ingredients:
Tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, spinach, small amount of parmesan cheese (with salsa or mustard).
Scooped-out bagel with Laughing Cow cheese.
Fruit from your list: strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, raspberries.

MID MORNING SNACK:
Cup of coffee
An apple with a piece of BonBel cheese.

LUNCH:
Tuna salad on English muffin with
Asparagus, broccoli, strawberries, raspberries.

AFTERNOON SNACK:

Half a banana with tablespoon of Laura Scudder's peanut butter.

DINNER:
Steak fajitas with corn tortillas (not flour)
Blueberries, strawberries (or fruit of choice)
with one cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt.

ANOTHER TYPE DINNER: Chicken breast smothered in mustard and baked with onions, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato slices, spinach.
Strawberries with one cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt.

BEDTIME SNACK:
Frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe
or
Piece of BonBel or Laughing Cow cheese.
Tablespoon of Laura Scudder's peanut butter (oil poured off the top before use) with half banana.

Okay, that's our start, any questions, please ask. Restaurant eating is so fattening, but if you do go to restaurants, keep it simple; order chicken breast grilled with veggies... drink plenty of water with each meal. Be proud of yourself, we are starting out... one day at a time.

Best,

Bonnie

This is from her newsletter, I thought some of you might enjoy this -

Chicken Cordon Bleu from Hungry Girl

2009-09-03T05:54:00.001-07:00

Warm chicken wrapped around melted cheese and juicy ham that won't break the calorie bank!? Sign us up...

Ingredients:
One 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, room temperature
1 oz. (about 3 slices) 97 - 98% fat-free ham slices
salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put chicken in a large sealable plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as you can, and seal. Using a meat tenderizer or a can, carefully pound chicken through the bag until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove chicken from the bag, and season to taste with salt and pepper on both sides.
Lay the chicken flat and spread the cheese wedge over it. Evenly layer the ham slices on top of the cheese. Starting with one of the longer sides (or any side, if it's square), tightly roll up the chicken breast cutlet, and secure with toothpicks.
Place chicken roll in a baking dish lined with foil and/or sprayed with nonstick spray, and then cover the baking dish with foil.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil covering the dish. Continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!
MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: 1 chicken cordon bleu (entire recipe)
Calories: 222
Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 692mg
Carbs: 2g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 40g
POINTS® value 5*

I need to tell you all about pumpkin oatmeal…

2009-08-31T07:09:00.001-07:00

I’ve read about adding pumpkin to oatmeal often, it’s an old Weight Watchers favorite thing to do, but never tried it until this week. Oh my, have I been missing out!!!

Cook a 1/2 cup serving of Old Fashioned Oats, I put mine in the microwave for about three minutes, then stir in 1/4 cup canned pumpkin, a heaping teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, I added more cinnamon and a pinch of cloves, and a splash of fat-free half and half.

It’s warm, filling, tastes like you’re eating pumpkin pie, well kinda… This stuff is amazing, and the increased fiber from the pumpkin really fills you up. Give this a try, girlfriends, it’s a keeper recipe…

~ jan

Monday Morning, tales from the scale -

2009-08-31T07:01:00.001-07:00

It’s the end of August now, the scale is barely moving, but it is moving downward. I’ve lost a total of 22 lbs. now since I started this lifestyle of eating healthy on April 1st. When I get frustrated that I’m not losing as fast as I would like, I try to reflect back to where I was when this started, how I looked, how I felt, and I’m definitely in a much better place now.

I continue to consume too many carbs, even though they are healthy, whole grain ones. I adore bread, always have, always will, it satisfies the soul, and even though I always eat whole grain bread now, usually Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat (2 slices for 1 point) I don’t limit myself to two slices per day. I don’t actually limit myself to anything. But I am aware of when I’m eating too much and reign it in. I’m definitely not eating enough vegetables, but I did make vegetable soup yesterday, so that will help this week. I continue to grab from the fridge and eat instead of cooking meals for myself, I need to concentrate more on actually “cooking” food. I’m sure I will when the weather is cooler, I find amazing recipes on SparkRecipes.com. If you aren’t visiting this site, you definitely need to, it’s hands down, the best healthy lifestyle site I’ve ever found.

I’m in a good place though, still highly motivated, still focused, no pity parties here about what I can’t eat, but I am apprehensive about fall, that’s when I store fat for the winter! Seriously, I am always starved in the fall…

I need to work with this blog, I haven’t added content in awhile. I’ll update this week, so check back…

Monday morning, tales from the scale…

2009-08-24T06:15:00.001-07:00

It’s been two weeks since I’ve posted, last week followed a weekend in Nashville and Alabama, I took a couple of days off, didn’t even get on the scale, and didn’t update last week.

So where am I this morning?

Exactly the same weight I was the last time I posted. That’s okay, I managed to reign it in after the trip, but ate high end of points most of the week. It’s been a struggle for me this month, don’t know why, but it happens sometimes. Am I still motivitated? You bet, I am. Those size 12 jeans are fitting really well, that’s motivation enough! And, when I bought clothes for Lindsay’s shower at Coldwater Creek, I bought size 12 side zip, no stretch, black pants. They went right up, zipped, fit perfectly, oh yeah, yours truly was doin’ the happy dance in the dressing room!

One more size to go, and then I maintain. It will probably take me until next spring, as my body tends to not turn loose of the weight after I get to this point. But that’s okay, it’s not a race, I’m actually enjoying browsing the racks in the stores, wearing size L tops now, and I’ve found that great bra I told you all about on the Daily Dish. I have no complaints about my healthy eating journey, zero, none, nada…

Hang in there with me, girlfriends, it’s a daily struggle sometimes, but so worth it…

It’s Monday again, more tales from the scale…

2009-08-10T06:07:00.001-07:00

I lost just a bit this week, I’m now down twenty one and a half pounds. After the big loss last week, I’m happy to have gone down even a little bit. It was a good week, I’m refocused, revitalized, happy with what I’m eating. I have no complaints. We went to Deerhead Saturday night, I had catfish, yep, fried catfish and a couple of bites of double stuffed pizza, and felt not a shred of guilt.

I will continue this journey that I’ve embarked on, I really intend fort this to be a lifestyle change, not a diet. I made Auntie Em’s Oatmeal Cookies for Ryan and a peanut butter sheet cake, and wasn’t tempted by them at all. I focused on fresh peaches and cantaloupe instead, and it was delicious.

The guys grilled burgers last night, my burger was pretty pathetic looking, it was so small compared to everybody else, but I ate it, and it tasted delicious, filled me up and I was satisfied. I ignored the baked beans, and only had a couple of bites of the potatoes. I’ve found I really don’t need as much food as I thought I did to feel satisfied. And I’ve also learned that just because calorie laden food is on the table, it doesn’t mean I have to eat it. I’ve had more meat this week than I normally eat, and that’s okay, too. I’m adjusting, adapting, and enjoying the entire process.

We’ll see what next week brings, Lindsay’s baby shower is this weekend, and I’m going to just take a day off and eat all the yummy stuff. If I gain a pound next week, that’s fine, I know I will get back on track when I get home.

I’m a little over five pounds away from my original goal now, but I can tell you already that I’m going to revise it. I still want to lose more, I’ll reset it for an additional ten pounds, then see where I’m at.

I hope that some of you reading this can make a lifestyle change that works for you, also. It’s such an empowerment to be in control of what I eat, and it’s amazing how much better my body feels. But I’ll be honest with you, the best part, is looking in the mirror, and the face that is smiling back at me isn’t bloated, and the pants that I put on glide over my hips and zip easily with minimum muffin top. I’m fueling my food with healthy food, so I’m not having heartburn. I’m eating lots of fiber which is awesome for my digestive system, I’m taking vitamins, drinking a lot of liquids, and my next goal is to do a bit of mediation.

It’s a good day, today, I’m doing this, I really am, one day at a time, and it feels wonderful…

Monday Morning Tales from the Scale….

2009-08-03T05:21:00.001-07:00

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So, Let's sing a song of cheer again

Happy times
Happy nights
Happy days
Are here again!

Remember, last week, I pinky swore I would do better. Well, let me tell you girlfriends, no other way to say this, I totally kicked ass!!! Totally. I’m a rock star….

I ate low, low, low, yes, I took my vitamins, ate salad out the wazoo, and the scale went down, down, down.

I could have kissed the contraption when I weighed this morning, the plateau is over, I’ve now lost are you ready for this. Drum roll, please…………..

21.2 lbs. that’s over three pounds this week.

Jan here, doin’ the happy dance, big time!!!!!!

Faux Fried Rice

2009-08-02T19:13:00.001-07:00

Another cauliflower recipe, got good reviews on WW boards…

Faux Fried Rice
1 head of raw cauliflower, grated (had about 3.5 cups of grated, loosely packed cauliflower)
1-2 bunches green onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 Tbsp. of soy sauce
1/2 to 1 tsp. of garlic salt (don’t use too much - it’s salty from the soy sauce)
3 eggs, beaten
Oil
Pork (bacon), chicken, or shrimp, cooked (optional)
In a wok or large pan, heat enough oil to cover bottom of pan. Fry minced garlic and white part of onions for approx. 1 min. Add grated cauliflower and fry for approximately 5 min, stirring constantly. Add soy sauce, garlic salt, green onion tops, and meat (optional) and stir until mixed. Push mixture to side of pan. Add more oil if necessary, and scramble eggs in empty side of pan until done but still moist. Stir eggs into "rice" and remove from heat.
Serves 4 as a side dish.

Cauliflower Rice, what will they think of next….

2009-08-02T04:55:00.001-07:00

BASIC RECIPE: Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (or however much you want)
Preparation:
To make this dish the most easily and to have it come out the best, three pieces of equipment are very helpful:
- A food processor
- A microwave
- A covered (or fairly tightly coverable) microwave-safe dish

Wash cauliflower. Cut into small size florets. Process fresh cauliflower until it is the size of rice, either using the plain steel blade or the shredder blade. Alternatively, you can shred it with a hand-held grater, or even use a knife, if you have the dexterity to chop it up VERY finely.

Microwave it in a covered dish for 4-5 minutes. DO NOT ADD WATER. Cauliflower absorbs water like crazy, and the "granules" will become gummy. To keep it fluffy, just let the moisture in the cauliflower do its work.

Here’s a link to a video showing how to make it… and here is a link to the orange, almond cauliflower rice pictured above

Optimism….

2009-07-29T15:01:00.001-07:00

When you clean out your closet, and put all of your size 14 jeans on the high shelf where you can’t reach them. and put all your size 12 jeans front row center.

That’s optimistic, or is it realistic??? What would it be called if you threw the damned things away. Stupid? Yeah, probably.

Toot, toot….

2009-07-29T07:58:00.001-07:00

Had to share….

I’ve really kicked ass this week, eating, low, 12-15 a day. Refocused, determined to get back on track. It’s working, weight is down a pound and a half since Monday, total lost now is 19.5. Going for 20. I stalled for weeks, it’s good to see the scale move!

Jan here, doin’ the happy dance, happy dance, happy dance…

Splenda Nutritional Information

2009-07-27T13:49:00.001-07:00

Thank you for visiting the SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener website. We hope you became more familiar with SPLENDA(R) Brand Sweetener during your visit to the site.

We manufacture four forms of SPLENDA (R) Brand Sweetener: SPLENDA(R) No Calorie Sweetener Granular, SPLENDA(R) No Calorie Sweetener Packets, SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking, and SPLENDA (R) Brown Sugar Blend for Baking.

The caloric and carbohydrate content for SPLENDA (R) No Calorie Sweetener Brand is as follows:

SPLENDA (R) Granular 1 tsp = 0.5 gm carb = 2 calories one half cup = 12 gm carb = 48 calories 1 cup = 24 gm carb = 96 calories

*1 tsp. = 1 serving

Packet of SPLENDA (R) 1 packet = .9 gm of carb = 4 calories

*1 packet has the sweetness of 2 tsp of sugar

Note: Per U.S. labeling laws, anything with less than 5 calories per serving, is properly labeled as "zero" or no-calorie.

Note: The calories and carbohydrates in SPLENDA (R) No Calorie Sweetener comes from dextrose and/or maltodextrin, which are added for bulk. Sucralose the sweetening ingredient in SPLENDA (R) Brand Sweetener, has no calories and is not a carbohydrate.

Granular - sucralose, maltodextrin (0.5 gram per serving) Packets - sucralose, maltodextrin and dextrose (less than 1 gram per packet)

Since you need to use only half the volume of sugar called for in your recipe, SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking provides half the calories and carbohydrate that sugar would ordinarily provide.

SPLENDA(R) Sugar Blend for Baking (use ½ as much as sugar) Sugar

For recipe sweetening: 1/2 cup 1 cup Calories 384 768 Carbohydrate 96 grams 192 grams Per serving: 1/2 tsp. 1 tsp. Calories 10 16 Carbohydrate 2 grams 4 grams

1/2 cup of SPLENDA(R) Brown Sugar Blend contains 1/2 the calories and 1/2 the sugar of 1 cup of regular brown sugar, but has the same sweetness as a full cup of regular brown sugar. Half a packed cup of Splenda Brown Sugar Blend provides approximately 95-105 grams of carbohydrate.

The exact calorie count of 1 cup of regular brown sugar is a function of how firmly/densely the measuring cup is packed, yielding 500-850 calories. So, consumers can save ~250 calories or more by using 1/2 cup SPLENDA(R) Brown Sugar Blend in place of 1 cup regular brown sugar.

The measurement for 1 cup of regular brown sugar that is on the back panel of SPLENDA(R) Brown Sugar Blend packaging does not exactly match the USDA listing for 1 cup of regular brown sugar. Our back panel listing falls between the USDA listings for unpacked and packed brown sugar.

We value hearing from our consumers. Please feel free to call us with any additional comments or questions on our toll-free number 1-800-7-SPLENDA (1-800-777-5363), Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Eastern Time. You may also access our website at {www.splenda.com for answers to frequently asked questions, recipes, cooking and baking tips.

Monday Morning, tales from the scale…

2009-07-27T08:09:00.001-07:00

I came to the proverbial fork in the road last week, the same old fork that I’ve come to many times in my life, my control was slipping, the focus wasn’t there, I was at the place where I could start increasing my eating easily. I ate too much Friday and Saturday, the weight wasn’t coming off, duh, wonder why???

But instead of continuing the path I was on, as I have so many times in the past, I took the other fork in the road, reigned it in Sunday, ate minimal points, nine to be exact, got my groove back, and I’m off to the races again…. I’m proud of myself, it’s so hard to not fall back into the old habits. Not gonna do it this time, nope, not gonna happen. Oh, my weight? Exactly the same, haven’t gained or lost all month.

Next week I’ll have a better report… Pinky swear…

Monday morning tales from the scale….

2009-07-20T06:25:00.001-07:00

I have to admit, when I know the scale isn’t going down, it’s not too exciting to step on them first thing Monday morning.

It’s samo-samo here. The scales haven’t budged since July 8th, haven’t gone up, haven’t gone down. I’m stuck! Am I surprised? No, not at all. Hooterville was here this week, and while I didn’t go over points, I hovered in the high range, 18-20, ate too many sandwiches, no salad, not many veggies. I should be thrilled that I’m at least treading water.

So it’s back to it this morning, I took a break from tweeting what I ate this past weekend, time to regroup, move forward and concentrate on losing another five pounds. Mini goals seem to work the best for me now, it will be slow going, getting through these next 5-10 lbs., but I keep reminding myself, it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.

One thing that I am pleased with, is that lately when I eat, I reign myself in, regardless of how good it tastes, I just eat a few bites, push away and quit. It’s getting easier, too, I hate to go out on a limb and say that I’m forming a “habit” doing this, but hey, I’m trying, and that’s all I can do, is try, day, after day, after day, after day…..

Weight Watchers Health Salad

2009-07-20T04:11:00.001-07:00

This recipe got great reviews, keeps for days in the fridge, too…

Health Salad
Servings: 16
Preparation Time: 14 min
Cooking Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Like slaw, but better. This recipe is wonderful with burgers, chicken kabobs and grilled fish. A fantastic side dish for a summer crowd.
Ingredients
4 cup(s) shredded red cabbage, or green cabbage
1/2 medium English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red onion(s), thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove(s), thinly sliced
1 medium green pepper(s), thinly sliced
1 medium carrot(s), thickly shredded
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 tbsp Splenda
2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, cucumber, onion, garlic, green pepper and carrot; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over vegetables and toss to mix and coat. Chill in refrigerator, tossing once or twice, for about 1 hour. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Its Monday morning, tales from the scale…

2009-07-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

Nothing new to report here, weight hasn’t changed. It’s to be expected, though, I can’t lose every week. I struggled last week, ate too many carbs over the weekend, yeah, they were complex carbs, but still…. Stella will get her groove back this week…

I did make yummy pinto beans in my electric pressure cooker. A bag of pinto’s, six cups of water, a slice of bacon, lots of garlic and onion, salt and pepper, and I pressured them for an hour and fifteen minutes. They were much better the next day with lots of chopped jalapenos. Good stuff….

Monday weigh-in, tales from the scale…

2009-07-08T07:51:00.001-07:00

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s Wednesday… Okay, I admit it, Monday was not good, nor was Tuesday. Even though I didn’t go above points on the 4th, I ate a lot of carbs, I was retaining water, but, after two days of eating healthy, I’m FINALLY into those new digits. Yep, I AM!!!!!

Weight loss is sitting at 18 lbs. now! The slowdown is happening, which is to be expected, it always slows drastically as I get closer to my target weight.

John said last weekend, “Mom, I think another ten pounds will do it for you.” “You will always be thick thru the middle, you never did have a little waist.” He’s right on, of course, I never did.

Will I stop at another ten pounds? I’m barely into twelves now, and another ten pounds will have me wearing them really comfortably, and that’s where I’ve always said I would stop now that I’m older. Of course, there is a huge part of me that wants to be a size ten again. I know, it’s vain, but “Vanity thy name is Woman,” even when you’re fast approaching the big 6-0! It just depends on how gaunt I look in the face. I’ll have to just see how it plays out. But first I have to lose those ten pounds!!!

Am I still motivated? Is a horse a horse? You damn betcha I am!!! This old energizer bunny just keeps on going… I’m looking forward to passing the twenty pound loss, that will be huge for me.

My newest mini goal is 4.5 pounds more by Labor Day. Maybe I’ll make it, maybe not, but I’m not racing, I’m just eating healthy….

Snaps for me….

2009-07-01T08:07:00.001-07:00

I weighed on the garage scale this morning, the old fashioned penny scale that never waivers in it’s accuracy. I’ve cursed that scale more times than I care to think about, but it gives me a true reading, and from now on, that’s the scale I’m going to use for my weekly weigh-ins.

Sooooooooo, according to the garage scale, I have now lost 17 lbs. Yep, I’m only half a pound from breaking into the new digits. Life is good again, sez Jan, tooting her own horn.

Hey, I deserve a toot today….. I’ve worked hard for this!

How much more do I want to lose??? 10 more lbs. and then I reevaluate, see where I’m at, how comfortable the size 12’s are, decide if I’m going to go for the 10’s. or if I’m looking too haggard to lose more. I can diet until I’m a twig and I’ll still have a thick middle. Such is life when you’re my age…

Monday morning tales from the scale :0(

2009-06-29T06:41:00.001-07:00

Despite the fact that I jumped up and down on one foot, exhaled, and moved the scale to a different location, despite that I was totally naked and peed numerous times this morning in a desperate attempt to rid my body of any infinitesimal amount of extra weight, and despite the fact that I have stayed within my point range, every single day, my weight is up a half a pound from last week. Arughhhhhhhhhhh

I’ve been spoiled, I haven’t gained, the weight has dropped steadily, even though my last serious attempt at dieting found me gaining several times. Have I cheated???? Have you read my tweets??? If you have, you will realize that I haven’t cheated, at all, I’ve even held down the carbs!

But shit happens, and even though I know I’m eating right and my clothes are fitting so much better, and despite the fact that I’ve cracked open a few pairs of size 12 and have been able to fit into them, I’m bummed.

Silly me, looking at that number on the scale and letting it dictate my mood. I know I’m not really gaining, it’s fluid, yadayadayada, but I’m still almost two pounds from where I wanted to be July 4th.

It was a bad week for me, I was not satisfied with what I ate. And even though I didn’t cheat, I wasn’t a happy camper for most of the time. I need to go back, look at what I ate that worked well for me, duplicate some menus, stay focused.

I will be okay, next week will be a better report, despite the fact that it’s the 4th and family are coming home, I will eat healthy and stay focused. Pinky swear, I will… And if I happen to get on the scale this week and it has moved downward, you betcha I will be on here talking about it, so check back…

Seana’s Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake

2009-06-28T14:22:00.001-07:00

Seana just sent me this recipe, she says it’s just fabulous – can’ wait to try it!!!!

Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake

8 oz. water or low fat/nonfat soy milk (vanilla is best)
1 scoop protein (vanilla flavored) powder
2 Tb sugar-free/fat-free vanilla pudding mix powder
1/4 tsp (or to taste) ground cinnamon

a scoop of ice if you desire

Whir it up, and enjoy!

Monday weigh-in, tales from the scale….

2009-06-22T17:32:00.001-07:00

I’m now down 16.1 lbs. and still going strong. I’ll be into another set of digits in a couple of weeks. My capris are baggy now, no muffin top when I wear them, the weight loss is starting to be really obvious.

Every week I tell you that I’m still pumped, and I am. It’s astounding how effortless this is for me. This week’s food find isn’t a recipe exactly, but something I’m really enjoying.

I’m buying the faux crab and lobster at the grocery store, you know the ones, the sticks and chunks in the refrigerated seafood department. It’s inexpensive, and always in the past I’ve made it into crab salad, but instead I’m now just putting chunks of it into mixed greens, adding red onion, radishes and cherry tomatoes and drizzling it with my wonderful Ramona’s Poppyseed Dressing. It’s absolutely perfect for a hot summer evening.

If you haven’t made Ramona’s Poppyseed Dressing yet, you’re missing out on the best salad dressing you’ve ever tasted. My friends adore it, here’s a click to the recipe, just substitute Splenda for the sugar, I use a heaping half cup of Splenda, that’s just the right amount, and I limit myself to 1 tablespoon of dressing. That’s plenty if you stir it well.

I’ll never buy diet dressings again, homemade ones are so much better, take just a few minutes to prepare and a little bit of the real stuff is so much better than a whole lot of bland diet dressing.

I had an absolutely AWESOME dinner…

2009-06-15T17:13:00.001-07:00

I adore Mexican food, it’s so good, and you can fix it with relatively low points by using healthy ingredients. My dinner tonight was quasi Mexican, I used low mozzarella cheese instead of jack, added mushrooms, which isn’t Mexican, but it was really great!

Pork Quesadillas

2 La Prefidera Low Carb Tortillas [2]

Leftover lean pork roast, shredded [3]

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained [1]

1/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese [1]

onions

mushrooms

taco sauce

I sprayed a skillet with Pam, put down a tortilla, topped it with taco sauce, then started layering, pork roast, onions, mushrooms, black beans, cheese, another few squirts of taco sauce, and grilled it. It was SO good.

How could it have been better? Green salsa, sour cream, more cheese, green chiles, but then that adds more points…

This is definitely a keeper, a huge meal for [7] points. If you’re really hungry, and love Mexican, this is for you… You could easily substitute shredded cooked chicken breast for the pork, or even better lean ground beef. Good stuff!!!!

Jan’s Yummy Black Bean Salsa

2009-06-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

1 can Rotel tomatoes, original, drained

1 can green chilies

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 can Black Beans (Bush) rinsed and drained

1 cup whole kernel corn

green onions/or red onions are good, too

1 teaspoon chili powder

red pepper flakes, a few shakes

1/2 tsp. cumin

dash of salt

juice of a lemon

juice of a lime

Mix all and marinade. Adjust seasonings to taste

It’s colorful, it’s so yummy and so healthy. You can add a tablespoon of olive oil if you don’t worry about the calories. Good with pita chips, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes or carrot and celery sticks for dipping… Baked Doritoes work, too… Calories add up really fast with Doritoes, tho…

You can bake your own corn tortillas in the oven for this, spray with Pam, sprinkle with salt and bake. Add garlic salt or cumin or chili powder if you want flavor. I’ve browned tortillas in the toaster, but it works better baking them on the oven rack. Set the oven at 375-400, watch closely and flip with tongs, they brown really quickly, just 5 minutes or less…

You can add avocado to this, also cherry tomatoes and cilantro, I detest cilantro, so I leave it out…

Monday morning, tales from the scale….

2009-06-15T08:26:00.001-07:00

I’ve stayed on program all week, eating below points some days. I’ve lost 14.5 lbs. now, down from 14.1 last Thursday. I’m due for a pound or so drop soon. Maybe next week.

My mood? Fantastic, still excited, and I made the most wonderful black bean salsa this week. I’ve been busy, I get in a rut eating the same foods, if you follow my Tweets you realize this, but it’s okay, I like what I eat. That black bean salsa was wonderful with a salmon burger. My friend Janet eats black bean salsa on a hot dog with a bun, like a relish.

I’m eating a lot of hummus, too and have found that I like the traditional hummus best. I prefer it over the garlic, or roasted red pepper, the original has a bit of garlic, and lemon juice, it’s wonderful. I’m buying it at Aldi’s for $1.69. I pick up their English cucumbers for $1.00 (English cukes are long and skinny with no seeds, my buddy V loves them, so I tried them and think they are amazing, too). So I cut slices of cukes and dip in the hummus along with a few cherry tomatoes from my garden, good stuff, filling low calorie, a high protein snack! I also bought great whole wheat pita chips at Trader Joe’s when I was in Nashville, sometimes I eat those with it, also, with the M&M’s dancing circles for a bite. They love pita chips!

I have an easy week ahead, just a day trip to Louisville on Wednesday, it’s easy for me to stay on program when I’m home. I hope to try a couple of new things this week, that’s my goal, just one or two new dishes a week.

Life is good, just for today, it’s working…

Monday morning review…

2009-06-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I know it’s Thursday, but we’ve been at John’s this week, no time to update. Scales continue to steadily move down, I’ve now lost 14.1 lbs. since April 1. Slow, yep, but it’s not a horse race, it’s a lifestyle…

Even though we were in Nashville, and I ate more than I regularly do, I was extremely conscious of what I was doing, and reigned it in. John and Deanna made monster cookies, a family fave, oatmeal/chocolate chips/nuts/M&M’s– i had 1/3 of a cookie over a two day period. I choose to taste, not eat, and I made myself strawberry smoothies to indulge in while the others were eating cookies.

I would love to lose another 3.6 lbs. by July 4th, that would put me down into another set of scale numbers. I don’t know if I can do it. but I’m going to try. It’s all about trying, I try every day, and I’m still not fighting what I can’t have, but embracing what I can… This morning it was homemade whole wheat pancakes, Morningstar Farms Soy Bacon and coffee. It tasted as good to me as any pancakes I’ve ever eaten. And yes, I’ll share the recipe with you all, later today.

My family are all good sports, they run by Chick Filet for me, because they know I won’t eat what they do. Tuesday night John grilled burgers, he had a Boca Burger for me, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant in Nashville, I took my own Doritoes to dip into the salsa, then had a chicken taco salad without the shell. It worked. Was it as good as the others, of course not, but it worked, and I made a Weight Watcher chocolate smoothie when I got home. 1 point, 10 grams of protein, you buy them at Weight Watcher centers, and nope you don’t have to be a member to buy them. They’re spendy, $7.50 for 7 of them, but that’s not a lot really. A cup of Starbucks is $4.00… I looked forward to the Smoothie I was going to have instead of feeling sorry for myself that I couldn’t eat the gooey mexican food. I can fix WW mexican at home if I’m hungry for it, I have great recipes.

And so my journey continues, I’m much happier with myself this summer than I was last, because I’m taking control of my life, one day at a time…

Roni’s Banana Pancake Tweaks….

2009-06-03T08:47:00.001-07:00

This recipe for Banana Pancakes is absolutely, positively wonderful, you would never know you’re eating Healthy.

Here’s my tweaks – I add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a splash of vanilla and use 8th Continent Light Vanilla Soy Milk (30 calories per half cup) instead of skim milk. Ang told me about 8thContinent Light Vanilla Soy Milk, it’s so much better than Silk and lower in calories, too. The only place I can find it is at WalMart. It comes in chocolate, too, but I haven’t tried it yet.

I let my bananas get really ripe, until the skins start to blacken, then I put them, unpeeled in their skins, in a ziploc baggie and freeze them. Then I remove one, let it thaw until the skin peels off, or if you’re in a hurry, put it in the wave for 15 seconds, then peel it, cut it into chunks and it will thaw in just a few minutes. This works great, and you can always have bananas for recipes.

The batter keeps great in a covered tupperware in the fridge. The top turn a bit dark, but just stir it, it works fine. You may need to add a bit more soy milk, as it tends to thicken as it sets.

I pour Mrs. Butterworth’s 35 calorie no sugar syrup on these. It’s a wonderful breakfast! If I want added protein, I nuke a couple of pieces of Morningstar Farms Soy Bacon, [1 point].

These pancakes are only 1 point each, and they are a great size! The whole wheat flour gives them a dense, nutty flavor.

I use a 1/4 cup to scoop the batter in a skillet sprayed with Pam, to cook.

Roni has another whole wheat version without the bananas. I haven’t tried it, but all of her recipes are wonderful, so I’m sure it’s good also. Here’s the click.

If you go to her site to access the banana pancakes, scroll down to the comments. People have substituted applesauce for the bananas with successful results. I want to try them using pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, soon! I love pumpkin pancakes…

Dreamsicle Smoothie – 1 point!

2009-06-03T07:41:00.001-07:00

I’m turning into a real Smoothie lover this summer, thanks to my Bella Cucina bullet blender. Yesterday I made a great Dreamsicle Smoothie for 1 point, yes, dear hearts, one point!!!!

I’m a Dreamsicle lover, have loved the orangy ice cream on a stick since I was a child, so for me, this is just mind blowing!!!!!

3/4 cup Dannon Lite & Fit Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt

3/4 cup Crystal Light Orange Sunrise Beverage

Splenda to taste

Healthy splash of Fat Free Half & Half

dash of vanilla

crushed ice (about 1/3 cup)

Put everything into the blender and process until slushy.

Here’s how it breaks down – 1 cup of Dannon yogurt is 110 calories, but I only used 3/4 cup, so that coupled with the splash of FFree Half &” Half was only a point – that’s it, no points for anything else.

The flavor was wonderful, but I’m always tweeking, so the next tub of Crystal Lite OrangeSunrise that I make, I’m going to just use half the water it calls for, that way the orange flavor will be even more intense and still no calories.

Whoohoo, works for me!

Monday Morning Review…

2009-06-01T06:22:00.001-07:00

I’m doing so well, sez Jan, patting herself on back. Hey, I’ve really been diligent, I deserve a pat. I’m down 13.3 lbs. now. You betcha I’m counting every ounce!!!!!

Instead of just making do, eating anything that’s low points to lose weight on a “diet” I’m really trying here to embrace a new lifestyle. I’m trying new recipes, finding healthy choices and enjoying the taste.

I made the most AWESOME banana pancakes, thanks to Roni, who has the most amazing recipes, they are 1 point a pancake, hearty, and filling. I made them exactly like her recipe, except I substituted cinnamon for the nutmeg, and instead of using skim milk I used 8th Continent Soy Milk (Wally World) which is even lower in calories than skim milk, and works great! I ate them with Mrs. Butterworth Sugar Free Syrup and a slice of Morningstar Farms Soy Bacon and it was fantastic, seriously. I think I will add just a bit of salt to the recipe the next time I make it, but other than that, it’s perfect! I love whole wheat flour, love the density of the pancakes, but if you like them a bit lighter, you could use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour – it’s whole grain but not as heavy. I’m a big fan of King Arthur Flour, that’s the brand of whole wheat flour I always use.

My latest trick with bananas, is that I let them get really ripe, until they are black in spots on the skin, and then I put them in a ziploc bag, leave the skin on them and freeze them whole. I take them out of the freezer, let them thaw for a few minutes so I can peel them, or if I’m in a hubby I wave them for 10 seconds, then cut in chunks, they thaw almost instantly. That’s what I did with the banana pancakes and it worked GREAT!

I know, you all want the recipe – here’s Roni’s click…

And so another week begins. And I’m so excited, still. Clothes fit so much better already, another ten pounds and I’ll see a major body change.

Two years ago I lost weight, and I looked at my stats this week. It took me three months two years ago to lose 13 lbs., and that was with daily walking. This year it has taken me just two months to lose 13 lbs., and I haven’t been walking. Isn’t that awesome? I’m two years older and losing faster and eating more. Why? I’m sure it’s because I’ve cut out the junk. I don’t eat processed foods, as I’ve said, a little but not much, as opposed to two years ago when I enhaled frozen diet meals, diet cookies, diet ice cream and ate white bread. And, I’m mixing up those points. I’ll eat 18-20, even 22 for a few days, then kick it back down to 14-6. My body isn’t going into starvation mode and holding onto the fat. I’m losing steadily.

Why am I not walking? Prosthetics aren’t fitting well enough right now for me to do it. It’s complicated, but it’s all about how I’m losing weight in my legs and trying to adjust my fit. So I’m not walking until I’m sure the fit is good. Sore legs or blisters are not fun!

Now I know better, and I’m doing better…

Ramona’s Poppyseed Dressing

2009-05-25T08:12:00.001-07:00

I no longer eat low fat salad dressings. They just aren’t as good as the real thing.

I eat one tablespoon of real dressing and count it as 2 points. I would much rather give up the points and have something fantastic.

This is my very favorite dressing, I have modified it by using Splenda instead of sugar. I only use 1 tablespoon, but I put my greens in a large tupperware container with a lid and shake, shake, shake, that way the dressing distributes evenly and it’s enough. You can add fruit to your greens, strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, or just onion and mushrooms. It’s the best salad dressing I’ve ever tasted. Enjoy ~ jan

Poppy seed dressing:
3/4 C. splenda -I cut this back a bit, i think 3/4 is too sweet, so I use a heaping half cup of splenda
1 t. dry mustard
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 t. salt
1/3 C. balsamic vinegar
1 C. mazola oil
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds - always store poppyseeds in fridge, they get rancid easily, if you have them in pantry, throw them out and buy fresh
To make dressing:
Whisk together all ingredients until you can no longer feel the sugar grains (because they have dissolved in the liquid) and the whisk leaves a trail in the thickened mixture.

Makes about 3 cups, so you will have leftover dressing.

NOTE: When I make this, I find it necessary to blend dressing ingredients in my blender to get the silky smooth, honeylike consistency. This stuff is nectar of the gods, you will never regret giving up some of your precious daily allotment for this.

Monday Morning Review…

2009-05-25T06:57:00.001-07:00

I’ve lost another pound this week, down a bit over 11 lbs. now. I stayed low in points, but even so, I knew it was time to slow down a bit with the loss, let my body catch up. That’s the way it works for me.

We’re going to Ryan’s for a few days, that will be such a challenge, lots of temptation, but I’ll cope. I’ve purposely stayed low in points, as I’m sure I’ll bump it up at his house, which isn’t a bad thing, I need to shock my body with more calories, so it doesn’t hibernate in starvation mode.

Life is good, I continue to tweet every bite, weigh everything I eat, I’m managing to stay motivated, for today, it’s working…

Pearls of Wisdom from the Spark Community -

2009-05-21T08:31:00.001-07:00

1. Losing weight is hard!
2. Being fat is harder!
3. I rather be fit and healthy than fat and unhappy.
4. Giving up is not a good option.
5. Set backs are inevitable.
6. Overcoming setbacks can make your stronger (if it doesn't kill you- just kidding.)
7. Stay in the game long enough and eventually you will hit a plateau.
8. Pushing harder doesn't always yield the best results.
9. Listen to your body and take a break when you need to.
10. Reach out to at least one person everyday on SparkPeople. (Friends or strangers, it doesn't matter.) It helps and keeps me accountable.

Another week in my life of eating healthy, one day at a time…

2009-05-18T13:21:00.001-07:00

It’s Monday morning, the 18th, I’ve been dieting since April 1st and I’m down a little over 10 lbs. now. Last week was a hard one, I had one day that regardless of what I ate I was starving. I ate 22 points, but I reigned it in and I quit. That’s the important part, I quit eating, and the next day I was back on track.

I continue to do well, still excited about the small changes, I’m seeing. Capri’s feeling really good, another 7-8 lbs. and hopefully some of my size 12’s will be starting to fit. Sure, I’ll have a muffin top in them, but there is just something about being able to wear a 12 again. Silly, I know it is, it’s all about the fit, not the tag, we tell ourselves that, but old habits die hard, it’s a numbers game…

My weight has been dropping really well, it’s time to play catch up. This is how my body works, now that I’ve lost fairly rapidly, I’ll stall out for 2-3 weeks, then I’ll have another significant loss. But I know if I stay on track, I’ll go ahead and lose. Hubby took me to Deerhead last night, I only ordered a grilled chicken breast, dry, no oil. I had a tomato, ate the chicken, and blotted just a few of his breaded mushrooms with a napkin to get the grease out, and it was okay. Sure, I would have rather had a pizza, or a fried catfish sandwich, but I didn’t, and it was enough food to satisfy me. Sometimes it’s one meal at a time, just getting thru one meal to the next. We got to Versailles next week to visit Ryan and Lindsay. It will be a challenge, he is such a good cook. But I’ll make it work, I really will…

And so my week begins again, just keeping focused, measuring everything I eat, tweeting those points, it’s working, for today, it’s working…

Skillet Lasagna

2009-05-16T06:34:00.001-07:00

A much quicker version of the Italian classic; less time, but no less taste.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion (chopped)
3 Cloves Garlic (minced)
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1-1/4 cup water
8 oz tomato sauce
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried basil leaves 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt
2-1/2 cup broken up whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free grated Parmesan cheese
Dash Basil and Pepper (optional)
1 egg
Shredded fat free mozzarella cheese for garnish

Directions:

In a large skillet, brown beef with onions and garlic. Drain. Add tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt. Stir in uncooked pasta. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Combine cottage and Parmesan cheeses. Mix in the egg. Sprinkle in basil and pepper to taste. Drop cheese mixture by rounded tablespoons onto pasta mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and serve. Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user DREAMANGELE.

Cucumber salad, one of my all time favorites…

2009-05-14T10:31:00.001-07:00

I’ve loved this salad since I was a little girl. It was always Daddy’s family favorite, and they made it for summer picnics. The original recipe was made with oil and banana peppers, but I’ve lightened it, so that it’s totally Weight Watcher friendly, and no points.

1 cucumber, preferably English seedless, peeled, sliced and cut into small dice.

1 green pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

1 large tomato, chopped

Dressing:

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

red pepper flakes to taste

5 packets of Splenda.

Refrigerate several hours to blend flavors. You can add additional veggies, especially tomatoes to the marinade as you eat it, without having to make a fresh batch. It keeps for days in the fridge…

I use this Williams Sonoma Vegetable Chop and Measure to make this salad. It’s a wonderful addition to your kitchen and will make quick work of dicing veggies

Weekly thoughts about eating healthy…

2009-05-13T10:52:00.001-07:00

I made it thru Mother’s Day without doing damage. I’m learning that I don’t have to be perfect, that I can have an occasional treat and it not sabotage my weight loss efforts. I think why I did so well, even with family here for days, was that I didn’t fight it. I didn’t brood about what I couldn’t eat, I just accepted it and ate healthy, except for that piece of wonderful strawberry shortcake. I’ve now lost nine pounds since the first of April. It’s a good feeling, my muffin top is shrinking just a bit, my jeans no longer torture my mid section, but when I saw Mother’s Day pictures of myself I was still horrified. I hope to lose another twenty and stabilize. That’s reasonable for my age. It does no good to tell you all how much I weigh, as I don’t know myself. No feet remember? No way to tell, you just have to go by the size you wear. I just know what the scale said and what it says now, and it’s telling me I’m down 9 lbs. Size 14 is very comfortable for me now. Since you lose a size every 15 lbs. if I lose another 20, I will be a comfortable 12. Of course I would love to be a 10 again, but older women can look really bad if they lose too much weight. Anyway, I have a long way to go before I really access when I want to stop losing and hopefully, maintain.

If I’m honest with you, I have few illusions that I will be successful with this. That’s a defeating thing to say, but this is certainly not my first rodeo with weight loss, but I do think it’s my smartest. All the stupid, silly things I’ve done, ATKINS to be exact, have been in vain. Low carbing is hideous, you’re so deprived and it doesn’t accomplish anything long term for me, but it has shown me that I need to eat adequate protein to feel sated, and to avoid sugar at all cost, because it spikes insulin and makes me hungry. Weight Watchers is the most sensible eating plan of all, but I’m not doing it like I did when I was in my early 50’s, then I ate lots of processed food, ice cream bars, low calorie cookies, a lot of white diet bread, now I eat only whole grains, brown rice, few potatoes, except for those light chips. That’s my treat, they’re so good at lunch, even if they are processed. And I allow myself to eat 18-20 points. I used to try and hold it to 16, and I was always hungry. I’m not in so much of a hurry this time, and I’m much more satisfied eating within this point range. I don’t eat a lot of meat, but I do eat beans, peanut butter and soy products for the protein. I enjoy these foods, so it’s easy for me…

Yesterday morning we ate out, I ordered fresh strawberries, plain, they came with just a dusting of powdered sugar, and that was enough to make me hungry all day. Sugar is just not a good thing in my life, and as long as I make things at home, I can substitute Splenda and still satisfy my love for something sweet.

I may ramble on about how I’m doing weekly, just ignore me if it doesn’t interest you. I do this for myself. I Tweet What I Eat because it keeps me honest. Maybe nobody even reads it, I don’t really care if you do or not, I’m doing it because for now, today, it works for me. As I’ve said before, the idea that I’m putting it out there for everybody to see is keeping me accountable, and it’s saving me the $12 I would spend if I attended Weight Watcher Meetings weekly…

Hungry Girl’s Cheesy Cornbread….

2009-05-02T17:47:00.001-07:00

Boy, do we have a winner with this recipe, ladies. These corn muffins are just 2 points each, they are so moist they are almost like a spoonbread.

The recipe is in my archives, but here it is again. First is Hungry Girl’s exact recipe, followed by just a couple of revisions.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, cornmeal, Splenda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together all other ingredients -- then add the contents of the small bowl to the large one, and stir until well mixed.
Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line it with baking cups. Evenly distribute muffin batter among the cups. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes (until muffins are firm and a light golden brown). Allow to cool and then enjoy!
MAKES 12 SERVINGS

And here is what I changed – I didn’t have 1/2 cup of fat free sour cream, so I used 1/4 cup of ffree sour cream and 1/4 cup of plain yogurt. I substituted 1/4 cup finely chopped onions for the chives, and I put in 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes instead of hot sauce. I also didn’t have egg beaters, I used 4 egg whites to equal 1/2 cup. I used fat free Kraft shredded cheese rather than reduced fat.

I divided these into 12 muffins and baked them for approximately 20 minutes, they weren’t done in 15 minutes as she suggested. They were just lightly browned in 20 minutes and perfect.

I counted these muffins as 2 points each. I also want to try this with whole-wheat flour and see how they come out, as I am tring to not continue to eat white flour.

This recipe is 4 stars, give it a try!

Banana Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

2009-04-30T17:20:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

2 slices high fiber wheat bread (I like to use Milton's 100%whole wheat... but I used Natures Own Double Fiber for the recipe calc)
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg beaters
cinnamon to taste
1TBLS low fat cream cheese
1/2 banana sliced
2TBLS sugar free syrup
spray butter

Directions

Combine egg sub, vanilla extract and cinnamon
Spread cream cheese on on side of bread and top with banana slices. Put bread slices together to sandwhich banana and cream cheese. Dip opposite sides of slices into egg mixture. Cook on medium until browned on each side. Spray with spray butter and top with SF syrup :) enjoy!
Number of Servings: 1

Nutritional Info – 4 WW Points

Servings Per Recipe: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 229.3

Total Fat: 3.9 g
Cholesterol: 9.0 mg
Sodium: 431.1 mg
Total Carbs: 39.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 12.1 g
Protein: 14.1 g

Source: SparkRecipes/Calliefornia

Roni’s Whole Wheat Pasta Pie

2009-04-30T17:13:00.001-07:00

12 oz whole wheat rigatoni
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz extra lean ground turkey
1 medium onion diced
3 gloves garlic minced
1 medium zucchini diced
Kosher Salt & Pepper
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil (or more to taste)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 oz fancy shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
dried parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta until just done. Shave off 1-2 minutes from the time given on the box. I cooked mine for 10.

While preparing the pasta you’ll be making the sauce. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the turkey with the olive oil, onion and garlic. Add the zucchini and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

By this time your pasta should be ready. Drain, rinse with cold water and put back in the pot. Add 1/4 cup of the crushed tomatoes and stir to coat the pasta. Set aside.

Add the remaining crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Stir and add the tsp of basil. It should boil fairly quickly. Lower to a simmer.

Returning to the pasta, add the 1/2 of Parmesan cheese and stir to coat.

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Begin to place the pasta upright in the pan. It will be a little touch and go for a bit but you’ll get the hang of it. I started with the perimeter and worked my way to the center. It took me about 10 minutes. Don’t worry some will be taller and shorter. Some will even have a bend. It will all work out once you are finished.

Top the pasta with the meat sauce. Now, I do NOT have patience to make sure there is meat and sauce in every tube. I just banged the pan a few time allowing things to setting and then added some more sauce until all but about a cup or so was on left in the skillet.

Bake in the preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and top with the mozzarella. Sprinkle a bit of parsley on top. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.

Remove and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge. Release the spring form and viola!

Add a splash of water to the remaining sauce in the skillet to serve on the side in case anyone wants a little extra.

Now, for the nutritional information. I reduced the amount of pasta, cheese and meat from the original recipe, yet used the same size pan. Using the ingredients originally posted on Noble Pig and using the same number or portions for each recipe (6), I reduced everything but fiber, that I increased. :) Here is a little side by side from Nutrition Data. Remember these are just estimates.

You can see pictures of how Roni made this on her site. Here’s the link!

Sausage & Pepper Skewers…

2009-04-25T08:15:00.001-07:00

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 large green bell pepper cut into large chunks
1 large red pepper cut into large chunks
2 thick slices of a large sweet onion cut into large chunks
20oz (6) Italian turkey sausage links (I used Shady Brook Farms Hot) partially defrosted
8 skewers sticks
non-stick cooking spray (for grill)

Preheat the grill.

Put the olive oil, vinegar and Italian seasoning in a large bowl. Add the pepper and onion chunks. Toss in the oil mixture to coat.

Cut each sausage links into 4-5 chunks. If you keep the sausage slightly frozen this process is much easier. Simple defrost frozen sausage for a few minutes in the microwave.

Toss the sausage chunks into with the pepper and onions

Skewer the sausage with the pepper and onion, alternating the three ingredients. I shot for 4 pieces of sausage per skewer.

Makes 8 skewers and I had enough veggies left over for a veggie one.

Lower the grill to medium cook for 20-25 minutes turning frequently.

Serve on a bed of instant whole grain flavored rice.

Aprox Nutritional Information per serving

Servings
Amount per Serving
Calories - 260
Fat - 13
Fiber - 2
WWPs – 6

Another great recipe from Roni at GreenLiteBites. More pictures here.

Whole Wheat Pizza Margherita

2009-04-24T18:46:00.001-07:00

Serves: 8

Details:

Sometimes nothing satisfies like a slice of cheesy pizza. This one's made with a whole-wheat crust and part-skim mozzarella, so it's ideal for South Beach Dieters — and anyone in the mood for a slice.

Tip:

Note: If you don't have a rolling pin, use a wine bottle or stretch the dough out with your hands. If the dough springs back too much, let it rest for 3 minutes to relax the gluten. The cornmeal on the pizza stone or baking sheet makes the crust dry and crunchy. The basil shouldn't go on until after baking, or it will burn.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, plus additional for kneading

Topping:

2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced, then cut into half circles
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced into half circles
Extra-virgin olive oil (optional garnish)
8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Dash of cornmeal for pizza stone

Nutritional Information:

237 calories
7 g total fat (2 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
31 g carbohydrate
12 g protein
5 g fiber
703 mg sodium

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine yeast and warm water; let sit until yeast foams, about 5 minutes. Stir in oil and salt. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing with a large spoon, until dough comes away from the side of the bowl and holds together.
Sprinkle additional flour onto work surface. Turn out the dough and knead about 5 minutes, until it is smooth and springy, adding only enough flour to keep it from sticking to the board.
Form dough into a ball; place in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
To make pizza: Preheat oven to 475°F. Place dough on lightly floured work surface; flatten with your hand. Using floured rolling pin, roll dough outward from the center. Form dough into a circle or rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
Sprinkle pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal. Lay crust on stone or sheet. Lay alternating slices of tomato and cheese on top of the crust, slightly overlapping each piece. Lightly drizzle with additional oil, if desired.
Let pizza rest 10 minutes. (This step can be skipped, but it makes for the crispiest crust.) Place pizza in oven and bake 20 minutes, or until cheese is melting and browning a bit. Sprinkle pizza with sliced basil leaves.

Source: southbeachdiet.com

Red Robin, fuggedaboutit…

2009-04-20T17:30:00.001-07:00

Red Robin just opened in Heavensville. Hubby loves their burgers and is excited about going. I just checked with DWLZ to see how many points. Holy Crap, there’s more points in a burger than I eat in an entire day. A LOT MORE! Just look at this – the numbers at the end are the points. *GASP*, the peppercorn burger has 35.5 points in it!!!!!

Burgers, as served
5 Alarm Burger (907 cal/58g fat/3g fiber/49g carbs/46g protein) 22.5
A.1. Peppercorn Burger (1400 cal/94g fat/3g fiber/88g carbs/54g protein) 35.5
Bleu Ribbon Burger (1022 cal/61g fat/3g fiber/62g carbs/46g protein) 25
Guacamole Bacon Burger (1151 cal/76g fat/3g fiber/52g carbs/62g protein) 29
Monster Burger (1151 cal/69g fat/3g fiber/57g carbs/74g protein) 28.5
Pot Roast Burger (725 cal/38g fat/3g fiber/56g carbs/38g protein) 17.5
Red Robin Bacon Cheeseburger (1030 cal/70g fat/3g fiber/47g carbs/52g protein) 26
Red Robin Gourmet Cheeseburger (850 cal/49g fat/3g fiber/57g carbs/46g protein) 20.5
Royal Red Robin Burger (1178 cal/82g fat/3g fiber/48g carbs/60g protein) 30
Santa Fe Burger (1036 cal/63g fat/5g fiber/62g carbs/46g protein) 25 (25.5)
Sauteed 'Shroom Burger (971 cal/60g fat/4g fiber/52g carbs/60g protein) 24
The Banzai Burger (1054 cal/63g fat/3g fiber/69g carbs/48g protein) 26
Whiskey River BBQ Burger (1169 cal/72g fat/5g fiber/77g carbs/49g protein) 28.5 (29)
Knife & Forkers, as served
Bruschetta Chicken Burger (876 cal/54g fat/4g fiber/54g carbs/46g protein) 21.5
Burger Parmigiana (1081 cal/68g fat/5g fiber/82g carbs/60g protein) 26.5 (26.5)
Chili Chili Cheeseburger (979 cal/57g fat/6g fiber/58g carbs/58g protein) 23.5 (24)
Honky Tonk BBQ Pork Burger (811 cal/33g fat/5g fiber/78g carbs/41g protein) 18 (18.5)
Chicken Burgers, as served
Blackened Chicken Burger (791 cal/48g fat/2g fiber/49g carbs/45g protein) 19.5
California Chicken Burger (982 cal/62g fat/3g fiber/50g carbs/53g protein) 24.5
Crispy Chicken Burger (929 cal/56g fat/4g fiber/71g carbs/37g protein) 22.5
Teriyaki Chicken Burger (900 cal/47g fat/3g fiber/65g carbs/55g protein) 21.5
Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Burger (994 cal/54g fat/5g fiber/77g carbs/49g protein) 23.5 (24)
Adventuresome Burgers, as served
Crispy Fish Burger (565 cal/27g fat/3g fiber/58g carbs/24g protein) 13
Grilled Salmon Burger (806 cal/32g fat/2g fiber/52g carbs/36g protein) 18.5
Grilled Turkey Burger (704 cal/45g fat/3g fiber/47g carbs/29g protein) 17.5
Lettuce-Wrapped Protein Burger (560 cal/37g fat/3g fiber/17g carbs/36g protein) 14
The Garden Burger (578 cal/18g fat/10g fiber/63g carbs/22g protein) 11.5 (12.5)

If you want to depress yourself even further, here’s the complete menu…

Awesome breakfast, 4 pt. burrito…

2009-04-20T16:08:00.001-07:00

La Prefidera Low Carb 1 point tortilla

onions and red peppers sauteed in non-stick skillet sprayed with Pam

1/2 cup refried beans

1/2 cup egg beaters

fresh spinach

taco seasoning

taco sauce

salsa

Sprinkle the onions and peppers with a teaspoon or so of dry taco seasoning mix, and cook in the nonstick skillet until somewhat limp. Meanwhile spread 1/2 cup of fat free refried beans down the middle of the tortilla. Add the cooked veggies to the top of the beans.

Scramble the egg beaters with a handful of fresh spinach in a skillet until cooked.

Pile on top of the burrito filling. Add the mozzarella cheese and squirt on a healthy line of Taco Sauce (I use Pace).

Fold tortilla into an envelope, then wet a paper towel, place on top and nuke it in the wave 1-2 minutes until it’s hot and the cheese melts.

Remove, add another sprinkle of cheese and salsa.

This is fantastic, very filling, and full of fiber and protein so you don’t get hungry again for hours.

The points for this, only 4. 1 point for the beans, 1 for the egg beaters, 1 for the cheese and 1 for the tortilla. Pretty amazing, huh?

It’s all good this morning, well, kinda….

2009-04-20T08:03:00.001-07:00

The good news is that I’m now down four pounds since April 2.

And, I dug out the capris from last season, put on a pair with a sweater this morning, dunno why it’s only 50 degrees, but I did. Anyway, the good news is that they slid right on, no problem, which means that I’m not fatter than I was last year.

The bad news, however, is that they are my big girl capris, my wannabein capris are all stacked to one side. But they’re just a size away, I can do it…

It really helps to be public with this. It makes me be accountable. At least for today…

Are any of you out there doing this weight thing with me? I see from my stats that this site is getting a lot of traffic, so you’re all watching, but you’re watching silently.

I love imput, don’t get hardly any from of all of you, and that’s fine, but I would love to hear any ideas you might have. We’re all in this together…

If you’re eating fast food this week, here’s a list of 500 calories or less food

2009-04-20T06:38:00.001-07:00

Roni tweeted about this last night, it’s worth printing and putting in your glove compartment. 158 fast food meals for under 500 calories.

You can always find Roni’s great pages in “The Cream of the Crop” located in my right sidebar. I’ll be adding more to this area, periodically, so check it often…

Here’s the link to the fast food finds…

~ jan

This is a great trick, if you don’t know it…

2009-04-19T13:08:00.001-07:00

This is What I Eat, Every Day

2009-04-19T09:55:00.001-07:00

Normally you can click on the slideshow in the right sidebar and it will link you to my Picasa Web Album so that you can snag the recipe. This morning I changed the name of the album from Jan’s Healthy Food to Eating Healthy Every Day, and it takes a while for Picasa to update, so you won’t be able to click and go for a few hours, but you can access it clicking here… This is a picture of my 3 point (including syrup) breakfast… The sidebar access should be working later today, and this picture will be included…

~ jan

Yes I’m going to be taking pictures of what I eat….

2009-04-17T11:23:00.001-07:00

It’s a good idea, don’t you think, letting all of you visualize what I eat. Don’t laugh, some of this stuff won’t be too appetizing, but it’s what I’m doing…

There will be random slideshow in the right sidebar, and you can click on the picture to get more details from my Picasa Web Album.

Tweeting what I eat, a week later, how that’s working out for me….

2009-04-15T16:54:00.001-07:00

Actually, it’s working really well. I’m accountable for what I eat because I publish it, and I never eliminate anything. Maybe none of you are even reading what I eat, that’s not the point, it’s the fact that I’m doing it. So for however long it lasts, it’s really working. I haven’t been home to add my Twitter link to this sidebar, but I will soon.

You can find me at http://twitter.com/whatdaisyeats

my latest harebrain scheme….

2009-04-08T07:37:00.001-07:00

I tweet what I eat. I do. Yeah, I know it’s nutso, I can barely keep up with all the tweeting I’m doing, but, it really does make me think about what I eat when I publish it.

So, I’m going to take a deep breath here, and post the link, maybe it will help keep me on track, maybe not. But if it all goes poof, you will know that I fell off the wagon yet again, with a big kerthud.

I look back over my stats for the last couple of years, up and down, the same freakin’ 10 pounds, I lose and gain the same 10 lbs. over and over and over again. Not to mention the other 20 that I should be losing.

But it’s a new day, so here’s the link, I’ll put the Twitter site in the sidebar when I have time.

It would be great if some of you would join Twitter and follow me. You could post what you eat, and I can follow you, too. Information is power….

I’ve tried every diet that comes along, always go back to following Weight Watchers. I have vowed many times to never eat low carb again, this time I mean it. My latest disaster last month before Nisha’s son’s wedding with Atkins made me a believer. I followed Atkins for 10 days and was never so miserable in my entire life. And it doesn’t work, as soon as you add the carbs back, the weight comes right back….

So it’s 18-20 WW points per day. It’s worked before. I went to meetings in my early 50’s, I had gained way too much weight after recovering from meningitis, and being on steroids. I lost 43 lbs. in 14 months and I didn’t cheat. I felt great, I was a comfortable size 10 and it worked for a couple of years, but then bad habits returned and the weight started coming back. But I just don’t want to go to the meetings again, I already know the program backward and forward, so this is my latest idea, being accountable online for what I eat, and letting all of you see it. I’ll give this a try, why not I’ve tried everything else!

Oh, one other thing, I’m really bad about not cooking for myself, – I cook for hubby, then I’m tired, so I just grab something, and I don’t eat from all the food groups like I should, so my entries are not always well rounded, if you know what I mean…. But I’m trying to do better, and I’m trying to get him to eat what I do….

http://twitter.com/whatdaisyeats

An oldie but a goodie, worth repeating….

2009-04-06T16:09:00.001-07:00

Oh, is my face red! This is SO me. Ya know, those frozen cheesecakes aren’t half bad either!

~ jan

      Breakfast
       1 grapefruit
       1 slice whole wheat toast
       1 cup skim milk

       Lunch
       1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
       1 cup spinach
       1 cup herbal tea
       1 Hershey's kiss

       Afternoon Tea
       The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
       A tub of Hagen-Daaz ice cream with chocolate chip

        Dinner
       4 glasses of wine (red or white)
       2 loaves garlic bread
       1 family size supreme pizza
       3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack
1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

Salsa Chicken review…

2009-04-05T15:45:00.001-07:00

It was amazing, it really was. Hubby devoured it! You would never know you were eating healthy, it was so good.

I made it just like the recipe below, (scroll down to view it) except that I used raw chicken tenderloins, they were a bit smaller than the bigger sized breasts so I used 6 total, 1/2 packet of Taco Bell Taco Seasoning Mix so it wouldn't be too salty, and I cooked it on high for 3 hours in my crock. I stirred in 1/2 cup of fat free sour cream at the end, I wondered if I would need a bit of cornstarch to thicken it, but didn’t. It was perfect.

I also fixed Alton Brown’s Baked Brown Rice, my favorite way to make rice, in the oven, and simmered a can of black beans. Ryan always adds Tapatio (hot sauce) to his beans and some cumin, so that’s what I did also. I served the sauce over the rice, I would rate this a ten, it was so good! Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

How could it have been better? Well, if it had a bit of Mexican cheese melted on the top it would be awesome, it would also be good to shred the meat and put the meat and sauce in a tortilla and make a burrito. Lots of possibilities with this recipe!

Diet Coke Sloppy Joes

2009-04-05T12:58:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

16 oz. 96% ground beef
1 cup diet coke
10 tbsp heinz one carb reduced sugar ketchup
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp dry mustard

Directions

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain beef and add back to skillet. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cook on low for 30 minutes uncovered so sauce can thicken. You can also add onions or green peppers if you'd like.

Number of Servings: 4

WW Points – 3.5 without bun

Nutritional Info

* Servings Per Recipe: 4
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 152.5

* Total Fat: 4.5 g
* Cholesterol: 65.0 mg
* Sodium: 596.7 mg
* Total Carbs: 2.5 g
* Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
* Protein: 23.0 g

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

2009-04-04T19:38:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions

Add chicken to slow cooker.
Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken.
Pour salsa and soup over chicken.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
Serve with rice.
NOTES:
You may use half the packet of taco seasoning (I have started doing this to reduce sodium content myself)
Some slow cookers cook faster than others. Mine is a true slow cooker (have had it over 10 years.) The newer ones cook a bit faster and you may have to adjust your cooking time based on that!

Number of Servings: 6

Source: SparkPeople user CHELLESHOCKED.
Number of Servings: 6

WW Core Cornbread…

2008-09-28T07:45:00.001-07:00

This is tried ‘n true, ladies, I’m making this often and it’s wonderful.

~ jan

1-1/2 cups cornmeal

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Splnda

1 cup fat free plain yogurt

1 cup fat free sour cream

1 tablespoon caol oil

2 eggs

I also add some frozen corn, just because I like the texture

Mix liquid ingredients, fold in dry ingredients and bake in preheated 375 oven 25-30 minutes. Use an 8” pan for this, sprayed with Pam.

I make mine in a little iron skillet – I spray the Pam in the skillet, put it on the burner, sprinkle in a dusting of cornmeal and let it get hot and slightly brown, then pour in the batter and bake it. This gives it a nice, crispy crust.

Here’s to healthier eating…

2008-09-19T17:24:00.001-07:00

Don't eat anything that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food
Our mothers and grandmothers are likely as confused as we are about food. We need to go back a couple of generations to get past the era of modern food. Pollan uses the example of tubes of flavored yogurt. Heck, I wouldn’t have recognized those 110 years ago!
Avoid food products that make health claims
For a product to make health claims on its package, it must first have a package, so right off the bat it is more likely to be a processed than a whole food. If they have to try and convince us it’s healthy, it’s usually not. Real foods make health claims, but for the most part it is the products of food science that make the boldest claims, and these are often founded on incomplete or erroneous science.
Get out of the supermarket
The supermarket, the convenience store and fast-food outlets are the best places to avert a life-shortening western diet. It is hard to eat badly from a farmers' market, from a weekly organic vegetable box or from your garden. I personally believe you don’t have to avoid the supermarket, but rather it’s a good idea to avoid most of the processed products that are sold there. It is never a bad idea to frequent farmers markets as you’ll get more locally grown goods.
Eat mostly plants, especially leaves
Almost everybody agrees that plants are really good for you. Without plants, for example, we would be hard-pressed to get enough vitamin C, an essential nutrient that humans long ago lost the ability to synthesize themselves. Aside from what’s in the plants – eating more plant foods means you’re eating less of other unhealthy and otherwise caloric fare.
Eat wild foods when you can
Two of the most nutritious plants in the world are weeds - fat-hen (also known as lamb's quarters) and purslane. Wild greens tend to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than their domesticated cousins. Wild animals, too, are worth adding to your diet when you have the opportunity, if you can be sure you are not putting further pressure on endangered species. Game generally has less saturated fat and more omega-3 fatty acids than domesticated animals and wild fish generally have higher levels of omega-3s than farmed fish.
Don't look for the magic bullet in the traditional diet
Scientists have spent an exhaustive amount of hours trying to tease out the disease-fighting components of particular diets. Yet when researchers extract a single food from a diet of proven value, it usually fails to adequately explain why the people living on that diet live longer or have lower rates of heart disease or cancer than those eating a modern western diet. The whole of a dietary pattern is evidently greater than the sum of its parts.
Eat less
Calorie restriction has repeatedly been shown to slow aging in animals, and some researchers believe it is the single strongest link between a change in the diet and the prevention of cancer. The people of Okinawa, for example, one of the longest-lived and healthiest populations in the world, practice a principle they call hara hachi bu: eat until you are 80% full.
Eat meals
We are snacking more and eating fewer meals together. Americans have added to the traditional big three "eating occasions" - breakfast, lunch and dinner - an as-yet-untitled fourth that lasts all day long: the constant sipping and snacking while watching TV, driving, and so on.

Happy eating!

Banana Split Dessert

2008-07-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Serves - 20

Points - 4

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 stick light margarine, melted
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. fat free cream cheese
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained well
4 medium bananas
2 cups skim milk
2 (4 serving size) pkgs. fat free sugar free vanilla instant pudding mix
8 oz. container Cool Whip Free
20 maraschino cherries
Hershey's Lite chocolate syrup for drizzling
Methods/steps

Mix crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and melted margarine. Press into bottom of 13" x 9" baking dish to form crust. Place in freezer for about 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Spread evenly over crust in baking dish. Top with crushed pineapple, spreading evenly in dish. Slice 3 bananas and place evenly on top of pineapple.

In another mixing bowl, combine milk and pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk or an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until well blended. Fold in 1 cup of Cool Whip Free. Spread evenly over banana layer. Top with remaining Cool Whip Free. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Before serving, slice remaining banana. Garnish each slice with banana, drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with a cherry.
Nutrition Information per serving:

197 Cal., 2.7 g. fat, 1.3 g. fiber

Tomato and Red Onion Salad

2008-07-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

    * 1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
    * 1/2 cup cider vinegar
    * 1/4 cup Splenda
    * 8 cups tomatoes, cut (about 3 lb.)

Directions

1. In medium bowl combine 4 cups ice cold water and 2 teaspoons salt; stir to dissolve salt. Add onion slices; stir to separate rings. Let stand 20 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, for Sweet-Sour Dressing, in small bowl whisk together vinegar, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. In extra-large bowl combine tomatoes and drained onions. Add dressing; gently toss to coat. Let stand 5 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

So-Good Sausage Gravy 'n Biscuits

2008-06-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 235 calories, 5.5g fat, 752mg sodium, 34g carbs, 9g fiber, 1g sugars, 17g protein -- POINTS® value 4*

Go hog wild with this fat-slashed, vegetarian-friendly version of a classic!

Ingredients:
1 meatless sausage-style breakfast patty (like one by Morningstar Farms or Boca, or two of Yves' small patties)
1 light english muffi n
1/2 cup Unsweetened Original Almond Breeze
4 tsp. whole-wheat flour
dash salt
dash pepper
dash onion powder
To taste: additional salt, pepper and onion powder, garlic powder, minced dried onions

Directions:
Prepare breakfast patty according to package directions (either in a pan with nonstick spray, or in the microwave). Once cool enough to handle, cut patty into small, crumble-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the gravy, combine Almond Breeze, flour, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Mix well. Place gravy and sausage crumbles in a small pot, and heat stovetop over a medium-high flame. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking and stirring for 1 - 2 minutes (until gravy thickens). Remove from heat. Season gravy generously with additional spices (to taste). Se parate the english muffin into halves and warm in the microwave. Then pour the sausage gravy over the open-faced halves. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Source: HungryGirl Newsletter

Faux-Fried Green Tomatoes from HungryGirl Newsletter

2008-06-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 140 calories, 1.5g fat, 699mg sodium, 34g carbs, 12g fiber, 7g sugars, 8g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

HG Tip! Although you'll only use the amounts called for, it may be helpful to dole out a little extra egg substitute and milk. And if you don't see green tomatoes out there with the ripe red ones, ask a friendly stock boy (that's what we did!).

Ingredients:
1 medium green (unripe) tomato, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/3 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency
1 1/2 tbsp. cornmeal
2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Original Egg Beaters)
2 tbsp. low-fat milk (light soymilk or Unsweetened Original Almond Breeze will also work)
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
dash salt
dash pepper
Optional: additional spices, ketchup (for dipping)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the ground cereal, cornmeal and spices in a sealable container or plastic bag. (For a more flavorful coating, add extra spices.) Pour the egg substitute into a small dish.

Pour the milk into another small dish. Dip a tomato slice in the milk, and place it in the cereal/cornmeal mixture. Seal the container or bag, and shake until the slice is coated. Remove the slice and set aside, and then repeat with the remaining slices. Next, repeat this entire process using the egg substitute in place of the milk, coating your tomato slices with the crumb mixture a second time. (Before coating the slices in crumbs again, give 'em a shake so they're not dripping with excess egg substitute.)

Place the double-coated slices on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Pop 'em in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, flipping the slices about halfway through cooking. Tomatoes are done when the outsides are nice and crispy. Enjoy! These are great by themselves, but they're also excellent dipped in ketchup!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Ramona's Garden Veggie Salad

2008-05-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is another recip from my friend Ramona, the great cook who gave us Butterfly Salad . It's a winner. I fixed part of it with celery, part without, as hubby isn't a celery lover. I actually preferred it without the celery, also. The original recipe calls for sugar, I used Splenda instead - worked great! There is no oil in this, so it's really WW points friendly.

~ jan

Garden Veggie Salad

1 pkg. frozen mixed vegetables 20-24 ounce package (i used 2-16 ounce packages), cooked and drained
1 16 ounce can red kidney beans drained
1 can chopped pimentoes, drained
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion

Dressing:
1 egg
1 cup Splenda
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 tbs. flour
1 tbls. yellow mustard
1/2 cup vinegar
1/3 cup water -

Beat egg with fork, add sugar salt flour and mustard, beat until smooth - stir in vinegar and water until smooth, cook over medium heat until thickened, let cool and pour over veggies and stir well - chill several hours or overnight.

HungryGirl's Hot Tamale Pie

2008-01-11T08:47:00.001-08:00

PER SERVING (1/6th of pie): 220 calories, 2.75g fat, 630mg sodium, 37g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 8g sugars, 16g protein -- POINTS® value 4*

This tamale pie is AWESOME. Make it NOW. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

Ingredients:

For Topping
1 pouch Betty Crocker Authentic Cornbread & Muffin Mix
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
3 tbsp. no-sugar-added applesauce

For Pie
One 12-oz. package frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles or Boca Meatless Ground Burger**)
1/2 cup canned sweet corn kernels, drained
1/2 cup canned black beans
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. taco sauce
1 tbsp. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cornbread mix, egg substitute and applesauce. Set aside.

In a large pan sprayed lightly with nonstick spray, begin to cook onions and soy crumbles over medium heat. Once crumbles have thawed, add in taco seasoning, cumin, and 1/4 cup of water. Stirring occasionally, continue to cook until the water has absorbed. Then add the taco sauce, corn, and black beans, and mix well.

Pour mixture into a large round casserole dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray, and then evenly cover with the cornbread topping mixture.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until top is golden brown and firm.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Cheesy Muffins from HungryGirl

2008-01-11T08:44:00.001-08:00

Cheesy-Good Cornbread Muffins

PER SERVING (1 muffin): 85 calories, 1.5g fat, 240mg sodium, 14g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugars, 4g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Cheesy cornbread muffins for only 85 calories each?! How can it be???

Ingredients:
1 cup canned cream-style corn
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Optional: 1/4 tsp. hot sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, cornmeal, Splenda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together all other ingredients -- then add the contents of the small bowl to the large one, and stir until well mixed.

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line it with baking cups. Evenly distribute muffin batter among the cups. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes (until muffins are firm and a light golden brown). Allow to cool and then enjoy!

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Skinny Latte's are coming..

2008-01-02T08:18:00.001-08:00

Starbucks lattes will be going on a diet beginning in ’08. The “skinny latte” will be fat-free and made with sugar-free syrup. A 12oz (tall) will register only 90 calories compared to 260 in a comparable white chocolate mocha - non-fat (no whip).

I think this could work for them - IF it tastes comparable to its more caloric counterpart. Being sugar-free, they are using one or more artificial sweeteners, which doesn't always jibe with peoples’ taste buds or their apprehensions over the health concerns of artificial sweetener (whether rational or not).

Whether this new offering will be helpful to the weight-conscious consumer is a matter of circumstance. For instance…

If your new year’s resolution is to shed pounds, it is best to eliminate or drastically reduce calorie-containing drinks. Grab a tall Sumatra - black.
If your new year’s resolution is to shed pounds AND you are a latte junkie accustomed to a daily indulgence of the 260 cal variety – this may be an option of compromise. If you do the math, assuming a 5-latte/week pace, you save about 850 calories per week, which equates to about 1 pound of fat per month. This is of course assuming the law of thermodynamics is an exact science (which it isn’t) and also assuming you aren’t grabbing a 370 calorie apple Danish with a mocha swirl as well (you know, because you’re saving sooo many calories with your skinny latte). But I digress…
If your new year’s resolution is to remain healthy and you like the original mochas – keep drinking them. Just be sure the rest of your dietary choices are pretty good and you exercise regularly
If your new year’s resolution is to save money… what the heck are you doing at Starbucks?

Source: The Diet Blog

Hungry Girl Pumpkin Pie

2007-11-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

No one loves pumpkin as much as Hungry Girl does -- the fat orange fruit (yes, it's technically a fruit 'cuz it has seeds!) and HG have been BFFs forever. So it was inevitable that a fantastic pumpkin pie swap would come from the HG kitchen. Well, here it is. Grab a can of pumpkin and your trusty box of Fiber One, and get busy! We present to you HG's Too-Good-To-Deny Pumpkin Pie...

Ingredients:

For Crust
2 cups Fiber One bran cereal (original)
1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown); melted & mixed with 1 oz. water
3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated
1 tsp. cinnamon

For Filling
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
One 12-oz. can evaporated fat-free milk
3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
Optional Topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Combine crumbs with all other crust ingredients. Stir until mixed well. In an oven-safe 9-inch pie dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray, evenly distribute mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust. Press it into the edges and up along the sides of the dish. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie crust. (Filling may be taller than the crust -- trust us, this is okay!) Bake pie in the oven for 45 minutes, and then remove it and allow to cool. Chill in the fridge for several hours (for best results, chill overnight). Cut into 8 slices, and if you like, top with Reddi-wip before serving! MAKES 8 SERVINGS

NOTE: This took 55 minutes to bake until a knife came out clean, and I believe my oven is pretty accurate -

~ jan

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 133
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 236mg
Carbs: 28g
Fiber: 9g
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 6g

POINTS® value 2*

2 Point Cranberry Muffins - 12 Muffins...

2007-11-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

1 sprays cooking spray
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt
1 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
2 Tbsp fat-free egg substitute
1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 Tbsp sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or fill pan with paper liners.
Combine flour, oats, 1/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix well with a fork, make a well in the center and set aside.
Whisk yogurt, milk, egg substitute, margarine and vanilla together in a small bowl. Fold mixture into dry ingredients until blended; fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. - RECIPE MAKES 12 MUFFINS
Bake for 20 minutes; sprinkle tops of muffins with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 5 minutes more. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.

Chef Tips

We renovated Cranberry Muffins by:
- Using fat-free yogurt to yield a moist texture while cutting back on oil.
- Replacing the remaining fat with reduced-calorie margarine.
- Swapping fat-free egg substitute for whole eggs.
- Opting for fat-free milk over whole milk.

Peggy Jane's Weight Watcher Taco Soup...

2007-10-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been doubled, except for the ground round, it made a huge pot, and it freezes well. Might as well make a lot when you have a mess in the kitchen.

It's already doubled in the ingredient list below, don't add 4 cans of each soup, but you could make it with just one can of each soup and one can less of the tomatoes if you want more ground beef, but it doesn't really need it. This stuff ROCKS!!!!

Peggy Jane's Weight Watcher Taco Soup

1 lb. ground round
chopped onion
1 can Rotel Original Tomatoes with Chiles
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
2 cans Bush pinto beans (drain one can, don't drain the other)
2 cans black beans (drain one can, don't drain the other)
2 cans Brooks HOT chili beans (DON'T DRAIN)
1 bag frozen corn -
1 package dry Taco Seasoning Mix
1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

Saute ground round and onion, you can also add green pepper if you like - add to remaining ingredients and simmer 20-30 minutes. That's it, really easy.

I drained part of the beans, because this soup is salty. I did NOT put salt on the ground beef when I sauted it. When I make it again I might use reduced sodium tomatoes in it - it's not too salty, it has a wonderful taste, I just try to cut back on the sodium whenever I can.

~ jan

Weight Watcher Points for this is 2-3 per cup. I'm not sure of exact nutritionals, but it's very low in points, and a cup of it is filling. I freeze in small Glad Plastic Containers. This makes a HUGE pot...

Awesome healthy food...

2007-10-02T17:35:00.001-07:00

Roni's Weight Watchen site has some FANTASTIC healthy recipes, complete with pictures. I read nothing but good things about her recipes, ladies, this page will take a long time to load as it's graphic intense, but well worth the wait. Trust me.... ~ jan

Click here to acess her site...

Food Magnets

2007-07-28T05:08:00.001-07:00

I don't put anything on my refrigerator, but if I did, it would be these food magnets.

Check them out!