Honey, I shrank myself!

Pushing the Restart Button, AGAIN!

2011-06-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to go back to my Weight Watchers meeting last night. I'm so glad I did! There is such comfort in going to meetings. I get an energy that Iso need to get going. I think I have one of the best leaders anyone could ever want. She's there to listen and help you on the goals you want to reach, and so much more. She's such an inspiration!
I really do not know what's going on with me. I do know that I have had no desire to do the program. The program will not work if you do not want to do it. So, here I am again pushing the restart button. I'm really looking forward to the program which is such a different attitude than I've had the past year and a half. So, I'm putting the past behind me and moving forward. That's basically the only thing you can do!

Here is what I had for breakfast and a picture is at the top.
1/2 cup egg beaters- 1 points plus
1 Weight Watchers Cheese Single- 1 points plus
1 slice lean ham- 1 points plus
1 small apple- 0 points plus
2 cups water
vitamin
3 points plus used

What's For Breakfast and My Weigh In

2010-12-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

The new PointsPlus Weight Watchers program really works! I tested it for a week and truly love it! I lost 3.4 pounds. I used my weekly points and ate pizza out. There's no depriving yourself or going hungry on this plan. This is so the boost I needed to get back on track.

At my Weight Watchers meeting last night, the new weekly booklet has a place for you to plan your meals for the next day. I am a big planner and I really believe planning helped me lose the weight I lost on the Flex and Momentum programs. I like to plan my meals for the week. This is just a plan but it helps guide me to eating better and having the foods available that I need. It also saves me at the grocery store because I take my plan and make a menu. I usually post those on this blog on Mondays. Last week, I read about a lot of people on the Weight Watchers message boards saying they were having a hard time planning menus with the new program. Personally, I use the same things I was eating before and just change the points to the new PointsPlus program. This week I plan to list some of my favorite meals and snack that I like to use to stay on plan. I plan my meals for my family of 6. We eat the same things. So, I use things that are kid friendly and within my grocery budget. All my kids but 1 eat breakfast at school, so I can do things I like then. Today I am focusing on Breakfast.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. I always like to eat a fruit with it to get some of my Good Health Guidelines in. These are just my ideas. You need to pick things you enjoy. That's why I like Weight Watchers so much it gives you the freedom to choose! As always the ingredients you use may change the point values, so make sure you check the points based on your ingredients.

1. Omelets- These are so easy to make and add what you like. I make mine with egg beaters and I use 1/2 cup for 1 point, then I add a Weight Watcher Cheese Single for 1 pt. , I also like to have onions and mushrooms both 0 points. I also found some ham slices at Save a Lot that are 2 points for 2 slices. Sometimes I put one in the omelet and then place the other one in the hot pan I cooked the omelet in and eat it on the side. I add a fruit to this and some hot herbal tea. Right now I enjoy the Celestial Seasonings Holiday Gingerbread Spice one. A very filling breakfast that I only spend 4 points on. this also contains a lot of power foods which keep you fuller longer.

2. Oatmeal- I love oatmeal on a cold winter morning. I like to add cinnamon to mine. I have 1 cup for 4 points and eat a banana on the side. I also like to put things in my oatmeal to spice it up a bit and sometimes use the instant to save time. Here is one of my favorites.
Apple Pie Oatmeal-Taste just like Apple Pie!!!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

1 package of light cinnamon flavored oatmeal like Quaker Oatmeal Weight Control Cinnamon

Dash of extra cinnamon to taste

1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce or a single serve container

Pour the package contents in a small bowl with a dash of extra cinnamon and add about 1/2 cup of boiling water. Stir and let sit a minute. Stir in the applesauce and sprinkle with a bit more cinnamon.

Makes 1 serving at 5 points

3. Boxed Cereal with Fat Free Milk
Here are some of my favorites"
Honey Nut Cheerios- 3/4 cup at 3 points
Multi grain Cheerios- 1 cup for 3 points
Rice Chex Cereal- 1 cup for 3 points

I add a piece of fruit and 1 have 1 cup of fat free milk to get my healthy guidelines in. I drink what ever I do not use in my cereal. This breakfast usually does not keep me very full but on a quick morning that I do not have time to cook, I like it.

4. Hungry Girl Egg Mugs, these are a few I really like.
All American Egg Mug
The Classic Egg Mug- I like to add veggies to this to make it more filling.
There are a ton to choose from the Hungry Girl website. After you make a few you can start adding in whatever you like to custom make yours. Remember to add power foods to help you fuller. I also like to add a fruit to this meal and some herbal tea.

5. Pancakes and French Toast
I love pancakes and French Toast so why not fit them into my Breakfast. I use Sugar Free Syrup with mine. I also like to have fruit with them. These are usually saved for weekend meals with the kids.

Cinnamon French Toast

1 cup Egg Beaters (2 points)

1/3 cup fat free milk ( 1 point)

1 tsp ground cinnamon (0 points)

1 tsp vanilla extract (0 points)

non-stick spray

10 slices of bread (This will depend on what type of bread you use)

Whisk together Egg Beaters, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla is shallow medium bowl; set aside. Spray non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium. Dip bread in egg beaters mixture, coat both sides. Put in skillet and cook on both sides until golden brown.

Serving size is 2 slices (add up the points I gave you with your bread points and then divide by 5, the number of servings to find the point value.)

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes- I use this recipe but I don't use the butter or the maple syrup. You get 12 pancakes with 2 pancakes being a serving for 5 points for each serving. I like to double the recipe and freeze some for an easy morning.

*You can do this same activity for yourself since everyone gets a different number of points and has different likes. Here's how you do it. Write down all the breakfast meals you enjoyed on the Momentum program and then find out the new point values and try to add power foods to the ones you already like. You may find that there are some things you do not like on this program anymore. I got rid of a lot of my Light English Muffins and bagel. This activity really helped me. Now I have a go to list of the foods I like and the point values when I go to plan my menus.

New PointsPlus+ Program

2010-12-03T05:13:00.000-08:00

I am starting over with Weight Watchers. I never really quit, I just gained a lot of weight back and totally lost my motivation for the program, so I need to really get back on track. Tuesday, I got the new information at my meeting on the new Weight Watchers Program, PointsPlus+. My impressions after the meeting were that this new program was really complicated, but very doable. I have now been on the new program for 2 days, today starts my 3rd. They tell you not to compare to the old program, but it is really hard because I have done that program for so long. I agree though that you MUST do that. You now get a bigger daily and weekly points allowance which seems high but then most foods are higher in points too. One of the new things is that fresh fruits and most veggies can be eaten for "free." You can't abuse this though. Yesterday I used 15 extra weekly points. They say those are in there for you to use and still lose weight so we will see. I lost a lot of weight with the Momentum program. I did however feel hungry sometimes on that program. I have not felt that way on this new program. I full fuller because I am choosing power foods as Weight Watchers calls them. I feel like I am eating more. So, I worry about am I doing it right? Will I really lose weight?, etc. But you know what, I really like the new program and feel it keeps me fuller during the day. I can't wait until weigh in day to see how well it works and how well I worked it.

My goals for the rest of the week:
1. Keep tracking (I rediscovered my e-tools tracker. I forgot how much I loved it. It has also been a long time since I tracked, probably why I was not doing well. I needed motivation!)
2. Exercise (I have not exercised either day, so I want to get that added in.)
3. Plan my day early for the foods I plan to eat. This really helps me stay on points.
4. Continue to keep my blog updated.

Pineapple Meatloaf

2010-05-12T02:38:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make this recipe for awhile now, but my husband hates pineapple and especially crushed pineapple. After reading several reviews, I learned that most people said you could not taste the pineapple. I decided to go ahead and make it without telling him. I made it before going to my meeting last night and left him to serve dinner to the kids. When I came back, I asked him if he liked it and he said it was pretty good. So, I guess I tricked him. You really can't taste the pineapples so don't let that stop you from making this because it is so good. I served mine with green beans and 80 calorie Betty Crocker instant potatoes and a biscuit. It was a great meal! I also made a mistake and did not add the oats, but it still cooked well even with those left out. I'll add them next time. I had my onion and green pepper already chopped so this was a very quick meal to cook! Here's the recipe, so you can try it yourself

Pineapple Meatloaf

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped (or any color)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pound lean ground beef

8 ounces crushed pineapple

BBQ sauce, optional (add points if you use)

Combine egg, oats, onion, bell pepper, and salt. Add beef and pineapple. Mix well. Place in a baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Top with BBQ sauce, if desired.

Serves 4 (I served 6 with it, but I also have 3 small children)

Calories: 250; Fat 7g; Fiber 2g

Tuesday Breakfast and a Hungry Girl Review

2010-05-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

I've been trying new things for breakfast because my old stand-bys have started becoming boring. I got the new Hungry Girl 123 Cookbook for my birthday and I plan to try some of those recipes out. Here's what I had today.

Hungry Girl's Burger-rama- 3 pts
1 cup sliced strawberries with Splenda- 0.5 points
2 cups water

Lorie's Review: This is the third mug recipe I have tried and I like how quick and easy they are to make and they are really filling. This particular one was a little strange. It was good, but there are others I like better.

Menu Plan Monday May 10-16- Crockpot Week!

2010-05-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm pulling out my crock pot and letting it do the work for me. Hot weather has already been here in Kentucky and suppose to return to the 80's this week, so crockpotting will keep my house cooler. I am also doing a lot of microwave cooking for breakfast, this will also keep my house cooler. So, here's what's planned at my house.

Dinners

Monday: Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, Low-Fat Bread Machine Italian Bread (made into bread sticks), salad

Tuesday: Crockpot Taco Junk with baked tortilla scoop chips

Wednesday: Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken, crockpot baked potatoes (cooked in bottom of chicken), green beans

Thursday: To Die For Roast, Betty Crocker 80 Calorie Mashed Potatoes, green beans

Friday: Pizza Night

Saturday: Crockpot Chicken and stuffing, Crockpot Baked Potatoes, green beans

Sunday: *New Recipe Night* Pineapple Meatloaf, green beans

Breakfast

Monday: Hungry Girl's All American Egg Mug, strawberries

Tuesday: Hungry Girl's Egg Mug Burger-Rama, grapes

Wednesday: Hungry Girl's All American Egg Mug, strawberries

Thursday: Hungry Girl's Egg Mug Classic, strawberries

Friday: Hungry Girl's Pizza Pizza Egg Mug, grapes

Saturday: Denver Omelette in a Mug, strawberries

Sunday: Hungry Girl's All-American Egg Mug, strawberries

(Note: My kids eat breakfast at school and my little one eats cereal everyday.)

Lunch

Monday: Bacon Tomato Sandwich, grapes

Tuesday: Bacon Tomato Sandwich, grapes

Wednesday: Garden Vegetable Soup

Thursday: Garden Vegetable Soup

Friday: Garden Vegetable Soup

Saturday: Cookout at church

Sunday: Fat Free Hot Dogs, baked chips

----------------------------------------------------

Go here to see more menus.

Using Your Crock Pot on Weight Weighters

2010-04-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

I love the crock pot! I own three. I got a new one this past January. You can only get it at Walmart and it is digital. It also can be removed for serving and has a retractable cord. The lid can be secured so it will not fall off when traveling and I like that you can cook on low, high or just warm and set a timer for your foods. Here is the crock pot if you want to go check it out. It also is a fairly reasonable price. I looked and looked for a couple of months for this crock pot and could not find it at my Walmart so I ordered it through the Walmart's site to store program and got free shipping!
I use the crockpot a lot with my family. It saves me from having to heat up my house with the oven, especially in the summer. I can also use cheaper cuts of meat and they come out tender and that saves me money! I also like that with most recipes I just put it in and forget it until dinner.

I have several favorite recipes that my family loves and that we cook a lot in my house. All are great if you are doing Weight Watchers or just watching your weight. Here are my favorite crock pot recipes for my kitchen.

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
Serves 12 ( one cup each)
16 oz. dry spaghetti, cooked
1 lb. Velveeta Light (2%)Cheese
12.5 oz can chicken breast, drained & flaked
1 can 98% FF cream of mushroom soup
1 can 98% FF cream of chicken soup
10 oz. can diced tomatoes & green chilies (Rotel)
4 oz can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, diced
1 med. green pepper, diced
salt & pepper to taste
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and stir to mix well. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Stir again just before serving.
Nutrition Info:286 Cal., 5.7 g Fat, 2.7 g Fiber

To Die For Roast
1 envelope of brown gravy seasoning packet
1 envelope ranch dressing seasoning packet
1 envelope good seasons Italian seasoning packet
1/2 c water
Mix all 3 seasoning packets together. Spray crock pot. Place roast in middle and surround with potatoes. Pour in 1/2c water. Sprinkle roast and potatoes with seasoning mixture. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Enjoy!

Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup
1 Lb. 96% Lean Ground Beef, cooked
2 (14.5 oz.) Cans Diced Tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano
2 (10.5 oz.) Cans Chicken Broth
1 Large Onion, chopped
3 Bell Peppers, chopped
2 (10 3/4 oz.) Cans Condensed Tomato Soup
1 1/2 Cups Cooked Long Grain Rice
Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Inside the crockpot, Combine the cooked beef, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, bell peppers and tomato soup. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Warm up the rice, stir it into the soup and serve.
Serves: 12 (1 Cup Each)
Per Serving: 141 Calories; 3g Fat (18.2% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 22mg Cholesterol; 470mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chili
8 Servings
240 Calories 4 g. Fiber 6 g. Fat
FROM: “Fix it and Forget it Lightly” Cookbook
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
½ c. brown sugar
2 T. prepared mustard
1medium sized onion, chopped
2 cans (14 oz. each) kidney or red beans
2 c. low-sodium tomato juice
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
1 t. chili powder
Brown ground beef and onion in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and mustard. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on HIGH 2-3 hours. If possible, stir several times during cooking.

Mexican Rice Casserole
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 TB diced onion
1 large green pepper, chopped
16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 package taco seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup instant rice, uncooked
In a non stick skillet, brown beef, onions, and peppers. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, except rice. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Stir in rice, cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
Yields: 6 servings (about 1 cup each)
Per Serving: 272 calories, 2g fat, 6g fiber

Smothered Buttermilk Chicken
1 pound boneless chicken thighs (see note, I did that)
3 medium carrots, sliced
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons light margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package chicken gravy mix
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup frozen peas
In a 4 to 6 quart crock pot, combine chicken, carrots, onion, water, butter, salt, pepper and bay leaf; mix well. Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high setting for 3 to 4 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, stir gravy mix into crock pot. Remove and discard bay leaf. In a measuring cup, blend buttermilk and flour until smooth. Stir flour mixture and peas into chicken; mix well. Cover, increase heat to high; cover and cook an additional 25-20 minutes or until peas are cooked. Serve with rice or biscuits.
Serves 4 (I served 8 people this meal but added more chicken)
7 points
NOTES: **You can use frozen bone in chicken thighs as well. Just turn up the heat to high for the first hour, then down to low for the remaining 6 hours. Before stirring in gravy mix, remove the skin from the chicken. The chicken will fall apart and meld nicely with the rest of the dish- just be sure to remove the bones before serving.

Crockpot Taco Junk
1 lb Lean Ground Beef 90% Lean
Cooked & Drained Or Ground Turkey
15 oz Whole Kernel Corn, Drained
15 oz Kidney Beans, Or Northern, Or Pinto, Drained
1 envelope Ranch dressing powder
1 envelope Taco Seasoning Mix
10 oz Rotel Tomatoes
16 oz Salsa
Brown ground beef, drain if necessary. Mix all ingredients together. Place in crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours.
Makes 5-1 cup servings:
Per Serving: 406 Cal; 11 g Tot Fat; 8 g Fiber
OR
10- 1/2 cup servings:
Per Serving: 203 Cal; 5 g Tot Fat; 4 g Fiber

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken
1 whole chicken
spray olive oil
Lawry's seasoned salt -no substitutes
Aluminum foil
Clean chicken inside and out. Spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with Lawry's. Spray inside of crock with Pam. Note: Do not put any water in the crock. Roll 3 or 4 wads of aluminum foil into 2”-3” balls and put them in the bottom of the crock. The chicken is going to sit on these. Place chicken breast side down in crock on top of aluminum balls. (The chicken breast sits on the aluminum balls, for the simple fact that the natural juices drain to the bottom of the pot, so with the breast on the bottom the juices stay in the breast instead of draining from the breast keeping the breast super moist!)
Cook on High (will not come out the same on low), 4-6 hours. (3lb. chicken took 4 hours)

You have to use the aluminum to get the deli taste. This chicken tastes very close to one you would buy, precooked, in the deli section of your supermarket

**NOTE** wrap a potato in foil and place them in the bottom of the crock pot to make the foil balls, then you have both chicken and potatoes cooked to perfection

Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
4 chicken breasts (halves)
1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can FF cream of mushroom soup
Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on bottom of crockpot. Pour broth over the chicken. Mix together the stuffing and soup. Place on top of the chicken. Cook on low for 7 hours.
Serves 4
Nutrition Information:403 Cal., 5.1 g. fat, 1.3 g. fiber

Crockpot Sour Cream Salsa Chicken
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
1 package reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup light sour cream
Spray the crockpot with cooking spray. Add the chicken breast. Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Top with salsa. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When ready to serve, remove the chicken from the pot. Place about 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a small amount of water. Stir well. Stir the cornstarch mixture into salsa sauce. Stir in ¼ cup sour cream.
Serves 4
Per serving: 170 calories, 2g fat, 1g fiber

Crock Pot Lasagna
1 pound uncooked lean ground beef with 7% fat
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
15 oz canned tomato sauce
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes or to taste
1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 and 1/2 c. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
6 dry lasagna noodles, no cook
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
Heat a large skillet over med. heat. Add beef, onion, and garlic. Cook until meat is done or about 5-7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 5 minutes. In med. bowl stir together ricotta and 1c. of mozzarella. Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5 qt. slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna noodles in half and place over beef mixture. Top noodles with 1/2 of ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.
Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting 4-6 hours. Remove cover. Turn off heat. Season to taste if desired.
In a small bowl combine remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella and parmesan; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and the lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes.
Serves 6 people.
Nutrition Information (per serving): 425 calories; 16.7 g. fat; 45 mg. cholesterol; 32.2 g. carbohydrate; 5 g. fiber; 39.2 g. protein

Crockpot Cheeseburgers
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2t. pepper
8 oz. Light Velveeta
2 T. skim milk
1 c. onion, chopped
In skillet, brown ground beef with garlic and pepper. Drain.
Combine cooked meat and remaining ingredients in crock pot.
Mix well and cook on low 2-3 hours.
Serve on buns or over mashed potatoes for additional points.
10 servings (1/2 cup each)
4 points per serving

Homemade Bread on Weight Watchers?

2010-04-09T05:29:00.000-07:00

I made a goal this year to make all of my own sandwich bread at home and to start learning how to make other kinds of bread. That's really hard for someone doing Weight Watchers but there are some recipes out there. Here is the bread I've been eating. I put all of my dry ingredients for a recipe in a baggie (I make up about 6 bags at a time) and then all I have to do is add my wet ingredients, the baggie and my yeast to my bread machine. I put all my breads in on the dough cycle and then shape it and put it in my oven. This process has seemed to make bread making not as hard for me. I make bread every other day or at least every two days. This bread says it serves 10 but I have a slicing guide and I get 12 nice slices out of it. You still have to watch portion sizes but you can still have homemade bread on Weight Watchers. Here's the recipe from recipezaar. Enjoy!

Weight Watchers White Bread

I'm here

2010-03-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm going back to Weight Watchers tonight. The scale kind of scares me because I know its bad. I don't know what happened to me. Busy, Basketball and you name it!

Meeting Quotes

2010-02-05T04:47:00.000-08:00

"Remember if you just do something "sometimes" it only works "sometimes."

There's no place like goal.

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

2010-01-28T07:27:00.000-08:00

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 egg whites

3/4 cup walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing the foil to extend over the rim by 2-inches. Spray with non-stick spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan set over low heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the cocoa and vanilla; let stand 5 minutes. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, and egg whites to the cocoa mixture, whisk until blended. Stir in the flour mixture until blended. Stir in the walnuts. Scrape the batter into the baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging, 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack. Lift from the pan using the foil as handles; cut into 16 squares.

Tip: For easier cutting, refrigerate the cooled brownies about 1 hour.

Calories: 140, Fat 7g, Fiber 1 or 3 points per serving

From: Best Ever Desserts

Made without walnuts 2 points per serving

Lorie's Verdict: These were so good. They are rich and very chocolatey! So beware. But that's good because it will be easier not to eat all 16 at once! My kids LOVED them! My husband does not like nuts in brownies and that saved me a point!

No-Bake Granola Bars

2010-01-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

These were really good. My lids loved them and can't wait until I can make some more! My chocolate chips still melted a little even though I put them in the freezer, but they were still good!
No-Bake Granola Bars

1.5 cups rice krispies cereal

1.5 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar (unpacked)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Line a 13x9 pan with wax paper, they're chewy and it's easier to get them out. Put the mini chocolate chips in the freezer while you're working, they won't melt as quickly when you add them later on. Add oats and rice krispies to a very large mixing bowl. Heat brown sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla and stir until everything is combined. It will be a thick brown sauce. Don't let it boil. Remove from heat and pour over oat/cereal mix. Work quickly and stir to combine everything. Add the mini chocolate chips at the very end. Press into baking pan and chill for about 30 minutes until solid. Cut into 16 bars. (I lifted them right out with the wax paper and cut them on a cutting board)

Makes 16 servings

3 points per serving

Crazy Crust Pizza

2010-01-26T03:32:00.000-08:00

This recipe was really good. The reason it's called Crazy Crust is because you put all you toppings except sauce and cheese into the batter . The crust is very thin and more of a batter so don't be scared if that happens. I made mine in a 12 inch round pizza pan and it worked fine. You need a pan that has sides. My pampered chef round stone would not work because it does not have anything to keep the batter in the pan. Some people online recommend using a half sheet pan that is 10x15. You can play around with this pizza and add any toppings you like, just make sure you refigure the points. My kids liked it but thought it was too spicy, so next time I think I will leave out the black pepper in the crust all together. I only added the pepperoni to the kid pizza or they probably would not have eaten it. I also thought that the cooking times were too long, so I recommend watching it until you figure out how long it takes in your oven. My oven was about 5 minutes less for both cooking times. On both pizzas, the sides of the dough came up when the crust cooked and made like an area to put your cheese and sauce in kind of crazy like, maybe another reason it's called crazy. Overall this was good and we will make it again.

Note: In the picture, I took it out of my pizza pan after it cooked and put it on my pampered chef round stone and then took a picture. I cooked it in a 12 inch round pizza pan and only had one so I was cooking the other. So know it was not cooked on that stone, the batter will run off the sides.

Crazy Crust Pizza

Dough:

1 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp McCormick Oregano leaves

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup(s) Egg Beaters Egg Beaters

2/3 cup(s) fat-free skim milk

Toppings (can substitute)

17 slice(s) Hormel Pillow Pack Turkey Pepperoni

1 cup(s) mushroom(s)

1 cup(s) pizza sauce

1 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used part-skim pizza cheese on mine)

1/4 cup(s) onion(s), chopped

In a small bowl, combine batter ingredients until smooth. Pour into greased and dusted 14" pizza pan (or sheet pan of similar size). Tilt pan so that batter covers bottom. Arrange toppings and bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is hot.

Serves 8 at 3 points per piece

Serves 4 at 5 points per piece

Menu Plan Monday- January 25-31

2010-01-25T04:55:00.000-08:00

The last week of January! Will be posting several new recipes that I have tried including Crazy Crust Pizza and Low Point Granola Bars. so be sure to visit me this week! Here's my plan for this week:

Dinners
Monday:Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, salad, Low-fat Bread Machine Italian Bread (made into bread sticks
Tuesday: Smothered Buttermilk Chicken and Biscuits
Wednesday: Crockpot Brown Sugar Chili, Jiffy Corn muffins
Thursday: Crispy Chicken Drumsticks, Soup Beans and rolls
Friday: Crazy Crust Pizza, salad
Saturday:Slow Cooker Pizza, salad
Sunday: Soup and Sandwiches

Breakfast
Easy Breakfast Sandwiches
Honey Nut Cheerios with skim milk and fruit
Cinnamon French Toast, fruit, hot herbal tea

Lunch
Bacon, Egg, and Ranch Salad(Salad with those things in it)
Refried Bean Soup
Garden Vegetable Soup
Tomato Basil Soup

Snack and Desserts
Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats
Air popped popcorn
Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Go here to see more plans.

Hungry Girl's Corn MegaMuffins

2010-01-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

I tried these last week with my favorite chili. They were HUGE. I could taste a little bit of aftertaste from the Splenda, but it was not bad and these were pretty good. My kids like them, but my husband did not. He's spoiled with the real thing! Make sure you use cupcake liners, I did not and wished I had. I don't know how much I will make these because the greek yogurt is kind of expensive.

Hungry Girl's Corn MegaMuffins

Wendy's No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

2010-01-21T06:08:00.000-08:00

I have had this recipe for a long time in my "recipes to try" folder. I am so glad I finally tried it! They are really good. I had a hard time with them sticking together, but if you leave them in the refrigerator for the 1 hour they stick fine, although that will be hard, because you will want to eat them! I made them into squares but you could alo make them more like bars, kind of like a granola bar. Thank goodness I had kids to help me eat these. They are so yummy! This is a treat though since they are 4 points each. I don't know how many points one is but I would guess 2. When you cut them into 24 pieces you still get a pretty nice piece if you decide to only eat one.

Wendy's No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup honey

3 tablespoons light butter, stick

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups crispy rice cereal

2 cups bran buds, I used Kellogg's All Bran

Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Combine the peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, and butter in a large pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add the cereals and stir well to coat. Spoon the cereal mixture into the baking pan. Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and gently press to form an even layer. Let cool completely. Refrigerate, covered, until firm (at least 1 hour). Uncover and cut into 24 bars.

Note: I cut mine into 12 bars(4 points each)as pictured above

Serving size: 2 bars per person (24 bars at 4 points per serving)

From: Weight Watchers Magazine July/August 2008

per serving 2 bars ; 210 calories, 8g fat, 7g fiber

Finger Jello

2010-01-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

Angie(a friend from Weight Watchers) made these for a Christmas potluck and my kids and I LOVE them! They are low in points, so keep these in your refrigerator when you have a snack attack.
Finger Jello
3 small boxes of sugar free Jello, any flavor
1 box (4 envelopes) Knox's gelatin
4 cups boiling water
Mix jello and gelatin in boiling water until dissolved. Pour into a casserole pan and place in the refrigerator until set. Cut in squares.
Makes 16 squares at 0 points per square
Makes 12 squares at 1 point per square
(Angie said she put these on the Weight Watcher scale and you could eat 4 squares for 0 points, but she did not know how many servings one recipe made and I ran this through the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers site and got the above points.)
I also learned online you can stack these with different colors to make some cool looking finger jello.

Tuesday Meeting Update

2010-01-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

I lost 1.6 pounds at Weight Watchers last night. I am quite happy with that! We talked about exercise and getting 30 minutes most days of the week, so this week I need to work on getting more of it in. I hurt the back of my foot and walking at times has become very hard. I think it will heal with time, I need to try to see what I can do on it though. Off to have a great week.

Smothered Buttermilk Chicken and Holiday Buttermilk Biscuits

2010-01-19T04:04:00.000-08:00

Last night, I made two new recipes, both of which were great! I got some chicken thighs on sale and most of the other ingredients I had on hand. I have been trying to use up some buttermilk and both these recipes helped. I have not found a light biscuit recipe that my kids and husband would eat. They loved these and so did I!

Smothered Buttermilk Chicken
1 pound boneless chicken thighs (see note, I did that)
3 medium carrots, sliced
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons light margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package chicken gravy mix
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup frozen peas
In a 4 to 6 quart crock pot, combine chicken, carrots, onion, water, butter, salt, pepper and bay leaf; mix well. Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high setting for 3 to 4 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, stir gravy mix into crock pot. Remove and discard bay leaf. In a measuring cup, blend buttermilk and flour until smooth. Stir flour mixture and peas into chicken; mix well. Cover, increase heat to high; cover and cook an additional 25-20 minutes or until peas are cooked. Serve with rice or biscuits.
Serves 4 (I served 8 people this meal but added more chicken)
7 points
NOTES: **You can use frozen bone in chicken thighs as well. Just turn up the heat to high for the first hour, then down to low for the remaining 6 hours. Before stirring in gravy mix, remove the skin from the chicken. The chicken will fall apart and meld nicely with the rest of the dish- just be sure to remove the bones before serving.

Holiday Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
1 cup flour
1/2 cup fat free buttermilk or skim milk
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise(I used fat free)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 6 cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Stir ingredients together and divide evenly between 6 muffin cups. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Serves:6
1 point for one biscuit, 3 points for 2
Recipe from LaaLosh

If I Lost 1 Pound a Week...

2010-01-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

If I Lost 1 Pound a Week....
By Valentine's Day I'd be 7 lbs. lighter! I'm loving it!
By St. Patrick's Day I'd be 11 lbs. lighter!With the lucko-the Irish I'll make my goal.
By Easter I'd be 16 lbs. lighter!I'd be a cuter bunny.
By Memorial Day I'd be 23 lbs. lighter!Won't let it rain on my parade.
By Flag Day I'd be 25 lbs. lighter!Boy, could I wave my flag then.
By Independence Day I'd be 27 lbs. lighter!That's a neat declaration of independence from overeating!
By Labor Day I'd be 36 lbs. lighter!What a wonderful reward for all my hard work.
By Columbus Day I'd be 41 lbs. lighter!What a joy to discover what I can do.
By Halloween I'd be 44 lbs. lighter!I didn't think I had a ghost of a chance.
By Thanksgiving I'd be 47 lbs. lighter!I'd have so much to be thankful for.
By Christmas Eve I'd be 51 lbs. lighter!Talk about being merry.
By New Year's Eve I'd be 52 lbs. lighter!It's not just a new year, it's a new ME

Menu Plan Monday: January 18-24

2010-01-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

This week I decided to prep stuff for the week, kind of like Robin Miller does on her Food Network show. I really think it will save time since so many of my recipes use onions and green peppers!

Here's my plan for this week!

Dinner

Monday:Smothered Buttermilk Chicken, Holiday Buttermilk Biscuits (both new), Low Fat Banana Pudding

Tuesday:Crock pot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, salad

Wednesday: Easy Enchiladas, corn

Thursday: Mexican Rice Casserole

Friday:Crazy Crust Pizza(new Recipe), salad

Saturday:Soup and sandwiches

Sunday:Corn Dog Casserole, salad

Breakfast

Easy Breakfast Sandwiches, fruit

Lunch

Garden Vegetable Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup

Other stuff I'm making this week

Granola Bars

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

For more menu's go here.

Friday Favorites-Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

2010-01-15T05:49:00.000-08:00

Friday Favorites is when I post my favorite recipes that have previously been posted on this blog. I hope some of you still find some new to you recipes!

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole
1 pound ground round
1 (15 ounce) can chunky Italian-style tomatoes
Cooking spray
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
6 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1.Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Cook meat in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain, if necessary, and return to skillet. Add tomatoes, and cook until heated through. 3. While meat cooks, coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough, and press into bottom and halfway up sides of the baking dish. Top the pizza crust with meat mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 12 minutes. Top with cheese, and bake 5 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese melts. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings. Each serving is 6 points. You can add other pizza items, just add those points, if any.
5. Serve with a salad mixed field greens and a fat-free or low-fat vinaigrette.

Note: Please check the ingredients that you use because that could affect the points of this dish.

Pizza-Style Meat Loaf

2010-01-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

We had this for dinner and it was okay. It was kind of hard to get the seal to stay on the meatloaf, but my kids liked it! I had a piece of 1/2 point bread and green beans with this meal.

Pizza-Style Meat Loaf

2/3 cup pizza sauce, divided

1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground round
3/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup onion

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 large egg white

2 (1 oz) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine 1/3 cup pizza sauce, meat, and next 8 ingredients (sauce through egg white) in a bowl. Shape meat mixture into an 8 x 12-inch rectangle on wax paper. Arrange cheese slices over meat mixture; sprinkle with red bell pepper, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll meat up jelly-roll fashion starting at short side. Pinch to seal.

Place meat loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until meat registers 160 degrees. Brush 1/3 cup pizza sauce over meat loaf. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until done; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Makes 6 servings

Calories 291, Fat 12.6g, Fiber 0.9g

Weight Watchers Update

2010-01-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

Well I had missed 3 meetings in a row, so not good! I am really trying to get over a huge weight gain that happened since Thanksgiving. I weighed myself before I started last week and I had lost 3 pounds this week, although that will not show because I missed the week before. I have made a commitment this year to get serious. I know I've said that before. One of the things that really helps me is this blog. When I keep it updated, it really helps to keep me motivated so you may see daily posts during the week. Hopefully, you all will benefit with new recipes.

Weight Watchers is doing a new thing this year, they are giving weekly newsletters, these are different from the weekly books, that are supporting the Momentum 20010 Challenge. These are really nice because they have information on the topic for that week, real life stories, recipe ideas, and even coupons. This is a 10 week challenge. Each week we commit to a small challenge. Last week was to Track what you eat. Tracking has been a huge resource for me. It makes losing weight kind of like a fun game to me. This makes Weight Watchers easier for me. It also really helped me understand portion controls. So, I know when I do not track, I gain. I started tracking really well again last week and my efforts showed some results.

Week 2 is all about choosing foods that satisfy you. Weight Watchers calls these filling foods, and like the name says these foods keep you fuller longer. Filling foods are low in energy which means they pack fewer calories for their weight. This makes them make you feel more full with few calories. There is a place on your tracker that allows you to mark filling foods. These foods also help in meeting the Good Health Guidelines, which are part of Weight Watchers. So, look for these foods to help you stay fuller. So, this week I am going to commit to choosing more filling foods for my meals and snacks. We'll see how it goes.

Bean Burrito Casserole

2010-01-13T03:49:00.000-08:00

We had this for dinner and it was really good, even the kids ate it! We served it with baked tortilla chips and fat free sour cream. I think this would also be good with corn.
Bean Burrito Casserole
1 medium onion
1 pound lean ground beef
1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
14 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
5 oz. tomato paste
15 oz fat free refried beans
2 cups fat free shredded Cheddar cheese
4 cups cooked brown rice
Dice onion and saute in a large skillet with ground beef. Add water and 1/2 packet of taco seasoning. simmer until sauce thickens. Add canned veggies, tomato paste, and beans. Spray casserole dish and fill with mixture. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Cover with cooked brown rice. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake covered at 350 degrees until heated through for 20 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking until cheese is melty about 5 minutes.
Makes: 8 servings at 8 points each or 9 pts each with 2% cheese