Accountability

ACK!  Its been almost an entire month since I last blogged. As far as cooking goes, I've not done a lot of it in that month. And if I have, its been recipes that are not new and are already posted here. Its been crazy.  And thanks to that craziness, I allowed FIVE (5) POUNDS to sneak back on! WTH??  I've gotten lazy. I'm not being so strict with my snacks and eating at night. I can guarantee that is the issue. I'm going to try to start tweaking my daily routine today to go back to the way it was!

Losing weight is the EASY part, people. I swear. Maintaining it is what is a killer. And as you know, I hate to exercise. There is no time for it in my life right now. An excuse, I know. But I hate it. So, to maintain, its going to have to be 100% diet and being attentive to what I'm eating and how much. I have to be accountable to myself.

And wouldn't you know it....its almost fall...which means baked goods & comfort food....pumpkin muffins, apple spiced bread, chicken pot pie, chili, pastas...  I will still allow myself to make my favorites, but not everyday and I have to remember that going back for seconds will result in going back to the store for a bigger size pants!

On the menu for this weekend is something grilled (hubby's choice) and Sunday night is Philly Chicken  Cheesesteak. I love this sandwich!  Here is the recipe and here is the picture and it is NOT my pic- its from the WW website:

Its simple and pretty darn tasty. I'll probably serve with raw vegies and a fruit salad.  Its going to be HOT here in KY this weekend, so anything that doesn't require turning on the oven is a winner in my book!

Mango Salsa- Tasty!!

So, I got brave and made my own Mango Salsa to go with the Citrus Tilapia I made last night. It was SOOOOO good with the Tilapia!! And zero calories! The only change I made to the salsa recipe was that I didn't have a red pepper, so I used an orange one. And the only change I made to the Citrus Tilapia recipe was that I put the fish back into the pan after I reduced the sauce and coated the fish (instead of pouring the sauce over the top of the fish). Later in the evening, I finished off what was left of the salsa with some tortilla chips!  It would also be good on blackened fish or with fish tacos....so many possibilities. The recipe says you can use strawberries instead of mango, but I love mango!!

In case you want to read the reviews, here is the recipe I used from www.allrecipes.com.  And FYI, the below picture is not mine, it came with the recipes from the above link.

Mango Salsa

 

 

1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced

½ red bell pepper, diced (or yellow or orange)

2 Tbsp minced red onion

1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt& pepper to taste

 

Add all ingredients and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Dog Days of Summer

Its hot...and humid....and oh so sticky. Not a great time to be slaving away in the kitchen with new recipes. So, last week and this week....its easy dinners. Dinners that don't include turning on the oven.

Last Friday ended up being a kid-free night, so we took advantage and had a night out! Yeah! We had fresh, tableside guacamole and I had fish tacos which were not all that healthy, but better than some alternatives...and I only ate one of the two I was given. (the second was lunch on Saturday!) Unfortunately (or fortunately...however you look at it!), I had 3 martinis, at a whopping 200+ calories each....yikes!

Saturday night we BBQ'ed. I just marinated some chicken breasts in our fave BBQ sauce, threw them on the grill with a few vegie kabobs from vegies at Farmers Market (vegies tossed in olive oil and sprinkled w/ garlic salt), fresh pineapple and strawberry fruit salad...and viola...dinner. Nothing hard. Nothing fancy, but very yummy and an EASY summer dinner.

Sunday was spent cleaning out 8 years of neglect in our garage. Its still not perfect, but better. It was most definitely a good 7 hour work-out!! And last night was my oldest daughter's last night before camp and she requested Breakfast for dinner. It unfortunately required turning on the oven for biscuits, but as luck has it, it was overcast and raining by dinner, so the kitchen wasn't hot at  all.  So, "dinner" was biscuits, bacon, turkey sausage and scrambled eggs...along with a huge fruit salad. It very much hit the spot! 

Tonight is Citrus Tilapia...another no-oven dish! I have lots and lots of fresh vegies to go with it, and left-over fruit salad, too! I've made this recipe before, but I don't think I've ever posted the recipe. I'm thinking a good "fruit" salsa might go well with it, however I'm terrified of making my own salsa b/c I'm terrified of jalapeno peppers. Silly, I know. But I'm not a fan of them, hence, my slight fear of cooking with them!  Maybe I can buy something yummy....suggestions??

CITRUS TILAPIA
Prep time: 10 minutes / cook time: 10 minutes
4 Servings

Ingredients
2 teaspoons butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 (4 oz) tilapia fillets
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice (I used fresh)

Directions
1. Heat butter and oil in skillet over low heat. Season Tilapia with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.

2. Increase heat to medium-high. Add fish. Cook until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn fish and continue cooking until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer fish to plates or platter.

3. Pour orange juice and lemon juice into skillet. Boil until reduced by about half, 1-2 minutes. Drizzle sauce over each fillet and serve.

Summer eats!

I love summer food...fresh vegetables and fruit galore!  Farmers Market has been so much fun to browse every Saturday. This week we've had lots of yummy stuff....cantelope, watermelon, peaches, sweet corn, zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatoes, and more. I've made Honey Chicken Kabobs, Baked Tilapia and a new one...Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps, although I didn't grill them...I heated them in my pancake pan! :-) They were good...a "low-cal" version of a cheeseburger. Nobody complained-everyone ate it and said it was good. It was quick and easy and did not require turning on the oven, which is a requirement when its 100 degrees outside!

Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps

from Skinny Mom's Kitchen

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (I used ground venison)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I used a little more to taste)

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

 

1 teaspoon garlic salt (original recipe does not call for this, but I felt it desperately needed it)

pepper and salt (if needed) to taste

5 flour tortillas (the larger ones)

shredded cheddar cheese

sliced tomatoes

yellow mustard

Instructions
Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain.

Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, dried onion, garlic salt and pepper to the beef and simmer for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle shredded cheese down center of each tortilla. Add a few heaping tablespoons of the beef mixture on top of the cheese. Spread some mustard on top of the beef along with some slices of tomato.

Roll up tortilla burrito-style and place wraps on preheated grill.
Grill wraps for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Cut on a diagonal and serve immediately.

 

 

I've lost 2 of the 4 lbs I gained on vacation.  Its very important for me to lose them because this is usually where I fail...not losing vacation weight. Hopefully by the end of next week, I'll be good to go!

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken is on the menu tonight and Breakfast for dinner tomorrow night. I LOOOVE B'fast for dinner, as do the kids, so its another easy, no oven required dinner! Stay cool!

 

Comfort Food-Pot Roast

Ok, so Pot Roast is not exactly "diet" food or even low fat, but its been in my freezer forever and the roast NEEDED cooking!  :-)   So today its in the crockpot. I expect it will feed us for a week! I've had this recipe forever and a day and now I'm seeing it more and more online, on Pinterest, on food blogs, etc. I think I got it from a recipe message board like 8 years ago. Here is just ONE of the thousands of Pinterest pins on it. And there is a reason you see this recipe everywhere- its EASY and YUMMY!  VERY good!  However, if you are sensitive to a lot of salt, you may want to look for a low-sodium version of at least one of the below mentioned mixes or use less of the packet. (And as I type this, I realize I forgot the 1/2 cup of water! Oops - I'll add it at lunch time!)  I added a ton of baby carrots, onions and a few little potatoes. To keep it "healthy", I'll just watch my portion size...that is about all I can do. But sometimes you just need some comfort food. Its probably a better fall or winter "cold weather" recipe, but like I said, the roast needed to be cooked and SOON. I only make pot roast 2-3 times a year, anyway.

And FYI - I've already lost 1 of those 4 pesky pounds! Yeah!

To Die For Crock-Pot Roast

1 beef roast, any kind
1 package dried brown gravy mix
1 package dried Italian salad dressing mix (use ½ packet for less salty taste)
1 package dried ranch dressing mix (use ½ packet for less salty taste)
1/2 cup water

Place beef roast in Crock-Pot.

Mix together the dried mixes in a bowl and sprinkle over roast.

Pour the water around the roast.

Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Back to Basics

After a month of hopping from Kentucky to Florida to Kentucky to Nevada to Kentucky back to Florida....I am finally home....with 4 additional pounds to show for all the fun and eating out! Blah. So, its back to basics to lose those 4 lbs because if I don't do it NOW, well...we all know what happens. So, its back to Weight Watchers. I am mentally counting points, but if I don't shake these 4 lbs in 2-3 weeks, then I'll start journaling again. But, I'm glad I lost all the weight before going to Vegas - man was it HOT out there and I didn't feel self conscience in my tank top and shorts!

Inside Hoover Dam

Earlier this week I made a yummy, light, EASY summer chicken....its stove top, so you don't have to turn on your oven and heat the kitchen...and it uses fresh basil, so if you have a basil plant that is out of control, its a great way to use some. I posted the recipe back in April, so here it is. The only ingredients you need are chicken, basil, balsamic vinegar and honey. See- easy peesy!

And tonight its a light Tilapia recipe. I can't believe I haven't posted this one before. Its easy and quick and again...stove top so no turning on the oven in this July heat! (although I will probably still do so in  order to roast fresh vegies so hubby doesn't have to grill in 95 heat!) Usually, in the summer, my "side items" consist of "plain" fresh vegetables that are roasted or grilled (tossed in a small amount of olive oil and sprinkled with garlic salt) and a side of fresh fruit...either a mixed fruit salad or just one fruit, like sliced oranges, a bowl of strawberries or mangos, etc. VERY rarely do I make rice or bread. We get out "grains" in during the day and I don't feel the need serve it at dinner.

Tilapia Almondine

4 (old) WW Points per fish- probably 5-6 points on new system.

4 tilapia filets (3-4 oz. each)
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp slivered almonds
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Rinse and pat tilapia fillets and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a slight dusting of flower.

In a saute pan, heat only 1 Tbsp butter and saute tilapia for about 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked.

Remove fish and add the other Tbsp butter, almonds and lemon juice.

Cook a few more minutes until almonds are golden and pour sauce over filets (it won't be MUCH sauce...just enough for some additional flavor)

 

 

Grilled Brushetta Chicken - the best EVER!

This recipe is by far one of my all time favorites- of ANY kind of food! I've made this recipe now for probably 8+ years and I love it each and every time its made. Its LOW in points and a healthy, fresh recipe for summertime! I grow a basil plant JUST for this one recipe!! And I get my tomatoes from farmer's market! Copy this recipe and put it on your dinner calendar NOW! Its worth it!

Oh- and FYI - I've hit my "goal" and my STOP weight. I am now MAINTAINING. (and the hard work begins!)

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

 from Kraft Food & Family

 Ingredients

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1 medium tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves (use fresh - always use fresh!!!)

 

Directions 

PLACE large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat.

Pour 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag.

Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. to marinate. (or however long you like- I usually do several hours, but you can do only 10 minutes and it pretty much has the same taste!)

Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.

GRILL chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing.

TURN chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill.

Top evenly with tomato mixture.

 Close lid. Grill an additional 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF).

 

 

 

*NOTE - I have a hard time finding the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing now days. This is the ONLY brand my grocery carries of sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. Based on the origin of this recipe, I'm guessing that maybe Kraft makes a version of this dressing as well, but I've never been able to find it.

 

Vacation & a New wardrobe

Well, vacation #1 has come and gone. I did not meet my Memorial Day goal. Ok- to be fair, I MIGHT have, but I was without a scale to weigh myself. I only gained 2 lbs on vacation...a huge win, I think! I tried to eat healthy most of the trip. 10 days of eating out of your normal routine is tough.

I shopped a lot while there and ended up with 6 new dresses! 2 are the long "maxi" dresses that I've never been comfortable wearing. Not sure why - they are SO comfy. I got 4 more cute sleeveless dresses and a ton of new shirts and shorts. I should be good to go for our upcoming mini-trip to Las Vegas for hubby's work conference.  (here is one of the new dresses- although you only see the top part!) My mom has tons of cute family pics on her camera, but she hasn't sent them to me yet- I'll post more later!

I did NOT find a new swimsuit. I just cannot find one that I like on me. I tried on 25+ swimsuits. Nothing worked for me. I have several that I already own that still fit me, but I'd still like a new one. I'm still searching. I tried ordering several from Lands End and nothing made me happy. I see tons of cute ones on the internet, but I am too unsure of what size to buy. Ugh. I still hate swimsuit shopping! BUT, for the first time in 3+ years, I didn't feel self-conscience on the beach...or in sleeveless shirts/dresses! Nice feeling.

I'd like to shake these 2 lbs. before leaving for Vegas. Or even 3. I know eating in Vegas will be worse than Destin. I will be in a hotel -not a townhouse with a full kitchen. I'll be confined to eating hotel restaurant food for b'fast and lunch and other yummy places for dinner. I will attempt to make healthy choices as much as I can. Any tips on something I can take with me in my suitcase for healthy b'fast? I am thinking Quaker Breakfast Cookies (180 calories) or some other kind of bfast bar? Do you have a favorite that is good AND filling? I do not think our hotel offers "free" breakfast and I hate waking up hungry and having to get dressed and all that jazz to go scrounge up something to eat!

I made crockpot tacos Sunday night- just some chicken breasts and a jar of salsa in the crockpot. I cooked on high for about 3 hours and it was done. Add a little of that mixture to a taco shell or soft shell, some shredded cheese, lettuce and whatever else and viola- yummy, easy dinner! Tacos are one my oldest daughter's fave foods and since her little sister is off on another trip with her grandparents, I made tacos just for us. I whipped up some beef mixture for her, though, and froze half of it for another time. Last night it was just the two of us and we splurged and got Chinese. Bleck. I just can't eat that stuff like I used to. Made my tummy hurt.

Nothing on the meal calendar until Thursday night. I get a few nights off of cooking. YEAH!

HALF a pound to go & EASY Tilapia "kid-approved" Tilapia recipe

After almost a month of gaining and losing the same TWO (2) pounds over and over again, I've finally gotten over the hump and I'm 1/2 a pound away from my Memorial Day goal! I am trying to hit it by this Friday morning, actually, because once we leave for the beach, I am not going to count points or step on a scale until we get home. I am not going to go crazy and I do plan to eat sensibly, but vacation is vacation, people. You gotta live!

I have been MIA for a while. Hubby was out of town (and I don't cook when he is gone) and we've had insane evening hour schedules as all the kids' school and extracurricular activities are winding up. We grilled burgers Sunday night and last night I made spaghetti, which is the first week I've cooked since May 11th, I think!

Tonight is my youngest daughter's choice for dinner. She chose breakfast- pancakes specifically...and scrambled eggs. Love her. Oldest daughter gets to chose Wednesday and she wants her "favorite tilapia recipe", which is actually a very basic (and LOW points) recipe- Baked Tilapia, which I don't think I've posted on this blog before. The recipe doesn't mention measurement amounts, so I just eyeball it!

Baked Tilapia

3 ounce tilapia filets

Pam (olive oil flavor)

salt

pepper

garlic powder

minced garlic

Preheat oven to 450°.

In glass baking dish, spray Pam. Lightly coat the top of filets with Pam,

Season well with salt, pepper, garlic powder and minced garlic.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Points = 1 point per ounce of tilapia and that is it!

 

 

Thursday night is "clean out the frig" night, so leftovers or whatever we can find is what is for dinner! Then its off to the beach.  I will not be posting again until early June. 

 

Fire up the Grill - Honey Chicken Kabobs

I've had this particular recipe on the dinner menu for months and FINALLY it got made. OH MY GOODNESS! SOOOOO good! Make this tonight- fire up the grill and enjoy! Its easy and so good. It tastes like summer!  After a disappointing start to the week with a new recipe fail, I was so hoping this one would work out! HOME RUN!

This is MY photo of these beautiful babies. I added the zuccinni as "end caps" for some color and I am so glad I did. I had to keep myself away from the leftovers all night and debated having cold, leftover vegies for breakfast:

I cut the recipe in HALF  (1 lb. of chicken, 1 yellow bell pepper and 1 orange bell pepper and 1 large onion) and calculated the total points for the entire thing to be 24, but MOST of that is the SAUCE, which you only end up using a PORTION of. I made 5 kabobs and gave each kabob 5 points, even though that MIGHT be high or it might be right on target. I served it with a sweet potato, peas (for my youngest) and a fruit salad. It was a very colorful (& easy) dinner. Next time I will make the FULL recipe and freeze 1/2 in the marinade (before putting them on the sticks!) and I will add a red bell pepper to the mix, as well.

Honey Chicken Kabobs
recipe from AllRecipes

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
5 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
2-3 bell peppers in any color, cut into 2 inch pieces
10-12 skewers

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat the grill for high heat.
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes.
Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade.Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

Epic Dinner Fail....sort of....

You constantly read all over the internet from food bloogers about these great dinner recipes and how everything is so wonderful, but you never read about the failed recipes. Well,  here goes.

Last night's dinner was an EPIC FAIL on so many levels...sort of.  I had this new 7 point tilapia recipe, courtesy of Pinterst, that looked so wonderful....Sauteed Tilapia w/ Lemon Butter Peppercorn Pan Sauce. YUM, right?  Um....no.  The recipe was for 2 tilapia fillets, so considering I was cooking 4, I doubled the recipe. The Tilapia, WITHOUT the sauce, was really good...my 10 year old loved it....she had seconds in fact. However, once you added the sauce, it was AWFUL. Ok, maybe not AWFUL, but barely edible. The lemon was SOOOO overpowering. And I love lemon. But yuck.

To top of that, I had picked out these beautiful vegie kabobs at Kroger and thought they'd make a lovely 0 point side item to the fish dish and asked hubby to grill them.Which took forever...and ever (battling rain and a grill that wouldn't start)....and they still weren't done, so I popped them into the oven to quickly roast....and by the time the fish was done, the vegies STILL were not. So, we had 1/2 grilled/roasted/raw vegie kabobs with the yucky lemon fish! Quite a disaster. At least the fruit salad was good. :-)

I am not going to post the entire Tilapia recipe WITH the sauce, but I am going to post just the sauteed tilapia part, as my oldest daughter loved it and declared it the best ever (fyi - she didn't have sauce on hers). I'm sure it was the fact that it was sauteed in butter! :-) I have no idea what the points value of this is....the points I had were for the entire recipe with included the sauce and 2 more tspns of butter. It should be very easy to figure, though.

Sautéed Tilapia

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Recipe Time

Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Prep Time: 10 Minutes

 Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preparation

Melt 1 teaspoon of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.

While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan.

Crazy overindulgence & Cinco De Mayo Mexican Chicken recipe

What a crazy weekend!  We spent it in Alabama with some friends celebrating the Kentucky Derby (I know...I know...wrong state!).

 

The boys call it "meatfest" and grill entirely too much food, on top of scrumptous appetizers, dips and brownies. Yeah....I gained two pounds. I TRIED to be good and honestly, it was the first time I REALLY cheated during my entire WW diet this time. Friday night- Chick-fil-A...complete with a cookie milk shake (I only drank half...that has to count for something, right?). Saturday was just a trainwreck, even though I had a chopped salad (from Subway) for lunch. Sunday, the trainwreck continued with Cracker Barrel for lunch and O'Charley's for dinner...and Dairy Queen for my mom's birthday. TRAIN WRECK. I was impressed that I only gained 2 pounds. However, in one day, I have already lost one of those two pounds, so yeah! :-)

And just for the record, eating healthy not only helps you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight, it helps you just FEEL better overall. I can tell you, I haven't felt this BAD in 4 months. Tired, sluggish and an upset tummy. (and no, its not a hangover. I didn't consume but 2 small glasses of wine all weekend). I'm convinced it was my somewhat poor choices diet all weekend.

So, Monday, it was 100% back on the wagon and in honor of Cinco De Mayo (one day late), I made 6 point Mexican Chicken.....I liked the flavor and it was pretty yummy. That being said, I think I might have liked it more NOT being cut into "cubes" and left as whole chicken breasts. It might have tricked my brain into thinking I was getting more food. The servings felt very SMALL, although a serving is equivalent to one chicken breast. Hubby and I ate this on the fly, so there was no sit down meal with it, but if I had, I would have probably served it with black beans...maybe corn on the cob....and a green vegetable. And don't omit the green onions. They really help make this dish!

MEXICAN CHICKEN

6 points per serving

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon Seasoning for Tacos
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
3 green onions, chopped

Instructions:

Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with taco seasoning; grill or sauté. Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a greased 8x8" baking dish; season with salt to taste. Add the enchilada sauce and toss to coat the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and bake at 350º for 10-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Scatter the green onions over the top.

Makes 4 servings
Can be frozen

Per Serving: 266 Calories; 12g Fat; 33g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

Blackened Tilapia - a keeper for sure!

I made Blackened Tilapia on Wednesday night. I've made a version of this before for tilapia tacos, but I think I like this recipe MUCH better. Next time I will cut down the oregano, though. I thought it was somewhat overpowering. Hubby says its his fave fish recipe I've made. I really liked it too! I served it with roasted asparagus, zuccini and red pepper and a fruit salad. The lime on top of the tilapia is a must, as well...don't skimp!

Blackened Tilapia

Ingredients

·        1-1/2 teaspoons paprika

·        1-1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar

·        1 teaspoon dried oregano

·        3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

·        1/2 teaspoon cumin

·        1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·        1 teaspoon salt

·        4 six-ounce tilapia fillets

·        1 lime, cut into wedges (optional, for serving)

·        Olive oil, for cooking

Instructions

1.    Combine the paprika, brown sugar, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in a small bowl; mix until well combined (use your fingers to break up the lumps of brown sugar). Sprinkle the spice rub evenly over both sides of the tilapia fillets.

2.    Heat two tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick pan. Cook the fillets for 2-3 minutes on each side until reddish-brown on the outside and flaky on the inside. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

 On a side note- I'm still stuck at 20 lbs. I've actually gained 1 lb, although I have absolutely no idea how or why. About 85% of all my size 10 pants and shorts fit now. Like I said - 3-4 more lbs and I'll be exactly where I want to be. 4 more weeks to do it!

Down 20 lbs & 5 point Mexican Meatball Subs

I'VE OFFICIALLY LOST 20 POUNDS!!! WOOT!! WOOT!!

So, I FINALLY got around to acutally cooking the Mexican Meatball Subs. I made the meatballs a few weeks ago and stuck them in my freezer, so I thawed 'em out and last night the meal was made.
I calculated each individual meatball to be about 1 point. I used 2 point buns, so 3 meatballs on a bun = 5 points. I sprinkled cheese on mine and used a tiny amount of sour cream. Those 2 items together probably didn't equal 1 point, but I gave myself 6 total points for the sandwich. I didn't like the salsa on it at all - I think I would have preferred it like I do my tacos = with a REAL tomato, diced small. I will make these again BECAUSE MY KIDS ATE THEM!!!   They didn't eat it sandwich style, but they ate the meatballs. My oldest even requested them for lunch today! SCORE!!!!!  I served this with peas (at the request of my youngest), steamed broccoli and a fruit salad with fresh mango and straight-from-Alabama strawberries! I'd also like to note that I made these with ground venison, which is basically 1 point per ounce, and taste VERY similar to 96% Lean ground beef. I'm sure you could easily make them with ground turkey, as well. (and again, I'd like to note that the picture is NOT mine. Its a photo from cullyskitchen.com)

Mexican Meatball Subs

 

1 Lb. 96% Lean Ground Beef (or ground turkey or ground venison)
1 Large Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix
5 Hot Dog Bun, low calorie, 2 points each
5 Tablespoons Shredded Cheddar or Mozzarella Cheese (I used Colby Jack)
5 Tablespoons Salsa
5 Tablespoons Sour Cream, light (I used fat free)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the ground beef, egg and taco seasoning mix by hand. Divide into 15 meatballs (a little over 1 1/2 tablespoons each).
3. Spray a 9 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the meatballs in the baking dish so that they aren't touching. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. If they start to brown too fast on top, you can lay a piece of foil on top of the dish.
4. Once complete, place 3 meatballs inside each hotdog bun. Top each with 1 tablespoon of cheese, 1 tablespoon of salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream. You can also top with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes if desired.

Serves: 5
Per Serving: 254 Calories; 8g Fat (28.2% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 103mg Cholesterol; 496mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates. WWP: 5-6  (depending on bun)((www.AimeesAdventures.com)

NOTE - Step 2 can be done ahead of time and frozen for later use!

Honey Lime Tilapia and Parmesan Chicken

I tried 2 new recipes this week. Both were good. Nothing SPECTACULAR about either, but they were both easy, had few ingredients, good flavor and were each under 6 points. Not a bad dinner!

The first was Honey Lime Tilapia. Its been on my meal calendar for several months and for reasons I can't remember, it keeps getting bumped. I FINALLY made it and it was good. My 10 year old ate it. My picky-7 year old did not, but she doesn't really eat any kind of fish, though.  I didn't notice the "marinate 1-24 hours" on the recipe until about 2 hours before dinner, so...welll...it marinated 2 hours. I think I would like it to marinate the full 24-hours. I also may try mixing the marinade, adding the fish, then freezing until I need it!

(FYI - neither of the photos below are mine- they came from the websites where the original recipes were written/mentioned)

Honey Lime Tilapia

Serves: 4

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 5

Ingredients

·        For the fish and marinade:

• 4 (4-5oz) tilapia fillets (thawed if frozen)
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

·        For dredging and cooking:

• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Assemble marinade by combining lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a gallon-sized zip-top bag or shallow container with a lid. Add fish and marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 1 hour up to 24 hours*.
2. When ready to cook, combine flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Remove each fish fillet from the marinade and dredge lightly with the flour on both sides (just a light, light coating).
3. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook fillets 2 at a time for 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and browned (this works best if you don't disturb the fish much while letting it cook).
4. Serve with lime wedges or peach salsa.

Notes

*If you want to plan this meal in advance, you can prepare the fish and marinade in a large freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. Move frozen fish and marinade to the refrigerator the morning you plan to serve the fish and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. It will marinate while it thaws!

Wordpress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe

Last night, I made Chicken Parmesan.

 

My kids have been bugging me about making spaghetti, so I killed 2 birds with one stone. I boiled some whole wheat noodles and heated up a small jar of spaghetti sauce. I served the chicken atop  (on the side for the kiddos) the noodles and put the sauce on top of it. Just a little bit goes a long way - maybe 2-3 tablespoons. I didn't use the "serving size" of 1/4 cup of sauce on my chicken, but if you do, add 2 points for that. I used about 1/8 cup, so I added 1 point for sauce and I ate about 1/2 of a serving of noodles, so I added 2 points for that. In lieu of typing out the recipe, here is the link to the original recipe. I calculated the chicken to be 5 points. It was pretty yummy and smelled amazing while cooking. I served it with a side of roasted zuccini with a little tiny bit of shredded parmesan cheese on top and a fresh fruit salad.

And to end on a HIGH NOTE- I've officially lost 19.5 lbs!!!  I'm about 4 lbs from my goal weight!! :-) 

Rotisserie Chicken....at home.

I've had this recipe forever and make it at least 1 time a month. Even if I don't make it for dinner, I make it to have plenty of "shredded" chicken to put into the freezer for soups or casseroles that call for that type of meat. A 3-4 lb. chicken seems to yield about 4-6 cups of shredded chicken...or dinner for my family of 4 and 2-3 cups of shredded chicken! Its SUPER easy & a tad cheaper than the $5 rotisserie chickens you can buy at the grocery store, because quite often, the whole chickens are on sale for $.99/lb.

You can adjust the seasonings to fit your taste or for what you have on hand, as well as the onion. For example, I am making this tonight and have 1/2 onion in the frig I need to use, so I'll only use half. I've made it with and without the onion, and to be completely honest, I can't tell much of a difference between the two.  I also remove SOME of the skin, as it is what produces most the fat. You need SOME skin to produce the fat and juices the chicken cooks in and gives it its flavor, and if you are using the foil balls, it keeps it out of cooking directly IN the fat juices. When I eat it, I make sure I do not eat any skin, though, and I don't include any skin in the shredded chicken I freeze, although I do attempt to mix white and dark meats in whatever I'm freezing. (dark is fattier, but more flavorful.)

CROCKPOT ROASTED CHICKEN

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (approximately 3-4 pounds)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried leaf thyme
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup chopped onion (optional)

Directions

Put 3-4 balls of aluminum foil in the bottom of the crockpot (this creates a rack so the chicken doesn’t soak in its own juices).

Wash chicken inside & out (removing anything inside) and pat dry.

Sprinkle seasoning of your choice on the chicken.

Fill the cavity with the chopped onion.

Place the chicken in, breast side down, and cook on low for six to eight hours.

(or high for 3-4 hours)