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!

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!

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.

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

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!

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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)

 

2 recipes and busy upcoming weekend

I'm still stick on 17.5 lbs. I haven't lost a thing for over a week....just stuck...on a plateau. Ugh. And I only have about 5 lbs to go! Frustrating. However, I'm starting to get into my size 10 pants. Still need some wiggle room, but I'm able to wear them in out in public now! :-)

Wednesday night we had a tilapia recipe I've made before. I like it- its simple and has a good taste. Its not GREAT, but its a nice healthy, quick dinner. Fish fillets go from frozen to thawed in about 10 minutes in a sink of water, too, which helps when you forget to take the fish out of the freezer that morning...oops! This time I used FRESH oregano and honestly, it wasn't much different, so I'd say just stick with the dried...its cheaper and it last WAY longer in the pantry! :-)

Broiled Tilapia Oreganata
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 piece • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 5 pts

Calories: 196.5 • Fat: 7.7 g • Protein: 30.1 g • Carb:2.4 g • Fiber: 0.5 g

• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
• 4 (5 oz) tilapia fillets
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh pepper
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbsp whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs (I cannot find this anywhere, so I just use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs)

Preheat broiler. Line broiling pan with aluminum foil.

Rinse tilapia. Pat fillets dry with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Add garlic, drizzle with oil and sprinkle bread crumbs on top.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil about 8 inches from the heat until the topping is brownedn (about 3-5 minutes). Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Serve with lime (I didn't do this) and your favorite vegetables.

So, yesterday I made a NEW crockpot recipe...Crockpot Turkey Tortelli, which used 4 cups of my hubby's yummy smoked turkey. It was a bust. It had ZERO flavor. I added 3x the amount of seasoning it called for...and it was edible, but in the end, I just threw away the recipe. I am not even going to post it here that it was so bad. And the worst part...I had LOTS of leftovers that I couldn't throw away. I just couldn't. So, I guess that will be lunch for the next few days. Blah.

Tonight is an old favorite....Monterey Chicken. Its a makeover of the yummy Monterey Chicken you can get at many different chain restaurants...you know...sinful chicken with bacon, cheese and maybe tomatoes on top? This recipe isn't as sinful, but still pretty darn tasty! This still has the OLD WW points on it....I'll refigure it tonight, but I'm guessing it will remain at 6 or only go up to 7.

Monterey Chicken

Serves: 4

WWP: 6

Ingredients

4 (4 oz.) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Barbecue Sauce
1/4 Cup Hormel Real Bacon Bits
1 Cup 2% Colby and Monterey Jack Shredded Cheese*
1 (14 oz.) Can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, drained (optional)

Or 1 medium chopped tomato (optional) - I use a fresh tomato!
Sliced Green Onions (optional) - I've never used the onion
Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pound out the chicken breasts to flatten.

Season each with a little pepper.
Cook the chicken in a skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over medium-low heat until no longer pink.
Place each breast onto a baking sheet and top each breast with 1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup tomatoes, green onions and 1 tablespoon of bacon bits.
Place into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted (about 5 minutes).


Per Serving: 263 Calories; 8g Fat (29.0% calories from fat); 39g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 108mg Cholesterol; 840mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

This weekend is my youngest daughter's birthday...which means dinner Saturday night is HER choice. Not sure if we'll be dining out or having chicken nuggets and hot dogs!!  On top of that...her birthday party is an ice cream sundae party - no cake, just a "make your own sundae bar". I will try to keep myself away from making myself one! Sunday is "grill night" so its hubby's choice.

3 new dinner recipes - Try them!

Tuesday Night- Almond Crusted Tilapia. Its a new favorite fish recipe, for sure! I've made it once before and it went back on this month's dinner calendar for a reason! YUM!

Almond-Crusted Tilapia

 

*NOTE- this recipe makes TWO(2) fillets- double recipe if cooking for a family of 4!
Weight Watchers Points Plus - 6

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup whole natural almonds
2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic and herb seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash),
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil (I use Olive Oil)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 (6 oz) tilapia fillets

Instructions

Place the almonds, bread crumbs, garlic-herb seasoning, and pepper in a food processor (I used my blender), and pulse until finely ground.
Pour crumb mixture into a shallow dish or plate.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Brush mustard over both sides of your tilapia fillets.
Dredge the fillets in crumb mixture then place fish in skillet.
Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes away easily.

Wednesday we had one of my favorite "summer" meals. I say summer because to make it the best possible way, you really need FRESH basil, and since my mom bought a plant last week that had plenty of beautiful basil, I used fresh, instead of my frozen "fresh" basil.  This is a super easy and quick stove-top meal that is easy to throw together!

Pan Glazed Chicken with Basil  

WW – 5 pts each

Ingredients
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (4 oz. each)

2 teaspoons olive oil
¼  teaspoon salt
¼  teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh (or 2 teaspoons dried leaves crushed) Basil

Directions:
Put oil in a skillet and heat to Medium high. 

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with a little salt and pepper
Cook chicken on medium-high for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.                          
Flip it over and brown for about 6 minutes or until done.

Mix vinegar, honey and basil and drizzle over chicken and into skillet. Cook about one minute and flip it over for about one minute on the other side.  Very easy and very yummy! 

Thursday I had planned to make Mexican Meatball Subs, but kinks in our schedule prevented it. I did however, go ahead and make the actual meatballs and threw them in the freezer to make the subs later this month!

Friday night- I made a new recipe - Asian Lettuce Cups. It was fairly easy to throw together and was quite yummy. It was a "weird" dinner. Hubby and I ate it - the kids wouldn't touch it. I didn't really serve any "sides" and we just kind of helped ourselves and ate on the sofa while watching the news. Its almost more like an appetizer. THAT being said, I had TWO (2) servings for 9 points and I was NOT hungry the rest of the night!Its not comparable to PF Changs, in my opinion, but still something pretty good and very different than our normal dinner.

Oh - and since I have a freezer stocked full of ground venison, I used it instead of ground turkey. Ground Venison is basically the same points per ounce as ground turkey, so it was an even swap. However, if you choose to swap the ground turkey for ground beef- your points WILL be higher, so be aware of that!  This recipe requires some asian ingredients that most of us are not going to have lying around the pantry, so be aware of that, as well. I will now be investigating other recipes where I can use Hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and roasted red chili paste (sauce).

Asian Lettuce Cups

• 1 1/4 lb. fat-free ground turkey

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger

• 2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 4)

• 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped

• 12 Boston lettuce leaves (I never found these- I used another large lettuce)

• 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

• 2 Tbsp lower-sodium soy sauce (green top)

• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tsp. roasted red chili paste (what I found was more of a sauce...in a small jar)

• 1/8 tsp. salt

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for about 6 minutes or until turkey is browned. Stir to crumble. Combine turkey mixture, onions and chopped water chestnuts in a large bowl, stirring well, and set aside.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar and roasted red chili paste and drizzle over the turkey mixture. Toss to coat completely. Add about 1/4 cup turkey mixture to each lettuce leaf, serve and enjoy!

 

Below is the nutritional info that came with the recipe. However, no matter how I calculated it, I couldn't come up with 5 points per serving, I was getting 4.3 = so I said 9 points for 2 servings (or 4 lettuce cups).

 

Servings: 6

Serving Size: Two (2) lettuce cups with 1/4 cup turkey mixture each (so basically -1/2 cup is one serving)

Calories: 182

Fat: 7.5 g

Carbs: 9.7 g

Fiber: 0.6 g

Protein: 19.1 g

Old Points: 4.1 pts

Points+: 5 pts

Here is the original blog post from Eat Yourself Skinny regarding the recipe.

Saturday we ate out- Mexican. I had Portabella and Vegie Fajitas. VERY good....the filling was basically 0 points, but each flour tortilla (3 came with it) was 4 points. I ate 2 1/2 of the tortillas, but I rounded up and went ahead and gave myself 12 points. I also enjoyed a few chips and cheese dip, so I added 6 points for that, as well. I pretty high dinner for me, but that is what the extra weekly points are for, right?

Sunday night, Hubby smoked a turkey! YUM!  Complete with roasted vegies, brocolli and a fruit salad, dinner was only the value of the turkey, which is 1 point per oz- and I figured I ate about 8 oz. It was SOOOO good!!!  I have 2 other meals on my dinner calendar this week that will use some of that turkey - Turkey Club sandwiches and Turkey Tortellini soup in the crockpot (which ironically is for a day that rain and cooler temps are forecasted this week).

And as a weight loss update- I am down 17.5 pounds total. My goal is somewhere between 20-25 depending on how my clothes are fitting. I want to give myself some wiggle room! :-)  Still on pace to hit my goal by Memorial Day (or sooner!)!!!

Down 16 lbs....and a new recipe & 3 point BLT!

Sorry to be MIA for a while - it was spring break!  I am officially down 16 lbs and I am in my size 10 stretch jeans & dresses. I can get INTO and fasten my size 10 khakis and slacks, but I wouldn't wear them in public! Yeah..still a tad TIGHT.  I'd say another 3-4 lbs and I'll be good to go! Although I do have lots of clothes already in that size, I still see a shopping trip in my future the next time we are in Destin (Memorial Day!)!!!

So, since I've been MIA and on spring break, it meant I didn't cook much and we ate out several times. I did make the WW deep dish pizza "casserole". Have I posted that recipe? I also made a new Chinese Chicken Stir-fry. Super easy and pretty good. I may add a few more flavors next time I make it though.The original recipe link can be found here.

Chinese Chicken Stir-Fry

 

 

ingredients:

 

3 chicken breasts - I used 1 lb.

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced - I used 1/2 of a large red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced - I used 1/2 of large yellow bell pepper 

1 stick celery, chopped

3 skinned carrots (or about 10-12 baby carrots)

1/2 white onion, diced

20 edamame (I used sugar snap peas)

2 Tbsp light soy sauce (the green bottle) - I think I used about 3 Tbsp...I just kept adding a dash of it to make it taste more "asian."

3 Tbsp lemon juice - this was about 1 whole lemon.

1 Tbsp olive oil

Dash of salt and pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes (I used a "dash" of Cayenne red pepper- it was not enough)

 

Chop up all veggies, except for the edamame, and cut up chicken breasts and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Throw veggies into skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add chicken, soy sauce, lemon juice and red pepper flakes and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Enjoy!

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 167
Fat: 4 g
Carbs: 8.7 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 21 g
Old Points: 3.3 pts
Points+: 4 pts

I served the Stir-Fry over approx. 1/2 - 3/4 cup of brown rice, for an additional 4 points. (about 1/3 of the "bag" of Uncle Ben's 90 second microwave brown rice! The whole bag is 10 points and its supposed to be only 2 servings, but I can usually get 3-4 out of it. I would have PREFERRED Jasmine Rice, but its several more points a serving.) And just and FYI - my kids did NOT eat this, but I liked it! I will try more pepper and maybe a tad more soy sauce next time.

OH - my new 3-point lunch fave is a BLT. (4 slices of pre-cooked Turkey Bacon - 1 point per 2 slices), on a 1-point wrap, with lettuce and tomato. No mayo required, but if you must, I recommend a Laughing Cow cheese wedge or maybe even Olive Oil light mayo or a 100-calorie guacamole pack (3 points). But its YUMMO, and less points, without any "dressing" in my opinion!!! As always, I eat my wrap with a heaping portion of fresh vegies like fresh cut bell peppers, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes and a heaping portion of fresh fruit- like items such as a sliced up mango, grapes, a cut up orange, fruit salad, banana...etc...you get the drift. Its all very filling and satisfies me until about 3 or 3:30 when its snack time! :-)

On the menu this week are a few old favorites like Almond Encrusted Tilapia and Pan-Glazed Chicken and a few new ones to try - Mexican Meatball subs and Asian Lettuce cups. The weekend includes a smoked turkey - so excited!!

3 point lunch & Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

After a weekend full of family meals and celebrations, I stepped on the scale this morning..and ouch. BEFORE I did so, I had lost a total of 14.5 lbs. Somehow, in 1 day, I gained 1.5 lbs. Huh?  I'm hoping that was a fluke or water weight or something crazy. I know I ate more than I should have in chocolate yesterday, but I didn't eat 1.5 lbs worth of Hershey Kisses! EEK!   Here is a fun pic of me (in my size 10 dress!!) and my girls on Easter Sunday:

Regardless...back on the wagon today. I ate oatmeal for b'fast (5 pts) and had coffee (1 pt for creamer) and had a banana for snack. Now I'm eating my 3 point lunch - yep - 3 points! Turkey (3 slices = 1 pt), Cheese (1 pt), lettuce (0) all on a 1 point wrap, with lots of fresh vegies and a sliced up orange - all 0 points. Its pretty filling, that is for sure. Its pretty much what I eat each day for lunch. I change up the wrap somedays to include a 100 calorie pac of guacamole (3 pts) instead of cheese (so the wrap would be 5 pts) and to that..sometimes I add 2 strips of turkey bacon for an extra 1 point = total of 6 points. OR, to the turkey and wrap, I sometimes add one of the flavored Laughing Cow cheese wedges for 1 point (3 points total).  It all really depends on what is for dinner and if I need to eat a conservative lunch or if I have points to spare! The Progresso soups with WW points are also kinda good- at most, a whole can is 4 points. (the pot roast is yucky, but the others are ok, in my opinion). I really need some other low point lunch options- do you have any suggestions?

And also- I would like to say that the Ranch encrusted tilapia recipe that I made on Good Friday was SOOO YUMMY!!  It was the first time I had ever cooked with Panko crumbs and I swear, the taste VERY MUCH reminded me of Captain D's!!  Very yummy...even as leftovers the next day!

Tonight is Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken. Its a new recipe that I'm about 99% sure I plucked from Pinterest. I will let you know how it is! I plan to serve it with Jasmine rice, which is another reason I'm having a 3 pt lunch! :-)  Jasmine rice is 5 points a serving! I don't know....I may forego the rice, but I'll make it for everyone else.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

This amazingly delicious Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe tastes just like the kind that you’d get at your favorite Chinese fast food restaurant, but this light sweet and sour chicken has just 2.5g fat and 8 Points per serving.

Ingredients

• 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (I plan to use "lite")
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the liquid egg substitute.
3. Spray a large skillet with non-fat cooking spray and set over medium high heat. Cook chicken until browned but not cooked through.
4. Spray 9×13 baking dish with the non-fat cooking spray and place the chicken in it.
5. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. (I plan to pour only on 1/2 of the chicken, otherwise the kids won't eat it!)
6. Bake for one hour and turn the chicken every 15-20 minutes.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

Culinary tradition: Chinese

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is about 1 cup
Each serving = 8 Points +

PER SERVING: 335 calories; 2.5g fat; 42 carbohydrates; 27g protein