Weight Watchers Wed.

Good morning sunshine! Except for there is no sunshine here... it's cold and dreary outside. Hopefully it will warm up soon and my afternoon runs will be enjoyable again. I can't wait until spring time! How have you been doing on Weight Watchers or your healthy eating plan of choice? I did not lose any this week, but I know that's how it usually goes. One week ya lose and the next week you are at a stand-still. If you just keep doing what you are supposed to, that weight will eventually come off. It's got to go somewhere, huh?

Oh, I've been meaning to tell you that my Mom gave me a cup... lol, I know, I know.. it's just a cup! But this cup is adorable and I find myself filling it up with ice water every single morning before I leave the house. I fill it up at least 3 more times through out the day. It's 24 oz. so it helps get all the water I need for the day and saves me a ton of money on bottled water. You should try it- maybe it's cuteness will motivate you as well! Click here to see all the cups.

I have been craving a good lasagna lately. I LOVE homemade lasagna, but we all know how fattening that can be. So, I was excited to see the front cover of Weight Watchers new recipe book, "Just 5". Low and behold it was LASAGNA! This is not a very good picture, but I wanted you too see what it looks like because I will be cooking this baby soon! Let you know how it turns out, or if you cook it first, let me know what you think.

Beef and Ricotta Lasagna

Prep 20 min.
Cook/Bake 55 min.
Serves 8
WW Points- 10 points p. serving

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. ground lean beef (7% or less)
4 c no-salt added marinara sauce
1 (8-ounce) box no-boil lasagna noodles (12 noodles)
2 ½ c fat-free ricotta cheese
1 ¼ c grated reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F; spray 9 x 13- inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Spray large nonstick skillet with spray and set over medium-high heat. Add beef, ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper; cook, breaking up beef with wooden spoon, until beef is browned and all liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Tilt skillet to drain off any fat that may be left in pan.
3. Spread 1 c marinara sauce over bottom of baking dish. Cover with 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping them slightly as needed. Cover with half of beef, dot with 1 ¼ cups ricotta, and spread another 1 cup marinara sauce on top. Repeat process until all ingredients are used leaving 1 c marinara sauce on very top and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
4. Spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray; cover dish with foil and bake lasagna 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cheese on top browns slightly and noodles are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool 15 min. and cut into 8 squares.

Love, E

Weight Watchers Wed.

Good morning! I'm so excited- I lost another 2.8 lbs this week which leaves me with 31 lbs. lost so far!
These days I'm always on the go- running around like a crazy person, so breakfast has to be quick! I usually grab something running out the door and eat it on the way to work or right after I get there. Here are some ideas if you are busy like me:

Carnation Breakfast Essentials- Rich Milk Chocolate= 3 WW points!

Special K Breakfast Bars- Blueberry is my favorite! = 2 WW points!

Special K Original Cereal 0.81 oz. individual boxes = 2 WW points!

And WW Smart One Meals has all sorts of new breakfast meals available! Here are a couple that I'm excited to try! They would even be good for lunch, I think.

So how is everyone else doing with their progress? Have you found any new things to eat? Link up below and let's connect! :)

Love, E

WW Wed.

Man, have I got some yumminess to share with you! I have been doing great on my eating, but have not been able to exercise like I should. I have got to find time to do this for myself. Last night I cooked a lovely meal for my family. You should try these recipes- they really are delicious! I found the turkey burger on Oprah Winfrey's website- she quoted this burger being the best she had ever had. It is served at Donald Trump's private club "Mar-a-Lago" in Palm Beach. I have to agree with Oprah- I do believe this is the best turkey burger I have ever had! And what a wonderful way to hide nutritious veggies and fruit from your kids! They will never know what this burger is filled with. : )

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger
Servings: Serves 8 ( I made 12 with this recipe)
1 burger= 5.5 points


Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt (only do 1)
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped

Directions
Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.
Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Note: I put all of my ingredients minus the saice and lemon juice in my food processor to make everything very small. I knew if the burger had chunks in it, there would be no fooling my husband. ;) Worked like a charm! I served my burgers on thin multi-grain buns. I believe the point value was 2.

Garlic Hummus
Makes 4 cups
1/3 cup= 1 point


Ingredients
15 oz. can chick peas
2 to 4 cloves garlic
1/3 c. tahini (seseme seed paste)
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. onion powder
3 tsp. water (add more for consistency if need be)
3 1/4 garlic salt

Puree in blender... warm if desired and serve.

Note: I served my hummus with Toufayan Pita Bread. Take one round and cut into triangles with pizza cutter. 1 round= 4 points. White and Whole Grain equal the same amount of points.

Don't forget to check out my sidebar for snack ideas and link up below for WW. Wed. Have a productive day!

Love, E
photo source- here.

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WW Wed.

I have been doing so good the past few days. Here's the deal;

I lost 30 lbs. in 4 months on WW.

Then over the holidays I gained 5 lbs. of it back.

Since I got back on track, I've lost 3.5 lbs.

Leaving me with a weight loss total of 28.5 lbs.

I'm getting down to business for real- no playing around! Summer time is right around the corner and I want to feel good about myself when I lose the cardigans, turtle necks, and snow boots. I know you can relate. Please tell me you relate. :)

YOU are my support system so I've started a linky for my WW Wed. blog posts. Even if you are not doing Weight Watchers and are just trying to live a healthier lifestyle, link up on Wed and spread the word. I love reading what others are cooking, drinking, and what tricks they may have to making this lifestyle easier. You can also check out my side bar every week to see a different snack I have found and what's it's point intake is.

Speaking of cooking- over the weekend I cooked two new recipes and LOVED them. Actually, the entire family did! You must try these two recipes!

Chicken & Black Bean- Stuffed Burritos

By: CookingLight

Only 9 WW points per burrito :)

Total: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burrito)

Ingredients
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in shredded chicken and green onions.
2. Combine beans and salsa. Spoon 1/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 burritos. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of burritos, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, and repeat procedure with the remaining 2 burritos.

Nutritional Information: Calories:353 Fat:9.8g (sat 4.1g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.3g) Protein:30.9g Carbohydrate:33.1g  Fiber:2.4g Cholesterol:72mg  Iron:1.6mg Sodium:595mg Calcium:137mg

AND

Asian Grilled Chicken

(I served these with green salad)

by Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Only 3 pts per 2 cutlets

Servings: 3 • Size: 2 cutlets • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 55 • Fat: 3.0 • Carbs: 5.7 • Fiber: 0.6 • Protein: 1.9

6 thin boneless skinless chicken cutlets (3 oz each)
Marinade:
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 green onions, minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken, turn the pieces to coat evenly, cover and place in refrigerator a minimum of three hours, but preferably overnight.

Preheat grill to high. Grill chicken top side down first until well browned charred, about 5 minutes, turn and cook on the second side about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.
 
Love, E
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WW Wed.

I have to say... it feels great to be back on track! The holidays really took over me and I splurged a little too much on holiday foods. I came back to work feeling like I ate a lot of wonderful stuff, but also pretty bad about myself. I think it's important to treat yourself here and there- but seriously, I went crazy! Maybe I needed that little break though to remind myself how serious I am about getting healthy and feeling good about myself. I have a goal and I need to continue hard to reach it. I can do this! I'm so close.

I have been on an egg kick and have found that eating egg whites keeps me full until lunch time. I usually eat 4 egg whites every morning, but I heard (and I can't remember where from) that if you just eat 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg that it will keep you fuller, longer. I tried it and one of my co-workers tried it and it really does work! Since I'm always in a hurry, I just boil me 4 eggs, throw them in a zip lock and eat them after I arrive at the office. So cheap, so easy, and so good for you. AND Only 3 points for all of it!

Have you seen Weight Watchers site lately? Jennifer Hudson is looking FANTASTIC! I can't get over how great she looks! I thought she was beautiful before she slimmed down, but dang, that girl is gorgeous!

Do you have new WW or diet tricks up your sleeve? Please share if you do : )

Love, E

WW Wed.

It's Christmas- and that means it's time for lots of traditional holiday foods as well as finger foods at holiday parties. Here is a delicious dip by Weight Watchers that everyone will love! 

Sour Cream and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

PointsPlus™ Value: 1
Servings: 10
Preparation Time: 8 min
Cooking Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

15 oz roasted red peppers, packed in water, drained (about 2 cups)
1 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup(s) basil, fresh
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
2 tsp cilantro, fresh, finely chopped

Instructions
• In a blender, combine roasted peppers, sour cream, basil and garlic powder; puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper; garnish with cilantro. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.

Notes
• This flavorful dip is perfect for company yet simple enough — and light enough — to be enjoyed on a regular basis. Serve it with toasted pita wedges, whole grain crackers or fresh vegetable crudités and remember veggies are FREE!
Love, E

WW Wed.

Hello sweet cakes! How is your healthy eating going? I had a meltdown yesterday but kept a tight grip on reality. For some reason I just craved bad things- I went on a pizza kick around 9:30 a.m. I just wanted it! BUT thank goodness I didn't get any. Instead, I ate my boiled egg whites for breakfast. Around lunch time I was DYING for anything greasy and delicious! I passed an Arby's and longed for curly fries; I stopped to get gas and smiled as I looked into the store window and saw personal pan pizza's. I literally made myself get back into my car, drive back to the office, and heat up my Lean Cuisine meal. I am thinking maybe I should go get me a pizza today (one that I can calculate the points for) and satisfy my cravings before I go nuts and eat everything in sight. But until then, you should give this recipe a try. I know this doesn't sound too great, but believe me when I say ... it's splendid! The combination of these ingredients just make this taste that I can't describe. My Nana makes some every Christmas and it's light and wonderful.

Cranberry Pineapple Salad

Serves 12 at 1.5 WW pts each*

1 pkg (6 oz) raspberry sugar free jello
1 can (16 oz) jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tbs lemon juice
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional*

In bowl, dissolve gelatin in water. Breakup and stir in cranberry sauce. Add pineapple, orange juice and lemon juice. Chill until partially set. Stir in nuts*. Pour into 11 X 7 X 2 dish or jello mold.

*Without nuts, each serving is 1.5 pts. With nuts, each serving is 3 points.

To make things easier, you can I pour mixture into 6 individual glad-ware containers to let it set up and your desserts will be ready to go to work with you with no fuss.
Love, E

WW Wed.

It's been an amazing week on Weight Watchers! I was VERY skeptical about the change they have made lately with the program, but turns out I really love it! I love the fact that fruits and veggies are now free. I don't really have any tricks up my sleeve yet to share with you but here is what I have been eating: For breakfast I have been craving 3 boiled egg whites (1 point for all three) and of course oranges, bananas, and grapes. I get stuffed in the mornings and all for 1 point! That's awesome! For lunch, I just do my usual Smart One or Progresso Soup. I have had so many points left over every night- seems it is impossible to use them all. Especially with the 49 weekly points we get, which I call those "emergency points" because I act as though they do not exist unless I find myself in a position of not being able to count points. I noticed Gina is translating all of her yummy recipes to match the new point system. Here's what I'm cooking this weekend:

Oven Fried Chicken

from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 drumstick • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 170.7 • Fat: 6.6 g • Protein: 14.5 g • Carb: 14.7 g • Fiber: 3.1 g

6 medium bone-in skinless drumsticks
2 1/2 cups bran flakes
3 tsp kosher salt, less if you are using regular salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
5 tbsp Hellman's light mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Oil spray

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a rack above. Spray rack with oil.
Crush cereal in a food processor or chopper. In a bowl mix crushed cereal with salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Place in a shallow dish or zip lock bag.
Combine mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Using a cooking brush, brush onto chicken then coat chicken with crushed cereal mixture. Place chicken on wire rack and spray with oil. Bake 35-40 minutes

And you better believe I plan on piling the free veggies on my plate to go with it! If you have any new ideas or recipes please e-mail me! Thank ya :)

Love, E

WW Wed.

My world has been turned upside down! No- seriously!!! Weight Watchers has changed their program and I have been a pro at the original one. I have binders full of points for different foods and now it is all changing. But hey, if they have something that will help me lose even more weight and faster, I am all there! I find out today how many points I get per day, so I am excited about that. Fresh fruits and veggies are now free which is awesome! Here is the new calculator (be sure and save it to your favorites):
NEW WEIGHT WATCHERS CALCULATOR

Also, you join Hungry Girl on facebook for all sorts of tips.

Even though I am not excited about change, I think maybe it is just what I need to jump start my weight loss again. I have been stuck for the past few weeks and I am ready to get on it!!! YAY!
I will have more to say next Wednesday when I know more about the program so bare with me as I learn. Have a fabulous day!

Love, E

WW Wed.-Early

In case you did not read my lost post... I am having surgery tomorrow and I am uncertain of how this week will pan out, so I am going ahead with Weight Watchers Wed. and providing you with point values for traditional Thanksgiving foods. I think I might just get a small spoon of all my favorites on my plate, that way I get to have a little of everything.

1 oz crackers (3)
1 oz low-fat hard cheese (2)
4 oz turkey breast (4)
3.2 oz. honey baked ham (5.5)
1/3 cup canned cranberry sauce (3)
1/4 cup brown gravy (2)
1/2 cup stuffing (4)
1/2 cup mashed potato (2)
1/2 cup candied sweet potato (4)
1/2 cup green bean casserole (2.5)
1/2 cup cooked carrots (0.5)
1 small glass wine (2)
1 small slice (1/16 of 9” pie) pumpkin pie (4.5)
1 small slice (1/16 of 9” pie) apple pie (4.5)
1 small slice (1/16 of 9" pie) pecan pie (12)
1/4 cup light aerosol whipped cream (1)

Pile up on the veggies and for heavens sake stay away from that pecan pie! LOL
Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Love, E

WW Wed.

Let's talk breakfast! Take a look at the points for some of our every day breakfast foods. I have included some of the more popular fast food options as well. YIKES, I think I will skip the drive-thru next time and I think you will agree with me :)

Great Value (Wal-Mart brand) Light Strawberry Yogurt (6 oz.) = 2 pts.

Yogurt, fat free, plain (1 cup) = 2 pts.
Yogurt, low-fat, plain (1 cup) = 3 pts.
Banana= 2 pts.
Apple (small) = 1 pt.
Peach (large) = 1 pt.
Fresh Pineapple (1 cup) = 1 pt.
Egg Whites (3) = 1 pt.
Whole Egg= 2 pts.
Wonder Bread whole grain wheat = 1 pt. per slice
Bagel any type (2 oz.) = 3 pts.
English muffin- Thomas’ English Muffins= 2 pts. Per muffin
Great Value Low fat Blueberry Fruit & Grain Bar = 3 pts.
Pancake any type mix (4” diameter) = 1 pt.
Pancake homemade from scratch (4” diameter) = 3 pts.
Waffles any type, low-fat frozen, 2 (4” round or square) = 3 pts.
Bacon- 3 slices cooked crisp = 4 pts.
1 slice Canadian style= 1 pt.
3 slices turkey bacon= 2 pts.
Sausage- beef or pork cooked (1 link, patty, or 1 oz.) = 3 pts.
Milk- fat free (1 cup) = 2 pts.
Reduced fat 2% (1 cup) = 3 pts.
Whole (1 cup) = 4 pts.
Grits- Quaker Instant Grits (individual packets) Original= 2 pts. Cheddar Cheese= 2 pts.
Oatmeal- Quaker Instant Oatmeal (individual packets) Original= 2 pts. Maple & Brown Sugar= 3 pts.


McDonalds

Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddle= 13.5 pts.
Breakfast Wrap = 7.5 pts.
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit= 10 pts.
Sausage Biscuit= 10.5 pts.
Steak Bagel= 15.5 pts.
Egg McMuffin = 7 pts.
Hash Brown= 3.5 pts.

Burger King
Ham, Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich= 8.5 pts.
Hash Browns (small) = 6.5 pts.
Cini-Mini’s= 9 pts. With Icing = 11.5 pts.
Omelet Sandwich= 18 pts.

Subway
Cheese Breakfast Wrap = 4.5 pts.
Western w/ cheese Breakfast Wrap= 4.5 pts.
Ham & Egg Sandwich on deli round= 5 pts.

Chik-Fil-A
Chicken Biscuit = 10 pts.
Chicken Mini’s (3 count) = 6.5 pts.
Yogurt Parfait = 5 pts. (with granola)= 6 pts.
Plain Biscuit= 7 pts.
Hash Browns= 7 pts.
Chicken, Egg & Cheese Bagel on Sunflower Multi-Grain bread = 11 pts.

If you are interested in seeing other restaurant's food options and point values, click here.

Love, E

Weight Watchers Wed.

It's Wednesday and I am home today with the little one; he has the flu. Poor baby needed his mama to stay home and love him extra today. Plus the babysitter has the flu too. :(

How are you doing? Having trouble sticking to the plan? I have had some issues with drinking lots of coffee lately. Every morning and craving it at night too. I need to cut it out or it will take over. Remember me telling you about my Star Bucks addiction? That seriously CAN NOT happen again. Tomorrow I will be better. New start. I've lost 30 lbs. and need to lose 10 more by Christmas. That was my goal and I must achieve it. What's your goal?
It's cold here and I just keep craving something warm and deliciously homemade. No fast food. I can always count on Gina to give me what I am craving. This recipe is wonderful, filling, and low in points!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Prep Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 171.9 • Fat: 1.6g • Fiber: 3.8g = 3 WW Points!
24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 oz can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth

3 scallions, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).

Give it a try! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Love, E

WW Wed. (Tuesday)

Good morning! I am doing my Weight Watcher's Wed. post early this week because tomorrow all of us blogger friends will be having a day of silence for Summer B's daddy. I am sad to say he passed away this week due to cancer robbing his body. I hate cancer. Summer, I am praying for you baby girl. I am so sorry for your loss and hope that you can find peace and serenity in this time.
As far as WW goes... how is everyone doing? Are you worried about all the sweet treats on Halloween? You shouldn't! Just be smart about it and enjoy yourself. Some of our favorite candies are not as bad as you think and some are worse, but don't forget that you get 30 emergency points per week for things like this. Just don't go crazy kiddo! What's your poison??

 Candy Corn- 26 pieces= 3 points

Snickers- fun size bar= 2 points

Twizzlers- 6 pc. snack pack= 3 points

Butterfinger-fun size= 2 points

Milky Way- fun size= 1 point

Whoppers- 6 pc. pack= 1 point

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup- 1 cup= 2 points

KitKat Bar- fun size= 3 points

Willy Wonka Laffy Taffy- 5 mini bars= 3 points

Pixie Stix- 7 straws= 1 point

Nerds- 1 mini box= 1 point

According to Calorie King to burn 60 calories which would be those 7 pixie stick straws you just ate lol, you could do one of the following:

17 minutes walking

7 min. jogging

5 min swimming

9 min cycling

Not too bad!!!

I am not sure what the nutrition facts are on the treat I am making for our Halloween party, but I will let you know. Here is what I am making (recipe/idea came from Cheeky Kitchen)

I plan to replace the chocolate chips and heavy cream with sugar free chocolate pudding so that should help out a little with point consumption. They are just too cute and easy!

Peanut Boo!-ter Parfaits 

WW Wednesday!

Welcome to WW Wed ya'll! How are you? Have you been doing good with your eating and exercising? I have been doing pretty good- except for last night when my dad talked me into going to the Waffle House aka Awful House to eat dinner with him. Don't get me wrong.. they have yummy food. It's just that even their sign screams "GREASE" at me when I see one. I have not eaten there in years.. until last night. I have felt disgusting ever since I devoured a cheese steak omelet, toast, and covered hash browns. I need to just let it go and move on with my detoxing of Awful I mean Waffle House today. It's a new day- a fresh start.
Let's talk about exercise! I have been really motivated to get going lately. I want to start doing my Jillian Michael's 20 minute video again. That thang will kick your butt! I went running around campus between work and class this week and it felt so good letting the autumn wind blow in my face. I felt rejuvenated, seriously!
Want to know what I'm cooking this weekend? It's the newest recipe on Gina's page! Are you ready for this????
Skinny Sloppy Joes

What you need:
• 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground beef sirloin
• 1 tbsp steak seasoning or seasoned salt
• 1 carrot, minced
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
• 4 oz mushrooms, minced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
Chop all the vegetables really fine, using a chopper or food processor. (They will never know they are in there!)
What to do:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Season with steak seasoning and cook the meat until it browns, then add onion, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 5 more minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes. Using a measuring cup, pile 1/2 cup of sloppy meat onto toasted buns

Adapted from Rachel Ray
Picture and Recipe from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 7 • Serving Size: 1/2 cup or 1/4 lb
• WW Points: 2

Be sure and check out my sidebar- you are not going to want to miss out on the new low point breakfast I found! Perfect for cold weather and my little one loves them too! Have a productive week and feel free to e-mail me with questions or advice! Speaking of... thank you all for the emails about my so called non-existent crows feet, lol ya'll sure know how to make a gal feel good!

WW Wed.

I can't believe I have not blogged since last Friday! I have been super busy lately and have had little time to do anything, much less cook. I have had time to pick up quick meals though and right now I am loving the Subway Club Salad with fat free Italian dressing- it's only 3 points people!!!

That gives you room to top it off with some cheese if you would like! It is really good and I don't know about your local Subway, but mine here by my work has really fresh lettuce and veggies so I find myself craving this crisp salad quite often.

Also, I thought I would share a few things with you. I know in this economy you may not be able to afford to join Weight Watchers but would like to do it so here is a link to determine how many points you get a day--->click here. If you need any help just let me know. Please note that you get those points (the ones calculated for you personally) and then you get 35 extra points per week. These should be saved for emergencies like birthday parties, cookouts, events where it is impossible to calculate your points, etc.
Speaking of calculating.. here is a handy dandy little points calculator ---> click here and save it to your favorites.

If you don't have time to calculate and are on the go, visit here and scroll down to find tons of different restaurant's and food chains that have menu items already calculated. How convenient is that?! For example: You can click on McDonald's and see what a grilled chicken club sandwich will cost you as far as points go. I believe this site accommodates to other diet plans as well, so check it out even if you are not interested in Weight Watchers.
This is a really simple healthy eating plan and I know if I can do it... you can do it! Contact me if you have any questions or need some help with WW. I am happy to help!

Hope everyone has a lovely day and I would like to say Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband! Thanks for putting up with all my shenanigans! I love you baby.

WW Wed.

Today is an exciting Weight Watchers Wednesday for me because I am officially weighing in smaller than I did pre-pregnancy! It's taken me long enough, huh? I read an article awhile back about Melissa Joan Hart getting back in shape and she made the comment that she had to quit using her children as her excuse. It's so easy to say "Well, I just had a baby." I was reminded of this when I was discussing with someone how unhappy I am with my weight and they said, "Well, you just had a baby." LOL- yeah 18 months ago! It feels good to have taken control of myself (mind, body, and spirit) and making necessary changes to be healthier and happier. Let me just say... if you think you can't do this... YOU CAN! I promise! If I can do it, anyone can!
Now... to the yummy stuff!
Baked Apples with Vanilla Drizzle

Ingredients

6 medium apple(s), Golden Delicious-variety
3/4 cup(s) raisins, chopped, or a combination of dried fruit bits*
1 cup(s) apple cider
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 oz Colombo Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt, or other brand (about 1/4 cup)
2 Tbsp chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut a thin slice across bottom and top of apples. Use a melon baller or sharp knife and spoon to core apples, making sure not to go all the way through to the bottom. Stuff each apple with 2 tablespoons raisins or dried fruit.
• Place apples in a baking pan. In a small bowl, combine cider and maple syrup; pour around apples. Bake, basting thoroughly with pan juices every 10 minutes, until apples are soft and cooked through, about 55 to 65 minutes total.
Before serving, drizzle apples with pan sauce, yogurt and pecans. Yields 1 apple, 2 teaspoons yogurt and 1 teaspoon pecans per serving.

Servings: 6
WW Points=3
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 65 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Recipe and photo by WW online.

Oh yeah, thought I would share my latest favorites on my Ipod for workout music. These really get me going:
1.) "Like A G6" by Far East Movement
2.) "Rock Star 101" by Rihanna
3.) "Heads Will Roll" by yeah yeah yeahs

Keep up the good work!

WW Wed.

Okay, so it's been passed around all over blogger world lately, so I had to try it for myself! I originally saw it over at the fantastic Summer B's page and I knew if I was going to eat it then I had to figure out how many points it was going to cost me. And I have to say... it's not thaaat bad and totally worth the 3 points!  It's absolutely delicious! So delicious that it took no time for our football game watching guests to devour all 32 of them!

What in the world am I talking about?

BEER BREAD

The black text will be the original recipe given- in red, is what I used in order  to calculate it for Weight Watchers.

 This is what you do. In a big bowl, mix:

3 cups self-rising flour Martha White All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 bottle of beer Michelob Ultra
1/2 block of Borden Pepper Jack Cheese (This was good- but next time I think I will try cheddar cheese instead)
10 chopped jalapeno slices

mixmixmix

transfer dough to a loaf pan or use muffin pans so you can equally distribute for point purposes. This mixture should bake 16 muffins.
pour 1/2 stick melted butter on top I Can't Believe It's Not Butter- original
bake 50 mins at 375
take bread out, pour another 1/2 stick melted butter on top
bake 10 more mins

Voila. The easiest and most delicious bread you've ever tasted. Don't have self-rising flour? No problem. So instead of 3 cups of self-rising flour, I used:
3 cups regular flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 teaspoons salt
Mix those three things + the sugar well (a fork works wonderfully), add the beer, mix it all together, and it will be perfect.

16 bread muffins- 129 c, 4.5 f, 0 fiber
= 3 WW points per muffin!
Sooo good! I promise!