Let's Talk Food

After the good little guys & gals shared their holiday diet successes this week (I personally plead the 5th), our meeting turned to matters of utmost importance........food. I like food. Okay, I am madly in love with food. If you harbor a few extra bulges and bumps, you probably have a foody crush, too.

Our leader decided to host a food show-n-tell this week. Food monotony can be disastrous to the weight watcher. If you find yourself in a diet rut, venture out and try something new and exciting. Mix it up. Go a little crazy. It will do wonders for your motivation and dedication to plan.

To jot on your grocery list:

Weight Watcher's Pita Pockets (1 point each, and these puppies are huge!)


Morningstar Farms Sausage Patties (1 point each)



This meat sub tastes like the real thing. Honest! Make your own Sausage McMuffin, (with egg beaters, reduced-fat cheese and a light English Muffin) for 4 points. Mickey D's version will cost you a whoppin' 11 points. Ikes!

Bonus! Menopausal gals rejoice, 'cuz soy has been determined to decrease pesky hot flashes. Hip Hip Hooray.

Bummer! On the flip side (sorry.....I just HAVE to leave this little nursey note), 'Just Say No' to soy if you have thyroid problems. It can make hypothyroidism worse, and may contribute to a goiter.

Quickie Recipe: Heat your sausage patty in a skillet with a sliced apple (cut up your sausage patty when it is hot). Cook until apple is tender. Drizzle 2 teaspoons sugar free syrup over the sausage and apples, and serve in your Weight Watcher Pita. Breakfast of champions!

Morningstar Farms Riblets (4 points each)



Heat one of these veggie riblets, slap it on an Arnold's Wheat Thin, and top with pickle and red onion. Wah Lah! A McDonald's McRib alternative for 5 points.

{Yeah. I have a strange obsession with McDonalds.}

Mrs. T's Pierogies (7 mini Pierogies for 3 points; regular/big Pierogies are 1 point each)


I am a Pierogi addict. These bitty bites are so flippin' versatile. I keep stock in my freezer for last minute, in-a-mad-rush dinners. What's on the menu?

Chicken Casserole: Pure comfort food! This recipe makes 4 servings at 6 points each. Find the recipe here,'cuz I yapped about it in September, and I believe in conserving energy. ☺

Depending on my food mood, and what I have in the cupboard, I will occasionally use Tuna instead of the chicken, and Cream of Mushroom Soup in place of the Cream of Chicken. Mmmm. Mmmm. Good.

Pierogi Skillet: It doesn't get any easier than this. Spray a skillet with Pam. Dump in a bag of coleslaw mix and a box of Pierogies. Cook until done. Top with I Cant Believe It's Not Butter spray, and eat half of the skillet for 6 points. (Not the pan, silly.)

Feel free to add Turkey Kielbasi, Ham slices, or reduced-fat hot dogs (I like the Hebrew National brand....1 lil' point per dog). Adjust your points accordingly.

Laughing Cow Cheese (1 point per wedge)



Ambrosia for the weight conscious! These little cheesy wedges are incredibly delish.

Diet-friendly Alfredo sauce: Melt 2 Laughing Cow wedges in a pan and thin with skim milk to the desired consistency. Dump on your pasta of choice.

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers



My favorite is the Roasted Red Potatoes, Green Beans, and Rosemary Butter Sauce. Hungry? You can eat the ENTIRE BAG for 2 points. Toss in a sliced-up chicken breast and enjoy a belly-busting 5 point meal.

Okey dokey. I think I will save the rest for later. It's amazing how much food pictures take up blog space. ☺☺☺ Over and out...............

Happy Birthday Tyler!

From the moment of birth, my baby boy owned my heart and soul.



Happy 13th Birthday Bubby! Oh, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.



1. You rock at X-box.......and Playstation, Wii and Nintendo DS.

2. Your impressions of Journey, Rihanna and Michael Jackson are hysterically funny.

3. Your computer savvy is impressive.

4. You are the best running buddy ever!

5. You are incredibly gorgeous,

6. and caring,

7. and witty,

8. and smart.

9. I love that you love to hang out with your mom.

10. You never let a day pass without saying, "I Love You Mom."

11. I love those little notes you write me when you are supposed to be listening in church. I have a Bible full.

12. I love that if I make you "swear on the Bible", you can't lie. That means more to me than you know.

13. You are an answered prayer. You are unique. You are mine.



Hugs, Kisses and Birthday Wishes. Welcome to the teenage years.

AKA Mom

Diet Tips & Tricks

We're not a bunch of dummies. I'm pretty confident the majority of us understand that to lose weight, we have to create a calorie deficit. A simple concept, but a complex task. If a simple physiology lesson was the only requirement for skinnydom, we would all look like Megan Fox. The truth is, losing weight is freakin' hard.

Since deciding to unload the junk in my trunk, I have obtained quite a collection of diet tips, tricks and strategies. I've tapped everything from books, blogs and websites to nursing forums and personal accounts. Whether they are fact, fallacy, or just good advice, I'm all over any tidbit that can help me find success.

Here are some of my faves............................

{I'm afraid that I have neglected to document my sources, as the following tips were scribbled in notebooks and my daytimer prior to the initiation of my blog. I hope the intelligent, drop-dead gorgeous, witty, buff, powerful folks (☺) who authored these particular pearls of wisdom will overlook my reference failings.}

1. Eat a serving of fruit and a serving of vegetables at every meal. Not only will you fill your belly, but your recommended daily requirements, too.

2. Eat ONLY while sitting in the dining room. If we made a concerted effort to follow-through on this, there would be no need to "diet."

3. Get calories from foods, NOT beverages. If your drink contains calories, pitch it and choose something else.

4. Don't turn a bad meal into a bad month. If you eat too much or have a high-calorie meal, there's no need to give up and blow the rest of the day.

{Okay....I think I actually remember where this came from......Hungry Girl!}

5. Swap where you can. Believe me, a WW 'Drumstick' tastes just like the fatty Nestle version. Country Crock Light is a twin to the original. And you can't tell a difference between Fiber One granola bars and the Quaker brand. The diet world has made huge strides in providing tasty alternatives to fatty archetypes. This is a painless way to cut some serious calories.

6. Drink a full glass of water with every meal.

7. When a craving strikes, fantasize. Your short-term memory is incapable of addressing more than one issue at a time. Keep your short-term memory busy by fantasizing about something else, and your craving will pass. Alternatively, tell yourself that you will eat a desired treat only after completing a crossword puzzle or word search. There is a good chance you'll nix the whole snack idea by the time you finish.

8. Eat on a blue plate; it dulls your appetite. (Hey....you never know!)

9. ALWAYS order small. No exceptions.

10. Use cinnamon in your coffee, tea or cereal to prevent bloating. Cinnamon also acts like a diuretic.

11. Avoid foods high in sodium, including Chinese takeout, chips, canned soup, and some frozen dinners. Sodium not only makes you retain fluid, but also acts as an appetite stimulant.

12. Use a dollar-store squeeze bottle (like the ones used for ketchup and mustard) to serve gravy and/or sauce. This will allow you to divvy out "just enough" where you need it, effectively cutting calories. You just can't do that with a spoon, pitcher, or ladle. Even high-fat sauces, when dotted judiciously, are condoned in a low-fat kitchen.

13. Meat labeled "select" is leaner than meat graded "choice."

14. Buy smaller, single-size servings of favorite foods, such as icecream, to satisfy cravings and prevent binging. Even better, refuse to keep ANY junky "red-light" foods in the house.

Okey, Dokey. That's all I have for today's blog installment. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Bring on Christmas!

Chow,

Mac and Cheese Soup

Cheap and Easy. Not qualities to brag about unless you're this luscious oddles of noodle soup. Mac and Cheese is transformed into a Kraft-y (hee hee......get it?!) bowl of chase-the-chill comfort in this Taste of Home original. Consider halving the recipe if you are only feeding a few; this recipe makes a whopping 5 quarts of soup. (I socked half in the freezer for later. ☺) WW folks will have to dish out 6 points for this creamy, dreamy dinner, but I dare say it's worth it. Smile and say cheesylicious. Soup's on!

Worries go down better with soup ~ Proverb

Mac and Cheese Soup

3 Quarts Water

5 Teaspoons Chicken Bouillon granules

1-1/2 Cups sliced Celery

2 Large Carrots, shredded

1 Large Onion, chopped

1 Medium Green Pepper, chopped

2-1/2 Cups uncooked Elbow Macaroni

1 Cup Butter

3/4 Cup all-purpose Flour

6 Cups Milk

1 Pound Velveeta

In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add celery, carrots, onion and green pepper; cook for 4 minutes or until tender. Add macaroni. Cover and return to boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand for 8-10 minutes or until macaroni is just tender.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour, stirring until smooth.

Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted; add to undrained macaroni mixture.

Yield: 20 Servings

Points: 6 points per 1 cup serving

Happy Turkey Day

May you all have a blessed holiday with family and friends. May you all be exempt from Thanksgiving weight gain (and heartburn). And may the Black Friday shoppers find bangin' deals during their early-hour excursions.

I have just one question for you.....................................

Do you know the muffin man?



'Cuz if you do, give him my phone number. That dude obviously knows his way around the kitchen. ☺☺☺ This muffin masterpiece combines peanut butter batter with chocolate crunchies for a sinfully divine treat. Cop an attitude of gratitude and 'Give Thanks' to the genius who slapped these particular ingredients together. Taste of Home gets credit for publishing this bad boy in 2002. Give it a try, and let me know how you like it.

Peanut Butter Muffins

1-1/2 Cups crushed chocolate Teddy Grahams or chocolate wafers

2 Tablespoons plus 1/2 Cup Sugar, divided

1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine, melted

2 Cups all-purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Egg

3/4 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

In a bowl, combine crumbs and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Stir in the butter; set aside. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar. Whisk together the egg, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Place peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until softened. Fold into batter. Press about 1 Tablespoon reserved crumb mixture onto the bottom of 12 ungreased muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly between cups. Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 1 dozen

Points: 5 points per serving

Santa Claus is Coming To Town....Oh Crap

Woo Wee. Time flies when you're cooking, cleaning, attending meetings, holiday shopping, grocery shopping, studying for professional certifications, planning a birthday party and working ridiculous overtime hours.

{insert big breath here}

Bah Freakin' Humbug. Is anyone else getting their butt kicked by their "To Do" list? I'm giving serious thought to locking myself in the bathroom with some trashy romance novels, a tub full of bubbles, and a homemade Peanut Butter pie smothered with Redi-whip. Ummmmm. That would probably cure what ails me. ☺♥♥☺

Anyhoo, I just wanted to pop in and say "hey" to all my blogging buddies, and express my sincerest apologies for being MIA. I can't promise it won't happen again. {bleh}



I was unable to attend my Weight Watcher meeting this past week, but I have a back-up stash of WW Wisdom Post-Its. In addition to discussing corporate assigned topics, my fellow fat-fighters enjoy swapping ideas, recipes and personal experiences during our weekly session. You can learn a lot from these mixed-bag conversations, and I keep sticky notes in my purse to jot down the things that catch my fancy.



A few weeks ago, we had an impromptu pomegranate show-n-tell. If you have never tried a pomegranate, 'tis the season to add it to your grocery list. These ruby-red fruity superpowers are a grazer's dream. The Pom's firm outer layer houses hundreds of sweet-tart, corn-kernel size seeds. Pop these bitty babies in your mouth one at a time, and you will be keeping your chompers busy for hours. (The Pom seeds will fill up a cereal bowl. No cheat eating with a spoon!) Each pomegranate costs 2 points, and counts as 2 servings of fruit. Shake your pom poms, 'cuz these fall favorites are an incredible diet deal.

{To get the goodies, cut off the top and bottom of your Pom. Peel the fruit like you would an orange. It won't peel "nice", but rather pick off in chunks. Separate the seeds from the web-like innards and chow. }



So much of life these days revolves around eating out. WW folks love Subway, and it frequently comes up in conversation. Our latest pow wow found us discussing the franchise's soup line. We all know that Subway boasts several diet-friendly subs, but have you tried the soup? You can get a generous belly-warming bowl for 1-3 points. The cast of characters include:

1 Point:

Vegetable Beef
Roasted Chicken Noodle

2 Points:

Vegetable Beef
New England Style Clam Chowder
Subway Minestrone

3 Points:

Subway Cream of Broccoli
Subway Chicken and Dumpling Soup (My fave! OMG. Soooo delicious!)

Check it out next time you wish to "Eat Fresh."

In other news........

I recently purchased a new vehicle. Yaaaaah!



Isn't she a beaut! I named her "Betty" (call me cuckoo, I don't care), and she is a 2010 Jeep Patriot. The hubs and I didn't plan to buy a new car, but my 2002 Taurus SES was about ready to kick the bucket. The cost of mechanic labor and parts is astronomical. We decided that a new, trustworthy vehicle was a better option for our family. Unfortunately, the new, trustworthy payment plan is giving me stomach ulcers and heart palpitations. My first payment is due December 25th. How cruel and unusual is that! Ack! Keep me in your prayers to the big man upstairs, 'kay!

{See the reflection of my bicycle in the passenger door? How funny!}

I hope everyone in blog-world is healthy and holiday happy. Until next time I remain,

Truly yours,

Chocolate Mint Cookies

'Tis the season for holiday baking, and cookie abstinence will only lead to a scrooge attitude. Indulge your inner cookie monster sans guilt with these crispy & creamy bites of bliss. A dynamic duo of cool mint and scrumptious chocolate are the flavors to savor, with each sweet treat a mere 1 1/2 points. Feel free to serve to family and friends, 'cuz these little devils aren't technically "diet". It's just a lighter cookie, peeps. Yes, Virginia. There IS a Santa Claus.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

1 1/2 Cups packed Brown Sugar

3/4 Cup Butter, cubed

2 Tablespoons plus 1 1/2 Teaspoons Water

2 Cups (12 ounces) semisweet Chocolate Chips

2 Eggs

2 1/2 Cups all-purpose Flour

1 1/4 Teaspoons Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

3 Packages (4.67 ounces each) mint Andes Candies

In a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and water. Cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate chips until melted.

Transfer to a mixing bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. With the mixer on high speed, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to chocolate mixture, beating on low until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until edges are set and cookies are puffed and cracked (cookies will become crisp after cooling.)

Immediately top each cookie with a mint. Let stand for 1-2 minutes; spread over cookie. Remove to wire racks; let stand until chocolate is set and cookies are cooled.

Yield: 6 1/2 dozen cookies

Serving Size: 2 Cookies

Points: 3 points for 2 cookies