Happy Fiesta Friday!!

Here is a little sumpin’ sumpin’ for your tastebuds! 

Two tacos for 6 Points Plus…not bad Mi Amigo’s and plenty of flavor to boot….

Mushroom, Flank Steak, and Poblano Tacos 

6 Points Plus

4 Servings

Ingredients

8 oz Beef, flank, steak, raw, trimmed    

1/2 t table salt, divided    

1/4 t black pepper, divided    

2 c onions, thinly sliced    

1 t dried oregano    

2 t minced garlic    

1/2 t dried coriander (or cumin)    

8 oz mushrooms, sliced    

1 c Poblano Chile, seeded and thinly sliced    

8 corn tortillas    

1/2 c Reduced fat shredded 4 cheese Mexican style blend    

1/2 c salsa    

Instructions

Heat sprayed large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add steak to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from pan. Spray pan again. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through Poblano); sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables soften. Cut steak across the grain into thin slices. Add steak, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to pan; cook 1 minute. Place about 1/3 cup steak mixture in each tortilla. Top each taco with 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon salsa.

Serving is 2 tacos.

From www.cookinglight.com

Modified by me!

Anybody in the moody for a little tasty tidbit? It is Thursday after all…

I am fighting off a cold…pretty successfully I might add, so I can’t taste much at all!!  That doesn’t mean I have lost interest in food though…

Here are some homemade chips at 1 Points Plus for a small serving or 2 PP for a double that are a great, easy to make snack, and very budget friendly!  You could make up a bunch of these babies so that they are ready when you are…which when it comes to food is almost always for me…let’s just face facts!  In fact I think that is exactly what the creator of this recipe does, is make them up ahead of time!  Credit where credit is due at the end of the recipe!

Homemade Tortilla Chips 8 chips 

1 Points Plus

1 Serving

Ingredients

1 corn tortilla - locally I use El Milagro

Butter flavor cooking spray

Instructions

Cut corn tortillas into 8 pieces (I used a pizza cutter) lay on baking stone spray with butter flavored spray sprinkle salt bake 10-15 watch closely and take them out when they are just lightly browned....

I made these and they didn't seem crispy enough at first but after they cooled they were fabulous, so be patient!!  I think you could play around with some other flavorings too as long as they are point free!

This is from a Facebook friend and follower in my local communtiy! Thanks Chelly!

Now when you have chips….you almost gotta have dip right?

Salsa is Queen in my world, not only because of the low points value (check your labels to make sure to get ZERO point salsa, or use my Mrs. Wages!!!), but also because I LOVE SALSA!  Sometimes though you just want something a little creamy and more substantial…try these on for size…

White Bean Dip with Rosemary and Sage 

1 Points Plus

8 Servings

Ingredients

2 T fresh lemon juice    

1 T olive oil    

1 t dried rosemary    

1 t dried sage    

1/4 t black pepper    

2 cloves garlic, minced    

15 oz canned cannellini beans, or other white beans, rinsed and drained    

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Serve with chips or veggies and count the points! Garnish with sage sprig, if desired. Serving size is about 3 tablespoons dip.

From www.cookinglight.com

Another email funny from Maxine...But don't listen to her - we really have to get moving!!!

It doesn't mean its not funny though!!

The Importance of Walking
Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

I like long walks,
especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking
is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning,
before my brain figures out what I'm doing..

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise',
I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,
start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years,......
just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older,
because there's a lot more information in our heads.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

“Every time I start thinking too much about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave,
“I look just fine.”

You could run this over to your friends
But just e-mail it to them....

No frills...no fuss just a recipe...places to go...namely my bed!

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore 

7 PointsPlus

6 Servings

Ingredients

15 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained    

6 oz Contadina Tomato Paste, with 100% Tomatoes    

6 oz fat-free chicken broth    

4 oz canned mushrooms, sliced, drained    

1/2 medium raw onion, chopped    

2 cloves garlic, crushed (medium)    

1 t italian seasoning    

1 t table salt    

1/2 t black pepper    

1 lb cooked linguini, or fettucini    

1 1/2 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast    

2 t olive oil     

Instructions

Directions

1. Prepare the sauce in the base of the slow cooker by stirring together the olive oil, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth or water, mushrooms, onions, garlic cloves, Italian seasonings and salt and pepper.

2. Add the chicken to the sauce in the slow cooker and spoon over the sauce on top of the chicken. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for eight hours.

3. Just before the chicken is finished cooking, prepare the fettuccine or linguine noodles as directed on the package.

4. Serve the chicken cacciatore over top of the noodles, with a side salad or vegetables.

From the $5 mom...with some slight "skinnying down" by me!

Which road are you gonna take?

I have had a pretty rough weekend staying on plan…but I have a fab find for you!  My boyfriend’s birthday is today and we went out together on Saturday night, then went out as a family for dinner tonight, so you can see where I might be in a bit of trouble this week…Since he loves Olive Garden I agreed…thinking I was going to have to eat me a whole bunch of salad WITHOUT the regular OG dressing (that I love by the way – and is WAY fattening!) 

But here is what a little research and preparation will get you!  (OG doesn’t list protein in their nutritional info – so you have to be a little creative and figure it out yourself from whatever sources of proteins are in the dishes you choose).  I chose Venetian Apricot Chicken (Grilled chicken breast in an apricot citrus sauce, served with broccoli, asparagus and diced tomatoes.) for a total of 9 Points Plus! Umm and it was YUMMY! (Can you hold on a minute while I finish patting myself on the back please?!!?)  No, but seriously, this is not bad my fellow foodies!!! I also filled up on salad (which I had them bring with the dressing on the side so I could have the low-fat version) and only ate half of my dinner and get the rest tomorrow for lunch!

Considering that the entrée’s that I would have normally chosen would come in at, oh say AROUND 21 Points Plus for Stuffed Chicken Marsala, or ummm 34 Points Plus for Fettucine Alfredo…or let’s see, I was thinking of something without meat that might be less points… Ravioli di Portobello has 19 Points Plus!  The b/f had Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo (WHICH I WILL ADMIT TO TASTING – AND IT IS PRETTY D#%M GOOD!…but for 35 Points Plus, I was able to pass it up…THANK THE LORD FOR SMALL FAVORS! 

That skinny chick inside of me might just bust her way out yet!!  Have a great week and after I get my homework done I will try to come up with something yummy for Slow Monday if I have time…if not then peace out peeps!