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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Sideways Wednesday… and I have always been a bit sideways….




(See yesterday’s post…) So this is perfect!  Well on to the second day of my ummm NEWLY DISCOVERED points total…and yes peeps I am over on my flex points for the week, GO FIGURE!  Well the good news (ok maybe not so good news) is that tomorrow is weigh in day, which in my book means FRESH START!  

This makes today your lucky day because I am feeling OPTIMISTIC!! For my Sideways Wednesday recipe we are going to have a bit o delish, but I am also going to give you a breakfast recipe or two, because I just realized that I have been severely lacking in that category, which is strange since I LOVE breakfast!  Any who here’s the first:

Garlic Dill New Potatoes
5Points Plus
6 Servings

Ingredients
3 Tbsp Brummel & Brown Soft Spread Margarine  
1 Tbsp dill, chopped  
2 tsp garlic clove(s), minced  
1/4 tsp table salt  
6 medium uncooked red potatoes, cubed   

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a steamer basket, and set in a pan over an inch of boiling water.
Cover, and steam for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender but not mushy.
 In a small bowl, stir together the margarine dill, garlic, and salt.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl, and pour the seasoned margarine over them.
Toss gently until they are well-coated.
From www.allrecipes.com Modified by me 1-17-12

Ok here is some morning yum!  These are great to make on a weekend morning and then grab and go during the week on those days when you are racing out the door (Umm that is every day for me!)  Have a couple of these and some fresh fruit!

Broccoli-and-Bacon Egg Cups
3 Points Plus
6 Servings

Ingredients
6 slice(s) uncooked turkey bacon, sliced crosswise into 1⁄4-inch strips  
2 C uncooked broccoli, frozen, chopped  
1 small uncooked red onion, chopped  
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic  
2 tsp Italian seasoning  
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour  
1 C fat free plain greek yogurt  
3 large egg(s)  
3 large egg white(s)  
4 Tbsp parmesan cheese, freshly grated  
1/2 tsp table salt  
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Place the oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350ºF. Heavily spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add the bacon and sauté until crispy, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
 Return the skillet to the heat. Add the broccoli, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning; cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the flour and the cooked bacon. Set aside to cool.
 Whisk together the yogurt, eggs, egg whites, cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until blended. Stir in the cooled vegetable mixture, then spoon evenly into the muffin cups. Bake until set in the center, about 20 minutes. To remove, run a narrow rubber spatula or knife around the edge of each muffin cup.
Yields 2 mini egg cups per serving.


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

I never said I was very bright…


So I have been YO-YO-ing on the scale for the last couple of weeks, and have been completely clueless (SEE ABOVE!) as to why…and then yesterday after work as I am picking up my daughter from daycare, another mom, says to me, “So how do you like your new 26 Points Plus points?”  Well I am guessing that I must have looked like a bit of an idiot as I said “Huh? What?” 

The point here is that up until yesterday at about 5:30 pm I had still been eating my 29 points everyday!! Ummmm how in the world could have I have missed that in the meeting??? And better yet, how could I have missed the BIG NUMBERS up in the left corner of my e-tools screen EVERYDAY, FOR, OH I DON’T KNOW, MORE THAN A MONTH??!!!   

Do you think I need to retire my blog if I am that out of touch?? WELL I AM NOT GONNA, but boy do I feel STUPID!!  I will just be getting’ back on the proverbial horse again….whew sometimes life in Julieland is ROUGH!!  But the good news is….IT’S CHEESE DAY!
                                  
This one is coming straight from our friend Lisa Lillien AKA The Hungry Girl and considering Super Bowl is right around the corner you might want to think about party planning, remember what I said last year?  Super Bowl doesn’t have to be Super Fat!

Hungry Girl calls these:
Potato Wins!
6 Points Plus
4 Servings

Ingredients:
4 medium-small baking potatoes (8 - 9 oz. each)
3 slices turkey bacon
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.
Pierce potatoes several times with a fork, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 5 minutes, until potatoes begin to soften.
Carefully turn potatoes over, and microwave for 5 - 8 minutes, until soft on all sides.
Once cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to gently scoop out the bulk of the inside flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch inside the skin. (Save the scooped potato flesh for another use.) Place the empty potato shells on the baking sheet.
Bake in the oven until crispy, 12 - 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven, but leave the oven on.
Meanwhile, prepare bacon in a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray or on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave. (Refer to package instructions for exact cook time and temperature.) Once cool enough to handle, chop or crumble and set aside.
Evenly distribute cheese and bacon among the potato skins. Return to the oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.
Immediately sprinkle with scallions and serve with sour cream for dipping. YUM! (Add those points in though, I didn't count the sour cream!)