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!

I am a 10!!! (Careful, it’s my world I’m livin’ in ya know!)

No, but really, I bought new jeans on my lunch hour and they are a size 10!! I really had a hard time grabbing them off the rack because I was sure they would be like really pretty blue SAUSAGE CASINGS!  But nope, they are cute as heck!  I am feeling the pride right now in my new blue NOT sausage casings!  Another milestone, last week at weigh in I hit my 30lb mark, talk about a great day!  

Here is a little tasty tidbit for you today that I think I will be making for my next party, it has two of my favorite things in it…YES ONE OF THEM IS CHEESE, the other my friends, is spinach!  I love spinach anyway, but you can put it in so many things to give you a little boost, not just nutritionally mind you…but it gives a little guilt free bulk to lots of  different types of dishes!  And now if I haven’t entertained you enough…here are some funnies before the nitty gritty…um I mean recipe…

Adult Truths:

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blu Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

20. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

21. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important. (Ladies, quit yer laughing!)

Now here ya go...

Spinach Parmesan Dip 

1 Points Plus

8 Servings

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil    

3 garlic cloves, chopped    

1/4 t table salt    

10 oz spinach, fresh, if you use frozen be sure to get as much mo    

1/2 C basil, loosely packed, if you used dried, reduce the amount by half   

1/3 C light cream cheese    

1/8 t black pepper    

1/3 C plain fat-free yogurt    

1 oz Parmesan cheese, (1/4 c) grated - use fresh - it's best!!    

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add salt and spinach; sauté 3 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Place spinach mixture in a colander, pressing until mixture is barely moist.

Place spinach mixture, basil, cream cheese, and pepper in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon spinach mixture into a medium bowl. Add yogurt and Parmesan; stir to combine. Chill.

Serving size is 1/4 cup.

From my "Healthy Bites" newsletter by www.allrecipes.com

Hungry!! I don’t know about you, but I am a Hungry Girl…

Speaking of hungry…are any of you Hungry Girl fans?  If you don’t know about her, check her out sometime!  Her website is www.hungrygirl.com and she has a new show on the Cooking Channel, Saturday’s 4:00 pm my time (Eastern).  She has great tips and tricks, and she makes over some of our favorite foods to be WW friendly!  She also gives you Points Plus values on everything she cooks!!  She does everything from snacks to meals to COCKTAILS, yes I said ADULT BEVERAGES!  She also comes up with great grocery store finds! She has an email newsletter that I subscribe to and just save to my little sub-folder called HG, which is inside my WW folder in my email inbox.  (just a little free organizing tip for you, Lord knows I need all the help I can get in that area, can you say ADHD?), this way I don’t have to read it right then if I don’t want to, but I can find it if I need or want it later! Sometimes, I just sit down and peruse recipes, cuz that’s how I roll…(I am such a food nerd!)  Anywhoo last night I made her recipe for “Pizza-fied” Chicken and it was scrumptious!!  Try it out and let me know what you think!

Pizza-fied Chicken 

6 Points Plus

1 Servings

Ingredients

5 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, Pounded to about a quarter inch    

1/4 t garlic powder, or more to taste    

1/4 t onion powder, or more to taste    

1/8 t table salt, or more to taste    

1/8 t black pepper, or more to taste     

1/4 C green pepper, diced    

1/4 C mushroom, Sliced    

1/4 C raw onion (chopped)    

1/4 C canned crushed tomatoes    

1 Pc Light String Cheese    

4 slices Turkey Pepperoni, chopped    

1 tsp reduced fat parmesan cheese    

Instructions

Season chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

Bring two skillets sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. In one skillet, cook bell pepper, mushrooms, and onion until softened, 4 - 6 minutes. In the other skillet, cook chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. (Alternatively, use one skillet and cook the veggies and chicken consecutively.)

Place crushed tomatoes in a small bowl and season to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Evenly spoon seasoned tomatoes onto chicken in skillet. Tear string cheese into pieces and place over the tomatoes.

Top chicken with veggies and turkey pepperoni. Cover and continue to cook until cheese softens, 1 - 2 minutes.

Plate your pizza-fied chicken and sprinkle with grated topping. Garnish with crushed red pepper and oregano, if you like. Enjoy!

From www.hungrygirl.com

I thawed a package of 5 chicken breasts and did them all, so I have lunch for work!  My 8 year old is not a fan of onions and green peppers, so I just left those off one of the pieces and she was happy!

**The picture is a "chicken strip" by the way, I just thought it was hilarious!!

So will wonders never cease? Down 2.6 lbs this week!

I was sure that I was going to have my holiday week’s gluttony finally catch up to me, but I seem to be ok!  On another subject, do any of you have a WW pedometer?  I think I may have mentioned in an earlier post, I seem to be HIGHLY ALLERGIC to exercise, whenever I do it, I break out in a SWEAT and who likes that nonsense all the time!  And don’t even get me started on the whole problem that it also makes my body sore!  Emotionally, I just don’t see the appeal…but intellectually I get the fact that I need to move my arse a little more, (ok, ok, a lot more).   But not wanting to jump into anything too quickly…I am starting with my pedometer!  The goal here seems to be 10,000 steps a day…well that isn’t happening every day but I will say this…the last two days I earned 5 activity points on each day, for just going about my business, granted I was running around and busy both days but still!  The beauty of this little gadget is that it tells you the date and time (wooo big deal huh?), the amount of points you have earned, the distance you have walked and how many steps you have taken, not only for the current day, but for the your entire WW week!  My biggest challenge to start with was to remember to put the darn thing on every day!  Try it out and let me know what you think! 

And now for the Main Event!

Applesauce Bar Cookies 

2 Points Plus

24 Servings

Ingredients

1 3/4 C all-purpose flour    

1/2 t baking soda    

1 t ground cinnamon    

1/2 t ground allspice    

1/8 t ground cloves    

1/2 t table salt    

1/4 C margarine    

3/4 C sugar    

1 egg    

1/2 C unsweetened applesauce    

1/2 C raisins    

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare bottom of a 11 x 7 ~inch pan with vegetable pan coating. Sift together flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Cream together margarine and sugar. Add egg to margarine mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Alternately add the dry ingredients and applesauce, stirring just enough to blend well. Add the raisins. Turn into the prepared pan and bake about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into squares.

From www.cdkitchen.com

Ok…so I ALMOST didn’t miss the Cheese…

However, I tried a new trick with this one…I served in on the side that way everybody else could load up on it!  I CANNOT say enough about the power of freshly grated Parmesan cheese!  You don’t need much and the flavor sure packs a punch!  It is so worth the price!!

Pasta Amatriciana My version 

6 Points Plus

6 Servings

Ingredients

4 slices Turkey Bacon-chopped (I use Sam’s Club)

1 large onion, Chopped    

2 cloves garlic, Chopped or minced (medium)    

28 oz canned diced tomatoes    

1 t dried oregano    

1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes    

1 t table salt    

1/2 t black pepper    

1/2 C water    

4 oz canned mushrooms    

6 C cooked whole wheat pasta, (I used rotini)    

1 T dried parsley    

Instructions

Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook, covered, shaking the pan occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, ground pepper, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, toss with the sauce, and sprinkle with the parsley.

I served with grated fresh parmesan and shredded mozzarella so people can add their own cheese! Make sure to count those Points Plus values though! I modified a recipe I found on the WW website to get this one. You can also play with the amount of crushed red pepper to change the amount of "heat".

It’s still Monday, and I am still slow…but just about ready for bed…

I thought I would share this last recipe…Ok it’s two, but who’s counting?  The great news is you can make the first recipe on a Sunday afternoon, and then use it to make the second one during the week!  Or not, you can also have a fabulous Latin inspired dish instead of the Same old, Same old!  Pernil is a typical pork dish in the Latin Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico and Cuba, served with rice and beans during the holidays or whenever there's a reason to celebrate.

Skinny Slow Cooked Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork)
4 Points Plus

6 Servings  

3 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tbsp cumin

1/4 tsp crushed black pepper

3 oranges, juice of (1/2 cup)

2 limes, juice of

Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the pork and stuff holes with half of the crushed garlic. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over pork. Place in the ceramic part of the crock pot, cover and refrigerate, turning pork occasionally so the marinade covers all of pork.

The next day cook on low, 8 hours.

After 8 hours, remove pork and shred using two forks. Remove liquid from crock pot and add pork back to crock. Add about 1 cup of the liquid back and adjust salt, pepper and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.  From Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes via www.skinnytaste.com.

And here is the second one!

Cuban Sandwich Quesadilla
5 Points Plus (4 Points-old system)

1 Servings:

1 oz skinny slow cooked pernil

1 slice reduced fat swiss (I used Sargento)

1 oz ham (I uses Hillshire Farm 97% fat free)

1 slice kosher pickle

Mustard

6 inch low carb whole wheat tortilla (La Tortilla Factory)

Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. Spray with cooking spray and place tortilla on pan. On half of the tortilla, place a piece of cheese, pork, ham, pickle and mustard. When cheese is melted, fold the quesadilla in half and flip to heat other side. Remove from heat and cut into 3 pieces. From Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes via www.skinnytaste.com.