I am in the final countdown of the trip preparations for the NC vacation. My goal is to still issue the newsletter while I am away. It should be nice, issuing from a different location. Already scouted out my meeting location—the one I used to attend when I lived there is still in the same spot! My hope is at WORST to maintain over the time I am away, although I will take any loss that I can. I just really need to buckle down and just track track track track……I am NOT losing my motivation, and I am not quitting. I just wish that the fruits of my efforts would manifest themselves already. Goes back to that patience thing.
Good thing though? I have my peeps. They love me and provide great support. This too shall pass! I will step over this pebble in the road. Our leader gave us each a pebble this week to use as an anchor. We should never lose sight of the fact that most things are little things. Sometimes I have a tendency to make mountains out of molehills (or in the case of the meeting: Pebbles!). I will put these ups/downs into perspective and let them go on by!
As many of you may know, Chanukah started last Friday night. I wanted to do an easy but delicious dinner for the family. I decided on a turkey meatloaf and some sweet potato latkes (I also tried to stay healthy too, if you noticed!). The meatloaf was based off a meeting room recipe (it’s below if you were wondering!) and the sweet potato latkes were adapted from a recipe in Women’s Health Magazine.
The meatloaf ended up being a huge hit. The picky 9-year old ate three slices! We had one loaf left and we ended up eating that one last night. This dinner ranked high on the ‘make again’ scale.
As far as the sweet potato latkes? They seemed like a good idea at the time. I found the recipe online and adapted it. The mixture came together as I expected, but when I baked them, they sort of fell apart as I tried to flip them over.
Just in case you haven’t met my clan yet, I’d like to introduce you. Starting with photo 1, playing the part of “The Picky 9 Year Old”, we have Morgan Nicole. Next to her, in the role we like to call “The Instigator”, we have Adam Hunter. The next photo is of all of us. My wonderful supportive hubby, Stephen, is on the far right. The supporting role of “Stuffed Dog” is played by Bob (don’t ask…Adam named him!)…Oh yeah…the one in purple, kid wrangling? That’s me! A much happier face than it was 44 pounds ago!
The photo on the left was taken last night right before the kiddos tore into the nightly gift! The photo on the right was taken in Fort Worth
I had another less-than-stellar week this week, but am taking this in stride. I was up, albeit ever so slightly. We are talking a few ounces. I know…this is getting old. Last week for our 7-day challenge, we had to formulate a “Winning Outcome” and each day write a way that we will achieve this goal, or a reason why we want to reach the goal.
This is my “Winning Outcome”, which sort of goes along with the ‘Hold the Love Handles’ Challenge being held here at work:
WINNING OUTCOME: “I want to either maintain my current weight or lose weight over the last two weeks of the year and to break my weight loss stagnancy.
- Monday: I need to refocus my efforts and evaluate my tracking
- Tuesday: Try switching calorie levels between morning and evening to see if that helps
- Wednesday: Continue on with the extra 10 minutes of activity each day
- Thursday: Why do this? BECAUSE I AM WORTH IT!
- Friday: Keep focusing on the big prize!
- Saturday: I want to do this for my health. Need to break through the plateau!
- Sunday: Try something Different
PERSEVERANCE is defined by Merriam-Webster as: Persisting in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition or discouragement
Strategies
- Feedback NOT Failure (we all slip up. It’s okay!)
- Be realistic & patient (set realistic goals and be patient)
- Planning & preparing (this helps you get through the rough spots!)
- Keep a positivity journal (one thing you do right each day, as a motivating factor!)
The attachments this week are great!
- Focus on Willpower – determination and effort are key factors in accomplishing your objectives!
- Mustard: A Clever Cook’s Secret Weapon – learn how to use this wonderful condiment!
- Naughty and Nice Holiday Foods – a nice eye-opening article courtesy of Coach Dwayne in the
Loved the closing quote for today!
“Nobody trips over mountains.
It’s the small pebbles that cause us to stumble.
Pass all the pebbles in your path, and you will find you’ve crossed the mountain.”
~Author Unknown
RECIPES
Chicken with Noodles and Vegetables in Ginger Broth
This light, fresh, flavorful soup is the perfect foil to heavy holiday fare.
Yield: 4 servings at a POINTS® Value of 7 per serving
Prep: 15 Min| Cook: 25 Min
Ingredients:
4 oz rice noodles
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
3 star anise pods
4 (5-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
4 oz snow peas, trimmed and halved
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Cook rice noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, combine broth, soy sauce, honey, ginger, and star anise in a large skillet; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover , and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken; return to simmer. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add yellow squash and peas. Cook until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 minutes longer. Remove and discard ginger and star anise. Divide noodles among 4 bowls. Top each with chicken breast and ¼ of stock mixture. Top with cilantro
Carrot-Parsnip Latkes
Latkes are savory pancakes that are a traditional Hanukkah treat.
Yield: 8 servings (2 latkes) at a POINTS® Value of 1 per serving
Prep: 20 Min| Cook: 50 Min
Ingredients:
¾ lb. carrots, peeled
¾ lb. parsnips, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten OR 1/3 cup fat-free egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)
¼ cup all-purpose flour or plain dried bread crumbs
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Directions:
Set a rack on a large baking sheet and place in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Coarsely grate the carrots, parsnips, and onion into a medium bowl; stir to combine. Add the egg whites, flour, thyme, salt and pepper; mix well.
Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Drop the mixture by ¼ cupfuls into the hot skillet to make 4 mounds. Press each mound into a 3-inch pancake. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the latkes to the oven and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Yields 2 latkes per serving.
Meat Loaf Muffins
Yields: 12 “muffins” at a POINTS® Value of 3 each. If you make 16, they come to 2 POINTS® each
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs extra lean ground beef
1 (6 oz) box stuffing mix (I used Stove Top low sodium chicken flavor)
½ cup egg substitute, OR 3 egg whites
1 cup fat free chicken broth
Directions:
Mix all and divide into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Add ½ tsp ketchup to each during last 10 minutes of cook time.
Baked Sweet Potato Latkes (based on the recipe originally published in Women’s Health Magazine)
The latkes....Before picture (I couldn't bear to take an 'after' picture. It was just TOO sad.)
Serving size: 4 latkes; yields 4 servings at 3 POINTS per serving
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
1 small onion
1/4 cup matzah meal, or unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup egg substitute, or 3 egg whites
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
spray oil or 2 tablespoons olive oil
Serve with:
non-fat or low-fat sour cream
applesauce
Instructions:
1. Place a couple of non-stick baking sheets in the oven and preheat to 450°F .
2. Peel the potatoes and onion and coarsely grate in a food processor fitted with a shredding disk or on a box grater. Grab handfuls of the grated vegetables and squeeze tightly between your fingers to wring out as much liquid as possible.
3. Transfer the grated vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in the matzah meal, baking powder, egg substitute, parsley, cinnamon, nutmeg, and plenty of salt and pepper. (The latkes should be highly seasoned.)
4. Spray the hot baking sheets with oil (or drizzle the oil on it and spread with a wooden spoon) Spoon small mounds of potato mixture onto the baking sheet to form 2-1/2 inch pancakes, leaving 1 inch between each latke.
5. Bake-fry the latkes in the oven until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning once with a spatula. (When you turn the latkes, try to flip them onto spots on the baking sheet that still have oil.)
6. Transfer to plates or a platter and serve at once with sour cream and/or applesauce.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 188
Protein: 4 g
Sodium: 177 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 34 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 8 g
Total Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat:1 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
Vitamin A1955 IU; Vitamin B1- Thiamin0 mg; Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin0 mg; Vitamin B3 - Niacin0 mg; Vitamin B60 mg; Vitamin B120 mcg; Folate5 mcg; Vitamin C19 mg; Vitamin E1 IU; Iron1 mg; Calcium47 mg; Phosphorus22 mg; Potassium403 mg;
ATTACHMENTS:
