Be Your Own Valentine

Hey there all.  I am not sure I am in such a good place this week.  I got word earlier in the week that my friend that lost his wife on the 27^th of January lost his mother on Sunday night (Superbowl Sunday).  I am in a very low place right now, and am having a crisis of motivation.  I am supposed to be the one inspiring you guys, and I fear that I am losing my mojo.  Where do I get inspiration from?  Lately, I need help answering that question. 

I did find some inspiring song lyrics though.  I have grown to love a DJ called Tiesto, and although I can’t seem to find my motivation this week, or truthfully for the last couple of weeks, I will always be there for you, pushing you along your journey.  Perhaps that will help me find my mojo?!?! I feel like Austin Powers!!!  Yeah baby….

…When the big road falls apart
And you think that the feeling will linger
You need somewhere to start
I will be here
And when it all seems to fall apart
You can't breathe
You don't know what you're thinking
You need somewhere to start
I will be here…

Despite my crisis of motivation, I did show a slight loss for the second week in a row.  This week, I was down .4.  Not too shabby I guess.  I am still in the red, but going back in the right direction. During one of my workouts this week, Dwayne reminded me of how far I’ve come since August 2008.  He also said that I inspire him.  That blew me away.  He went on to say that I remind him of why he loves his job so much. He said that seeing me persevere and show consistency through my workouts makes him feel good about his job. To hear him say that made me feel good. 

Please bear with me. I’ll be fine, and I am sure I will be back to myself soon.  Sometimes it just takes awhile.  Just know this: I AM NOT GIVING UP. I embarked on this journey for a reason, and I will continue on until I get to my destination—however long that takes.  I also won’t quit once I get there.  I made serious lifestyle changes that I intend to keep. 

Coach Dwayne provided me the quote below, which I really liked. I wanted to pass it along to you. 

"Motivation is a fire from within.

If someone else tries to light that fire under you,

                           chances are it will burn very briefly"

-Stephen Covey

The meeting today focused on being your own valentine. Take care of yourself, and do nice things for yourself.  The challenge? For the next 10 weeks, mark you calendar to attend your meeting. Make it a priority.  Since I already do that…the second option is to reread your Week 4 book which deals with Habits of Successful Members. Who knows? Maybe my motivation is hiding in Week 4????

Baked Eggs – Italian Style

This reminds me of a dish that I used to make quite often—‘eggs in purgatory’. No, I’m not Italian, but I so loved that dish.  Somewhere between a baked frittata and pastaless lasagna, this casserole is delicious with arugula salad or mixed greens.

POINTS® Value: 5

Servings: 8

Preparation Time: 8 min

Cooking Time: 18 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

4 cup(s) marinara sauce, store-bought  

1/2 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped (do not use dried basil)  

8 large egg(s)  

1 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano  

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes   

Instructions:

·        Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

·        Pour the marinara sauce into a 9- X 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the chopped basil over the sauce.

·        Use the bottom of a small custard cup or a similarly sized glass to make 8 rounded indentations in the marinara sauce. Crack an egg into each of these indentations.

·        Sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano and red pepper flakes over the tops of the eggs. Bake until the egg whites are set, the yolks are a bit runny and the cheese has melted, about 18 minutes. Serve by scooping eggs and sauce into individual bowls, using a large spoon. Yields about 1 egg and 1/3 cup sauce per serving.

Notes:

Eggs baked in the oven offer a wonderful creaminess, almost better than those cooked on top of the stove. However, the oven's constant, ambient heat can toughen the eggs quite a bit — so a little fat (as here, in the shredded cheese) protects the delicate whites and keeps them tender.

Elissa’s Awesome Turkey Chili

This is a perfect chili for North Texas’ weather situation lately.  This was based on a recipe I found on www.epicurious.com a couple of years back.  As per usual, I lightened up the recipe and made it my own.  This chili is great over whole-wheat elbows, making a nice hearty dish for the cold weather!  This chili can be prepared up to three days ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover. Reheat over low heat before serving.  Enjoy.

POINTS® Value: 6 per 1 cup serving. If you use less turkey or less beans, adjust POINTS® accordingly!

Servings: Makes an 8 quart pot of chili…approximately 12-16 cups of chili

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 90 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil  

1 1/2 cup(s) onion(s), chopped  

8 clove(s) garlic clove(s), chopped  

5 Tbsp chili powder  

1 Tbsp McCormick Ground cumin  

1 tsp ground basil  

1/2 tsp ground oregano  

1/2 tsp dried thyme  

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes  

14 1/2 oz fat-free chicken broth  

1 can(s) or bottle(s) light beer  

6 oz canned tomato paste  

3 (15-0z) cans kidney beans, Use mixed --- light, dark, white or black!

1 can (s) Bush's Chili Starter - Mild  (or a can of seasoned chili beans)

2 1/2 pound(s) Turkey, ground, 93% lean/7% fat, raw   

Instructions:

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add ground turkey and saute until brown, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes

Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano and thyme. Stir 2 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, beer and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hr. 15 minutes. Mix in beans. Simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Pear Oatmeal Crisp

This recipe was in the Weight Watchers Shortcuts cookbook, which came out last year.   This is a good quick versatile dessert that can be made with canned pears, canned apricots or canned apples packed in juice.  Any way you make it, it’s wonderful!

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 20 Minutes

Yields 6 servings at a POINTS® Value of 4 per serving

Ingredients:

·        ½ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

·        7 tablespoons packed brown sugar

·        ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

·        2 (16-ounce)cans sliced pears in juice, drained, with ½ cup of the juice reserved

·        2 tablespoons butter, melted

·        1 (1 1/4-ounce) package cinnamon and spice instant oatmeal mix (I used Cinnamon Roll, since that’s what I had)

 Instructions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 425

 2.       Mix 1 tablespoon of the flour, 4 tablespoons of the brown sugar, and the ginger in an 8-inch square baking dish.  Add the pears and the reserved pear juice, stirring until blended.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap, then pick a few holes in the plastic.  Microwave on High until the filling begins to bubble, 4-5 minutes stirring once halfway through cooking.

 3.       Meanwhile, combine the butter and the remaining 3 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl. Add the oatmeal mix and the remaining ½ cup flour; stir until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over the filling. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the topping is golden, about 15 minutes.  Serve warm.

 Nutrition Information per serving: (1/2 cup); 225 Cal, 4 g Fat, 3g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 10 mg Chol, 82 mg Sod, 46 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 2 g Prot, 47 mg Calc, POINTS value: 4.