Back in Texas Again!

Hello friends! 

I am back from Fantasyland a/k/a Orlando.  We had such a nice time, and some breakthroughs while we were there.  My son. The three-year-old. The one that is going to drag a suitcase of Depends down the wedding aisle? MAKING HUGE STRIDES in the potty training department.  He actually went in the potty each day while we were at my mom’s house.  He’s still not perfect, but hey…a victory is a victory. 

We got to see my sister and brother.  I may not have told you all, but this trip was SUPPOSED to be for a wedding.  My youngest sibling, Kevin, was supposed to be married on 3/12, but his fiancée called it off back in November.  Since we all had purchased our airfare prior to the cancellation of the wedding, we still thought it was a great opportunity to see each other (it’s been at least three years since the Paget kids have been together!) and to cheer Kevin up (but to our delight, he’s already happy---he’s DATING AGAIN!!!).  As far as fun stuff to do, we took the kids to Cocoa Beach to get their toesies in the sand. Adam hadn’t been to the beach up until this point in time, so it was fun to see him running around.  Morgan? She loves the sand and surf, so she was right at home.

We didn’t do Disney this time around, but we took the kids to the Orlando Science Center where they were able to see an IMAX movie, and get their hands on some cool stuff.  We dragged my brother and sister with us and we had a nice afternoon.  I also had a chance to catch up with some wonderful friends.  I saw my Rollins MBA buddies and some of my high school friends.  We ate good (healthy) food and I indulged in a nice glass of wine.  All in all? A nice break. The best part? Not having the work PC with me and not checking work email or voicemail one time while I was gone.  It felt GREAT!

You may wonder why Steve (wonderful hubbie) isn’t in any of these shots. Well…he is my personal paparazzi, so he was actually taking those photos!  Speaking of photos…here is the latest in my ‘Before and After’ series.  Again—left photo? San Antonio 2008 and the right photo? Cocoa Beach, March 2010.  Take pictures people. It really helps you to gauge your progress, even if the scale is not moving.  I know I have been frustrated with the slowness or stagnancy of the scale, but I can actually SEE my progress below.  I keep harping on this, but PICTURES REALLY ARE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!!!! I try to do this kind of comparison once per quarter.  This allows me to be reminded of where I’ve been, and where I am right now.  I think that I will put this one up on the fridge so that I can use it as an anchor.  I need anchoring. Badly.

 Below are some other shots of the vacation.  

Left: my soon-to-be-potty-trained son, Adam and me on Cocoa Beach. He was supposed to be waving at daddy.  Oh well!

Right: my daughter Morgan and me on Cocoa Beach. Love this shot!

Left: the family out in front of Ron Jon’s Surf Shop in Cocoa. Adam, again, being difficult!

Right: my wonderful MBA buddies, standing in front of Roy E. Crummer Hall at Rollins.  We have (from left to right… Steve, Marie, ME and Jeff).  These are wonderful people

I did manage to maintain over vacation, which is great.  I got in some good exercise, going running (and walking) with my brother each morning. I managed to get in between 7,000 and 9,000 steps each day.  I also took charge of most of the cooking so I knew that I had control there as well. My parents don’t seem to mind though J

This week’s meeting focused on portion control, and I have attached a great compilation of meeting-themed materials for you to read.  This week’s closing quote deals with success and perseverance.

“Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours.”

- Orison Swett Marden

ATTACHMENTS:

This week’s attachment goes along with the meeting topic of portion control.  There are recipes and tips included.  A great read!

GLUTEN FREE CORNER:

Stay tuned!

RECIPES

Mexican Casserole                     

This casserole was posted in the meeting room and looked nice and comforting.  It’s done in the slow cooker which is an added bonus!

POINTS® Value: 4

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

4 whole wheat wraps

1 can fat free refried beans

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can corn, drained

½ jar salsa

1 oz fat free shredded mexi-blend cheese

Instructions:

Line crockpot with foil.

Combined drained beans and corn. Layer 1 wrap, beans, salsa and cheese. Repeat and end with wrap and cheese on top. Cook on high for 3 – 4 hours. Lift out foil, cut into 6 portions and serve.

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Another great one given to me by Coach Dwayne, courtesy of Eating Well.com.  Moms and Dads like wraps because they are neat and compact—so beware.  This one is messy and spicy! This one combines buffalo chicken in a modern wrap and is guaranteed to drip. Get out the big napkins and have a ball!

POINTS® Value: 6

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 35 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's RedHot

3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound chicken tenders

2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

1 cup sliced celery

1 large tomato, diced

Instructions:

1. Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well.
3. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese.
4. To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce and top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery and tomato. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl and roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving:  275 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 55 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 3 g fiber; 756 mg sodium; 266 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (35% daily value), Selenium (28% dv), Vitamin C (20% dv).

Weight Watchers Goes to Orlando.....

Happy Friday everyone.  This issue comes courtesy of my home email rather than the work address.  Wednesday morning, bright and early, we left the Great State of Texas in favor of the sunny skies of Florida.  Well...at least that was the plan. We had nice weather on Wednesday, then the skies opened up Thursday and today.  I do like the rain much better than the snow, however.  The best part of this short trip is the fact that for the first time, I didn't have to take my work computer with me!  I almost don't know what to do, except to NOT check email...which isn't necessarily a bad thing!

I have been doing a great job sticking to Plan while here with the parental units.  I took charge of dinner for a couple of nights, and we found a great breakfast place here in town that will do egg white omelets the way you want them!  Some of my readers are here in the Orlando area, and I got great feedback on the newsletter and was told to keep on doing it.  Positive reinforcement. Gotta love it!!!

For fun this trip, I plan on getting together with a bunch of friends, and doing a bunch of relaxing.

The photo below is one of the Paget side of my family.  From left to right, we have my mom Marilyn, my sister Mindy, yours truly, my brother Kevin and my dad Roy.  This is the first picture we have had of us together in quite awhile.  My mom just can’t seem to keep her eyes open long enough to have a photo taken.  It never fails!

The photo below is the follow up to my July 2009 visit.  These are my girlfriends, and we had another nice girlz night at Gators here in Casselberry, FL.  This time, I was kidded, I brought my own paparazzi with me.  My gracious husband played photographer for the night.

I plan on attending my meeting here in Florida prior to coming home on Wednesday.  Hoping to at least maintain.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

A closing quote for you:

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it…”

Ferris Bueller

RECIPES

Elissa’s Soon-to-be-Famous Meatless Pasta Sauce

Ok..as many of you may know, I am in Orlando for the next week spending time with the family. My youngest sibling asked if I would cook dinner tonight, and who am I to turn down that kind of invitation. I asked Kevin what he wanted and he said that he wanted me to make one of my famous spaghetti sauces. Here is the latest version of that sauce... 

San Marzano Tomatoes

Ingredients:

2 sweet onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 (28 oz) cans San Marzano tomatoes, undrained
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (the kind not packed in puree)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste, no salt added
1/2 cup wine (can be either red or white. Use what you would normally drink --what's in your cooler right now!)
fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
fresh oregano, a few sprigs, chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

In a 6 to 8 quart stockpot, add the olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the onions to the pan. Sauté until translucent and soft. Add garlic to the pot and sauté for another minute or so. We are building flavors here... Next, add the bell pepper, mushrooms and carrots. Let these vegetables sweat in the pot with the onions and garlic. Give this some time...maybe 15 minutes or so to let them come together. Next, add the tomato paste to the vegetables and let the tomato paste meld with the cooked vegetables. Add the wine to the mix. Let the alcohol cook out, about 5 minutes or so. We are now adding the next layer of flavors. Add the canned tomatoes and liquid, the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. At this point, bring the sauce to a simmer and let cook for about 45 minutes or so. Check for seasoning. If needed, add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add the chopped herbs to the pot, partially cover and let simmer over low heat for about an hour or so.

Serve over your favorite pasta (I prefer De Cecco whole wheat linguine or De Cecco Spinach Spaghetti). Be sure to have plenty of good cheese to pass. My recommendations are Locatelli Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano. Both cheeses allow you BIG flavors for a smaller serving size. I also recommend a nice crusty bread for mopping. This sauce is good for that!

Mangia!

Note: for those of you who follow my Weight Watchers Blog, I haven't posted POINTS values for this sauce, although it is almost free. Figure on one-two points per 1 cup serving and you should be okay. Be sure to count the POINTS for the pasta as well. Again, this is a wonderful HEALTHY dinner option for you, and it's sure to satisfy. As for the picky kids? Both Morgan and Adam licked their lips.

Straw & Hay Alfredo with Roasted Asparagus

How can this dish be light??? That's what I asked, but it is!!! Cooking light is SO wonderful. I made this tonight, because I had some asparagus in the refrigerator and wanted to make it a starring role in the dish. The taste of the sauce was very close to a traditional Alfredo sauce, but with only a FRACTION of the fat and calories! The serving size was perfect, and was filling. It got 2 thumbs up from the hubbie! Definitely keeping this one around.

This dish derives its name from the color contrast of the two types of pasta. Because it mixes the earthiness of whole wheat with the familiarity of regular pasta, it's a delicious introduction to whole-grain pastas. Truffle oil adds a pleasant, earthy undertone; you can substitute extra virgin olive oil. As with all Alfred dishes, serve immediately.

 







Yield: 8 servings at a POINTS Value of 6 per serving

Ingredients:

2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
Cooking spray
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
2 tablespoons truffle oil (or EVOO); OPTIONAL. I left out and it didn't miss a beat!
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine first four ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add milk mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes or until mixture simmers, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Cover.

Place asparagus on jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° 10 minutes or until browned, stirring once.

Cook both pastas according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

Place pastas and asparagus in a large bowl. Add cheese mixture, tossing well. Add truffle oil and pepper; toss gently. Serve immediately.


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: generous 1 cup) at a POINTS® Value of 6 per serving

CALORIES 296 (35% from fat); FAT 11.4g (sat 5.2g,mono 4.7g,poly 0.8g); IRON 2.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 21mg; CALCIUM 276mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.9g; SODIUM 602mg; PROTEIN 14.5g; FIBER 3.7g