Hello everyone! Again, I hope the week has been going well for each of you! I somehow managed to add another two readers to the audience this week. YAY!!! If you all have any friends or family that you think may benefit from this, please let me know, and I would be happy to add them to the list!
My week went well thus far. Our new iPhones are currently on the FedEx truck for delivery. My husband is now being dubbed the “iGeek”. He has been obsessing about this darned phone since the announcement came out that Gizmodo found a prototype for the new phone in a bar. He has probably read every article published, both in print and on the web, about this new phenom! Gotta love him though. I think that this is very timely, considering my Palm Centro decided to have a massive coronary yesterday afternoon. It spontaneously drained its battery, shut down, and reset. Now the Bluetooth doesn’t work. Oh well, I think I can survive one day without my Bluetooth. At least I can make calls….for now…
Father’s Day went really well too. I decided to get my husband a Barnes & Noble Nook for his gift this year. He is a huge bookworm and thought this would be perfect for him. I was right. He loved it…now I am a Nookwidow, in addition to an iPhone widow. Yeesh!!! I made him my lightened up version of Veal Parmigiana (his favorite) for dinner Sunday night. The side dish was a nice steamed broccoli with a sour cream sauce. I did a strawberry trifle for dessert. I have the recipe for the dessert as written, but I am still not totally happy with the way the lightened up version came out. I think I am gong to nix the fat free cream cheese that it called for, in favor of Neufchatel instead. This will up the POINTS® a smidge, but I think the overall effect may be nicer. The recipe is here in the bottom section of the newsletter.
I think I am turning into a klutz in my old age. I already shared my lovely spill story in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Well…yes, my beloved peeps, the story now has a sequel. I got these beautiful new strappy sandals over the weekend. They are on a bit of a heel, but they are definitely manageable. I was walking through our lobby here in the office, and in the back of my mind, I knew that the tile on the floor was a bit slick, and I tried to take my time…but the klutz gods got me. My left foot skidded across the floor, and I came down on my knee. Nothing bad…mostly a bruised ego. I thought I was home free, until…I saw a co-worker later that afternoon that asked if I was okay. Man! I was THIS close!!! By the way…interesting tidbit…did you know that it’s possible to skin your knee WITH pants on? Never knew that. Oh well…
Despite the clumsiness that I experienced this week, I will manage to get in four workouts this week. I did 33 minutes on the elliptical yesterday, and I did my usual torture sessions with Coach Dwayne on Tuesday and Thursday. Friday will be my last session for this week. Provided that we do our walk on Saturday, this will put me at 5 days of activity. I am trying to get this in on a weekly basis. The sweat sessions have been paying off for me. Before I even commenced with the torture today, I need to preface this by saying that I started the workout with 15 minutes on a Gluteal workout on the ellipitical machine—totally forgetting that today was the leg workout!!! Today’s torture session:
· Body Weight Squats w/ pulses (ouchie)
· Hamstring curls on Ball (double ouchie after the above exercise!)
· Hammer curls
· Bridges on the Ball
· Band Curls (similar to bicep curls with dumbbells)
· Standing Leg Extension w/ side kicks
· Seated Body Bar curl
· Overhead extension
· Skullcrushers
I did show a 2.6 pound loss last week. I hope to continue with this. I think that in addition to the intensity of the activity, what really paid off for me in a big way was the fact that I think I am back on the tracking bandwagon. Not the ‘tracking amnesia’ version that we tend to have from time to time. I am back to using both FitDay AND e-Tools. This way, in addition to staying within my POINTS® target, I also am getting feedback with regard to the nutritional makeup of my food intake (like the percentages of protein/fat/fiber/carb) that I am eating on a daily basis.
Our Weight Watchers meeting this week focused on ‘The Art of Estimating’ and using visual cues to help with portion sizes when we can’t measure. Here are some common visuals:
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I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend, and that we are ALL losers next week!!!
“Most people can look back over the years and identify a time and place at which
their lives changed significantly. Whether by accident or by design, these are the moments when,
because of a readiness within us and a collaboration with events occurring around us, we are forced to
seriously reappraise ourselves and the conditions under which we live and to make certain choices
that will affect the rest of our lives.”
-Frederick F. Flack
ATTACHMENTS
- The Skinny on Ice Cream – this gives you some information on the different types of this decadent treat, so that you can make informed choices
- Summer Produce Picks – this is a good primer on knowing what good stuff is in season
- The Power of Portion Sizes – this is the companion article that goes along with this week’s meeting theme. I also tacked on a visual guide for you, should you find yourself in the situation where you have to estimate your portion sizes.
- Acai Berry Primer – this will acquaint you with this newly-popular superfood!
- Reduce Stress with Exercise – this is a good article that provides some of the benefits of exercise.
- Budget Bites for a July Fourth Party – some ideas that won’t break the bank!
- Lastly…23 Tips for Summer Cooks – this article provides some great pointers on making your summer cooking safer and cleaner!
RECIPES
Parmesan Crusted Fish
This recipe was the Wellness Wednesday dish for this week. I can’t even begin to tell you how delicious this was. Again, this recipe comes courtesy of http://www.eatbetteramerica.
POINTS® Value: 3 per serving
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
1 lb halibut, cod, haddock or other firm-texture fish fillets (about 3/4 inch thick), cut into 4 serving pieces
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons Progresso® Italian style bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Lemon wedges, if desired
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray with cooking spray. Place fish fillets in pan.
2. In small bowl, stir mayonnaise, lemon peel and pepper until blended. Spread over top of each fillet. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Spoon evenly over mayonnaise mixture; pat crumb mixture lightly into mayonnaise.
3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Serve with lemon wedges.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.
Nutritional Information:
1 Serving: Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 260mg; Total Carbohydrate 3g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g); Protein 23g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 2% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 Very Lean Meat; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 0
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Strawberry Angel Dessert
This is a wonderful dessert for spring and summer, when fresh strawberries are readily available. Every time I make this pretty dessert, someone asks for the recipe. Pulled this one off of the Taste of Home website. As written, this is probably not the lightest of desserts, but I did make this using low fat cream cheese and fat free sweetened condensed milk. After doing some further analysis of the recipe, I realized that the first 4 ingredients were for a strawberry glaze. AHA!!! Lightbulb moment! I nixed those ingredients altogether in favor of Marzetti's sugar free glaze for strawberries. You can find this in the produce section of most supermarkets right by the berries. What was originally a 10+ POINT® dessert was reduced by 40%, down to a respectable 6 POINTS®. Increase serving size to reduce the POINTS® Value per serving. This really is a tasty splurge, and the hubster was grateful for a lovely dessert on Father’s Day!
POINTS® Value: 6 per serving (if made using the light version of the recipe—just follow substitutions!)
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 30 min + chill time
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
2 cups water
[OR REPLACE THESE ALTOGETHER WITH ONE CONTAINER OF MARZETTI’S SUGAR FREE GLAZE FOR STRAWBERRIES!]
2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled, divided
1 package (8 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese (also called Neufchatel cheese), softened
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk (such as Eagle Brand®)
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen lite whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared angel food cake (8 to 10 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
Instructions:
For glaze, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and
gelatin. Add water and stir until smooth. Cook and stir over
medium-high heat until mixture begins to boil. Cook and stir 1-2
minutes longer or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool
completely. Cut half of the strawberries into quarters; fold into
glaze. (or simply open container of prepared glaze and combine with strawberries!)
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in milk until blended. Fold in whipped topping.
In a 4-qt. clear glass bowl, layer half of the cake cubes, glaze and cream mixture. Repeat layers. Cut remaining strawberries in half and
arrange over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Yield: 12 - 16 servings.
Grilled Flank Steak with Onions
A simple garlic-oregano marinade adds wonderful flavor to flank steak. It is served here with grilled red onions but asparagus or whole scallions would be just as yummy!!!
POINTS® Value: 4 per (3-1/2 ounce) serving
Servings: 6
Cooking Time: 24 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 1/2 pound(s) raw lean flank steak
3/4 tsp table salt, divided
1 large red onion(s), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 spray(s) cooking spray
Instructions:
In a shallow glass dish (or sealable food storage bag), mix vinegar, oil, oregano, garlic and pepper. Add steak; turn to coat, making sure steak is coated with vinegar mixture. Cover dish (or seal bag); marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Heat outdoor grill.
Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle steak with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Coat onions with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Grill steak, turning once, until medium rare, about 15 minutes, or longer for desired degree of doneness. Let steak rest for 10 minutes.
While steak is resting, grill onions, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and tender, about 7 to 9 minutes.
To serve, thinly slice steak against the grain and place on a serving platter; scatter onions over top. Yields about 3 1/2 ounces steak and 1/3 cup onions per serving.
