Happy hump day!
So far this has been a stellar week for me…I remembered my PC, my badge, and my brains. Not bad for the first FULL week back after vacation ended. I added another three readers to the distribution as well. I think I have told you guys that I also publish this newsletter on the web (sans attachments…). My site is http://
PLUS? On a “lighter” note? I lost another .6 this week (for those of you keeping track, that’s just shy of 3 sticks of butter). This is the 5th consecutive week of losses for me. I think that the fruits and veggies challenge really has been helping. I have been MORE than surpassing my 5 servings daily. I noticed a difference in my hunger levels too. There really IS something to this filling foods thing. LOL!
I have been talking with Morgan (the 10-year-old) each night since she has been with my parents in Orlando. I think they have her on a 5 word budget. Lately, I have better conversations with the 3-year-old. Thinking that she is having way too much fun to be talking on the phone…We get her back in a couple of weeks. Am I looking forward to it? Lemme get back to you! LOL…
Saturday I used my day at the spa that Steve got me for Mother’s Day. For five glorious hours I was pampered. Scalp massage, salt scrub, full body massage, European facial, lunch, and topped off with a spa mani/pedi. I would venture to say that there is no better way to spend a Saturday (or at least none that I am able to write about here!!! LOL…) I really think that the fruits and veggies challenge that Weight Watchers posed to us four weeks ago has made all the difference in my mojo. I have been actively seeking out ways to use my veggies. This week alone, here is a list of some dishes I made (note the veggies here…) By amping up my intake of veggies, in particular, my urge to snack on other stuff has been quelled.
Roasted tomato soup (tomatoes/onions and basil in this one)
Avocado Chicken Salad (avocado and basil in this one)
Turkey Sausage Hoagies (orange, yellow, and red bell peppers with sweet onions topped this one); also made corn on the cob…
A mixed salad topped with a peanut/miso dressing (OK…so I didn’t hand make this one, but it was chock-full of greens and carrots)
Nectarines were also on sale, and are a great snack option. I have been slipping one into my lunch pack every day this week.
If you put your mind to it, the possibilities are literally endless. I have included recipes for the first three dishes mentioned above. The Central Market actually made the salad and the dressing for the fourth recipe. Can’t take credit for making it, but I can certainly take credit for EATING it. I have found that the more colors on the plate? the better. Keeps things interesting.
My new best friend is also General Mills’ Original Fiber One cereal. To help combat the afternoon munchies, I have been taking a 1-Point® cup of yogurt with ½ cup of blueberries (or strawberries or blackberries…) and about 1/3-1/2 cup of fiber one. I mix it all together and make sort of a yogurt parfait. This particular iteration will cost you 1.5 points. That’s for a 6 oz cup of Kroger Lite Vanilla yogurt (1 POINT®); ½ cup blueberries (.5 POINTS®) and 1/3 cup Fiber One (0 POINTS®). This will keep your tummy from growling for quite awhile.
The topic of this week’s meeting was “Snack Savvy” and it provided some strategies for snacking throughout the day. Smart snacking can actually help you with your weight loss goals. The ideal between-meals nosh combines complex carbohydrates, lean protein, fiber, and a bit of healthy fat. It should be easy to prep, hold, AND eat. Oh…and it should also taste good. To create lots of appealing tummy-filling snacks, pair a fruit or veggie with the perfect partner:
Medium apple + 1 slice low fat cheese = 2 POINTS®
1 cup grapes + 1 tbsp walnuts = 2 POINTS®
1 small banana + ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt = 2 POINTS®
1 cup grape tomatoes + 1 hard boiled egg = 2 POINTS®
1 medium peach + ½ cup low fat cottage cheese = 2 POINTS®
1 cup blueberries + ½ cup fat-free ricotta cheese = 3 POINTS®
1 medium cucumber + 2 tbsp low fat creamy dill dip = 2 POINTS®
1 medium sweet potato + 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese = 3 POINTS®
1 cup string beans + ¼ cup store-bought hummus = 2 POINTS®
1 cup sugar snap peas + 2 tbsp sour cream and chive dip = 2 POINTS®
1 cup bell pepper slices + ½ cup shelled edamame = 2 POINTS®
3 ribs celery + 1 tbsp peanut butter = 2 POINTS®
6 steamed asparagus spears + 1 slice turkey breast or roast beef = 2 POINTS®
1 cup raw carrots + 2 tbsp fat-free black bean dip = 0 POINTS®
These are some creative and POINT-economical ways to snack. Plus, you won’t be blowing your daily POINTS® target either. I hope that you have a fantastic end to your week, and I will be back with you next week!!!
“We are indeed much more
than what we eat, but,
what we eat can, nevertheless,
Help us be so much more
Than who we are.”
- Adelle Davis, author & nutrition pioneer
RECIPES
Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwiches
This recipe came from the Cooking Light Mini-Cookbook "5 Ingredient/15 Minute Meals". Avocado gives this chicken salad a rich creamy texture and healthy dose of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, which helps lower your risk of heart disease. This made a fantastic lunch. Instead of using the bread as they called for, I simply made a smaller sandwich and served on a Sandwich Thins bun. Perfecto!
I used a rotisserie chicken pulled off the bones for this one, and I served it over a bed of mixed field greens instead of on bread.
Yield: 4 sandwiches at a POINTS® Value of 8 per sandwich (and these are LARGE portions) OR 6 portions to serve over greens at a POINTS® Value of 5 per serving. Your pick.
Ingredients:
3 cups (1/2 inch) cubed cooked chicken breast [rotisserie works great!]
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro [I subbed basil for this; I am not a cilantro fan...]
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (1/2 inch) cubed avocado [about 1]
4 green leaf lettuce leaves
8 whole-wheat bread slices, toasted [or skip the bread altogether and serve over field greens]
Instructions:
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Gently stir avocado into chicken mixture until combined.
2. Place 1 lettuce leaf onto each of 3 bread slices. Spoon chicken mixture evenly onto each lettuce leaf. Top with remaining bread slices.
Yield: 4 servings; Serving size: 1 sandwich; POINTS® Value per sandwich: 8; if serving as is over greens: 5
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 364; Fat: 16.4g (sat: 2.7g, mono: 7.9g, poly: 3g); Protein: 41.4g; Carb: 24g; Fiber 11.9g; Chol: 95mg; Iron: 4.4mg; Calc: 322mg
Love the monounsaturation punch of this sandwich. Enjoy!
Roasted Tomato-Bread Soup
Tomatoes, onions and garlic develop a deep, rich flavor when roasted. A mix of different colored cherry tomatoes will add a playful note. This soup is adapted from a recipe in Amy Goldman’s book The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table (Bloomsbury USA, 2008).
POINTS® Value: 4 per serving
Servings: 6 at approx. 1 cup each
Preparation Time: 30 min
Total Cooking Time: 1 hour
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
4 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced garlic, plus 1 whole clove, peeled and halved
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
6 slices whole-grain country bread
2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
6 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss onions, oil, salt and pepper in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Roast the onions, stirring once or twice, until starting to brown, about 20 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 cup garlic and continue roasting, stirring once, until the tomatoes are falling apart and beginning to brown in spots, about 20 minutes more.
Transfer the onion-tomato mixture to a large saucepan. Add broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, place bread on a large baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Rub both sides of the toasted bread with the halved garlic clove. (Discard remaining garlic.)
To serve, place a piece of toasted bread in a shallow soup bowl. Ladle about 1 cup soup over the bread. Sprinkle with basil and cheese and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Per serving : 213 Calories; 8 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 4 mg Cholesterol; 27 g Carbohydrates; 10 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 594 mg Sodium; 564 mg Potassium
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat; 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Strawberry Napoleon
I found this one on the Weight Watchers site when looking for something different to do for a summer dessert. Layered with fresh berries and sweetened
cream, our napoleon is light on your taste buds as well as your waistline.
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Ingredients:
8 sheet(s) phyllo dough, refrigerated preferred over frozen
1 spray(s) cooking spray
8 tsp sugar
1/4 cup(s) sugar
3 oz Neufchatel cheese, softened
1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
2 1/2 tsp orange zest, freshly grated
3/4 cup(s) lite whipped topping
4 cup(s) strawberries, thinly sliced, about 1/4-inch thick
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a cookie sheet, coat
with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar; repeat with remaining
layers of phyllo, cooking spray and sugar. Cut the stacked dough lengthwise into 3
strips and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden; remove to a
wire rack to cool completely.
In a mixer, beat the cheese until fluffy. Add remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, sour cream
and zest, and continue to beat until light and airy; fold in the whipped topping.
Carefully place one phyllo strip on a serving dish and spread with half the cheese
mixture; top with half the strawberries. Repeat with the second phyllo strip and
remaining cheese and berries. Top with the third phyllo strip, slice into 12 pieces
and serve.
Italian Turkey Sausage Hoagies topped with Caramelized Onions and Sautéed Multi-colored Bell Peppers
Ok...here is another easy, yet delicious masterpiece that was created on the fly. I had some defrosted Jennie-O Turkey Store Hot Italian Sausage links in the refrigerator that we needed to use within the next couple of days. While at the grocery store, they had multi-colored bell peppers on special for $0.99 each. I bought a red, yellow and orange pepper. This is when the idea of the hoagies hit me. I already had some Texas 1015s in the house (for those of you not living here, these are the Texas equivalent of a Vidalia or other sweet onion).
Please enjoy this yummy (and insanely easy) meal!!!
Yield: 5 servings at a POINTS Value of 6 per serving
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5-10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 package (20 oz) Turkey Italian Sausage links. I suggest hot rather than sweet, as they have more flavor. They are NOT at all spicy!!!
3 bell peppers, sliced into thin strips (your choice of colors. I prefer any color OTHER than green!!!)
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil, for sauteeing
5 Nature's Own Sugar Free 100% Whole Grain Hot Dog Buns (these are my personal choice, as they only have 2 POINTS per bun.
Instructions:
1. In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil. When a drop of oil sizzles, the oil is at the right temperature.
2. Add sliced onions and peppers to the pan, and sautee until onions start to brown and peppers are soft
3. Meanwhile, heat your grill or whip out your George Foreman grill (which is what we did) and heat according to manufacturer's instructions.
4. Cook sausages until juices run clear, about 5-10 minutes.
5. Place one sausage in each of 5 buns (toast buns if you like!), and top with the onion/pepper mixture.
6. Enjoy, and try not to get any on ya! We served with some fresh corn on the cob and sugar snap peas. Get those veggies in! This is a great meal to accomplish that.
