Stressed. "Desserts" spelled backwards!

My family and I are going back to NC on the 19^th to celebrate the holidays with my husband’s family.  I haven’t been back in NC since July of 2008, which was just about a month before I got sick of it all and went back to Weight Watchers.  They have seen pictures of me at different spots along the journey, but haven’t actually seen me in quite awhile.  It will be interesting to see what they think.

I never like to leave a cluttered house when I go away.  To me, it makes things easier to leave a clean house and come home to a clean house.  That being said, I went into a cleaning frenzy, cleaning out the three junk drawers in my dresser.  I started out with one, and somehow through the miracle of science, it spread to three.  Still trying to figure that out. Anyhoooo…..

I was going through and sorting things between keepers and trash, and came across a green plastic straw.  Instinctively, I was going to throw it away. I quickly stopped myself when I remembered why I kept it in the first place. I had attended a Weight Watchers meeting up in Denton back over the summer, and the topic was “The Last Straw” and Kristin, the leader over there, asked some of us to pick a straw and to talk about just what it was that brought us in the door to Weight Watchers this last time. Our “last straw”, if you will.  Most of you all have been with me and my ramblings since the beginning, so you know my story.  If you aren’t familiar, it’s below:

Weight has been an ongoing battle for as long as I can remember.  While I was able to maintain during my school years, the struggle really began when I entered the work force.  I was heavy throughout my 30’s and for the first year of my 40’s.  I managed to lose around 40 pounds in the mid-90’s, but eventually gained it back plus an additional 50 pounds.  I didn’t have much self confidence and lacked the energy or desire to do any physical activity.   


Last summer I was looking at some pictures taken of myself while on vacation, and I was shocked at what I saw in those photos.  I didn’t recognize myself.  At that point, I hit my limit.  I decided that I needed to do something, and I went back to Weight Watchers, but this time with a new attitude and determination that I hadn’t experienced before.  


I went back to Weight Watchers because I knew that this was a plan that worked.  I told myself that this was the LAST time I was joining, and that I would make Lifetime.  I didn’t set any unrealistic goals for myself.  I took baby steps.  My first goal was to attend the meetings; my next was to keep a food journal; then to reach my 5% goal; and finally, most importantly, to start strength training, exercising, and just being more active.  I achieved these goals by telling myself that I am worth it, and by enlisting the help and support of my family, friends, and trainers at the gym. 


To date, I have lost over 35 pounds and 36 inches with Weight Watchers.  My cholesterol dropped 56 points, my triglycerides decreased 90+ points, and my sugar and blood pressure are normal for the first time in 5 years.  I feel and look better than I did in my 30’s.  I have so much more energy and am now able to keep up with my toddler and my 9-year old! 


I have become an inspiration to my co-workers and friends because of my determination.  I issue a weekly newsletter documenting my progress to hopefully motivate others to make healthy changes to their lifestyles!  I keep my eye on the prize and maintain a positive attitude toward my weight loss journey and, at the prompting of my own leader, I am considering becoming a Weight Watchers leader after reaching my final goal!

Finding the straw was a very poignant moment for me, as it reaffirmed my reasons for coming back to Weight Watchers this time around. After I got the drawers organized, I put the straw in my Weight Watchers drawer and pulled out my 10% key ring and held it and reflected on the many successes I’ve had during my journey.  I realized that the good far outweighed the bad and that even though I have been up and down over the last few months, I am still well on my way to reaching Lifetime.  I have gone from a women’s size 22 to a loose misses 14 so far.  Definitely going in the right direction.  My little cleaning frenzy has actually served to help me refocus and to strive even harder to reach my goals.

Then I got on the scale this morning and was down 2 pounds. Only 2 pounds in the red. A move in the right direction! Yippeeee!!!!

The meeting this week talked about the ‘s’ factor, or stress.  Did you know that stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS? Hmmmmm…..think about that one.

• Stress breeds stress
• Stress can cause overeating & therefore weight gain
• Stress can sap our energy and distract us
• Dealing with stress is a key skill

I attached an article recently about distressing your holidays, but due to its timeliness this week, I am attaching again! There are also two dealing with holiday parties and for you Jewish folks out there, some Hanukkah helpers!

“Stress is the trash of modern life-we all generate it,

but if you don’t dispose of it properly, it will pile up and

overtake your life.” 

~Danzae Pace

RECIPES:

Pie Baby! (A low POINT® Hungry Girl Alternative to the McDonalds Baked Hot Apple Pie!)

Not only are these pockets of hot, gooey fruit delicious and guilt-free, but they're also GREAT pre-portioned desserts for holiday get-togethers. YUM!

Yield: 6 servings at a POINTS® Value of 2 per serving

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

3 cups peeled and chopped apples (preferably Fuji)

6 large square egg roll wrappers (found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket with the other Asian items)

18 sprays I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray (in other words, have a bottle handy!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium unheated pot, combine Splenda, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt with 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until the ingredients dissolve. Add apples and stir. Bring to medium-high heat on the stove and, stirring frequently, cook for 7 - 10 minutes, until apples are softened.

Remove the pot from heat and very lightly mash the apples in the pot with a potato masher or a spatula. (You don't want applesauce. It should remain chunky.) Return to low heat on the stove, and cook for 1 - 2 additional minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and gooey. Remove from heat and set aside. This is your pie filling.

Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with foil and/or spraying it with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Lay two egg roll wrappers flat on a dry surface. Set out a small dish of water. Dip your finger into the water, and run it along all of the wrapper edges. (Repeat as needed while preparing your pockets, as it will help seal them.) Starting 1/2 inch from the bottom, place about 1/3 cup pie filling a long the bottom half of each wrapper, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the sides. Fold the top half of each wrapper over the filling, so that the top edge meets the bottom and the filling is encased with a border on three sides. Dab each border with water, and fold each inward about 1/4 inch to lightly seal. Press firmly along the borders with the prongs of a fork to seal completely. Carefully transfer to the baking sheet. Spray the top of each pocket with 3 sprays of butter. Repeat this process twice with remaining wrappers and filling, leaving you with 6 pie-lets.

Bake in the oven for 15 - 18 minutes, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before digging in!

Nutrition Information: Serving Size: 1 pie-let, Calories: 103; Fat: 0.5g; Sodium: 156mg; Carbs: 23g; Fiber: 1.25g; Sugars: 8g; Protein: 2g

Chocolate Haystacks

This recipe was up on the meeting room board on Monday.  I see this each year around this time.  This is a great low calorie alternative to the version made with chow mein noodles!

Yield: 24 servings (1 haystack) at a POINTS® Value of 1 per serving

Ingredients:

8 1/8 ounces general mills Fiber One cereal (one sleeve)

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (or your choice of flavors if semi-sweet isn’t your bag!)

Directions:

Melt chocolate over low heat. Stir in cereal until well blended. Once well blended, use a tablespoon to scoop out 24 mounds onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.   Refrigerate until set (about 1/2 hour). Alternatively, you can freeze portions until ready to eat.

Nutrition information: Calories: 86; Fat: 4.5g; Saturated Fat: 2.5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g; Cholesterol: 0g; Sodium: 42mg; Potassium: 126 mg; Carbohydrate: 16.8g; Fiber: 5.5g; Sugar: 7.7g; Protein: 1.4g; Vitamin B6: 8%; Vitamin B12: 8%; Vitamin C: 3%; Calcium: 3%; Iron: 10%

Crackle Spice Drops (this recipe was to go in the holiday bash attachment, but I couldn’t get this one to PDF properly!)

These delicious cookies are moist and tender with a hint of spice – great for a snack or holiday party

Yield: 36 servings at a POINTS® Value of 1 per serving (Serving size is 1 cookie)

Ingredients:

 1/2 cup(s) reduced-calorie margarine, soft    

 1/2 cup(s) unpacked brown sugar    

  1 large egg(s)    

 1 Tbsp vanilla extract    

 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour    

 1/2 tsp baking soda    

 1/4 tsp table salt    

 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice    

 1/4 cup(s) powdered sugar    

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a mixing bowl, on medium speed, beat margarine with brown sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and spice.

Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar to coat. Place onto baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 7 to 8 minutes. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

Leftover Stuffing Frittata

Adapted from the recipe by Robin Miller of Foodnetwork.com

I stumbled across this one after Thanksgiving when trying to figure out inventive uses for leftover stuffing.  This recipe sounds weird, but I thought “bread pudding” and it made more sense.  This made for a nice lighter dinner, and it tasted great!

Yield: 4 GENEROUS servings at a POINTS® Value of 5 per serving

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

2 to 3 cups leftover stuffing (I calculated points using 2 cups)

1 cup shredded Cheddar (regular or reduced-fat)

2 cups Egg Beaters (takes the place of eggs, egg whites and milk in the original recipe)

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions:

Preheat broiler.

Coat an ovenproof nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Put stuffing in the bottom of pan to warm and stir to break up a little. Sprinkle cheese over top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard powder, and nutmeg. Pour mixture over stuffing and cheese to cover stuffing. Sprinkle Parmesan over top. Cook on stovetop over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, until egg is cooked through and cheese is golden and bubbly.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Serve with sliced tomatoes.

Sonya’s 1 POINT® Baked Tortilla Chips

Take corn tortillas (she uses Mission Extra Thin w/80 calories for 2 tortillas…these come out to 1 point for the two of them). Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with seasoning. She likes garlic salt, but have fun with it! Cut into wedges. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes (rotating pan ½ way through cooking time) or until golden and crunchy. She takes these with her when she goes out for Mexican food. It’s a guilt-free way to enjoy chips and salsa!

Serving size is 2 tortillas, wedged at a POINTS® Value of 1

Thanks Sonya!!!!!!

Week of November 30, 2009 - Surviving the 2010 Holiday Circuit!

This week I was actually down a bit (a VERY little bit)…but a loss is a loss, even though I am still in the red.  Yes, I am frustrated, but NO I am not quitting.  This too shall pass.  The upside is that I showed a loss over the Thanksgiving holiday, which in itself is a victory. It’s also about time to have Steve take my measurements again.  I try to do this at least once per month to keep my motivation going, especially since the scale and I are on the outs of late!

I did enjoy cooking my Thanksgiving dinner this year.  I did want to make a couple of corrections on last week’s email. 

1. The POINT® count on the cranberry sauce is 1 point per ¼ cup serving.  I left that off.
   
   
2. The POINT® count on the sweet potatoes is 3 per 1 cup serving. I left that off too.
   
   

As many of you may know, I am out on Facebook.  My husband suggested it back in October of last year, and now I am in apparent need of a 12-step program to help me quit!  J.  I have been able to reconnect with many friends going as far back as my elementary school days on Long Island, NY to Graduate School classmates in Orlando.  I have been my journey out there as well, through pictures, this newsletter (which is also online at http://elissasweightlossjourney.blogspot.com/) and through status updates on my Facebook page.  What I never expected from all of this is to end up having my own cheering section. I have people ranging from my Weight Watchers leader, coworkers and friends commenting and cheering me on, and I also receive feedback on these newsletters from time to time.  All of this goes a LONG way to help keep me focused on my long term goal of reaching Lifetime!

I am striving each day to make good choices and to get in my activity, even when it’s hard to do it.  I have established healthy habits along this journey and I know that I will do what I need to in order to continue on track.  Like I said, not perfect, just on a mission.  We all fall from time to time.  The great thing about this program? It’s okay to fall occasionally.

Since the official beginning of the holiday party season is upon us, I wanted to share with you some party navigation strategies.  These next few come from my good friend Sonya:

       Eat something filling beforehand (some soup or some veggies/fruit)

       At the party, load up on the veggies.

       Use small plates

       Use the strategy of treating your portions like islands rather than continents. Keep the rim as decoration!

       Drink spritzers instead of full glasses of wine

       Take something healthy to the party, if you are asked to contribute

Below are some of Hungry Girl’s strategies for party navigation!  

HG's holiday party tips 'n tricks

What's the rush?
Don't start chewing until you've been at the party for at least 30 to 45 minutes. By then, you'll be so involved with the festivities you'll be less likely to go food-crazy.

Don't get caught empty handed
Keep a diet soda, glass of water — and maybe a cute purse — in your hands at all times. You'll be less likely to overeat if you keep your hands full.

Be generous
Did someone give you a box of chocolates or a basket of goodies for the holidays? Take them to a party so you can share the deliciousness — and the calories.

Fork it over
Instead of grabbing something each time the tray passes you by, fill a small plate once and use a fork. It's easier to control your intake when you can see how much you're actually eating.

Cocktail party super sippers

Diet soda

Water

Wine

Vodka shot with club soda/diet soda

My Holiday HOT List	My Holiday NOT List
Roasted chestnuts	Eggnog
Gingersnap cookies	Hot-buttered rum
Shrimp cocktail	Mini egg rolls
Candy canes	Mini quiches
Grilled chicken or beef skewers (no sauce)	Pigs in a blanket

Happy partying!

Week 4 of the 7-Day Challenge is to once again eat three different colors of fruits/veggies each day for the week.  Not that daunting of a task if you think about it!

Today’s recipes deal with the utilization of holiday leftovers.  I made both of these and they are fantastic.  Wanted to share with you all.

I want to leave you with this quote. It’s one that I live by.  I am NOT perfect, but I don’t give up.  Hope you find it inspiring!

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

GLUTEN FREE CORNER;

During one of the Central Market freebie promotions (one where you buy a product and you get some others at no extra cost), I got free soup from Imagine.  The packaging indicated that the soup was Gluten-Free.  Best part? The soup was 1 POINT® per cup, and it was absolutely delicious!  The website is: http://www.imaginefoods.com/.  Check it out.  We also have the butternut squash soup to try out as well.  I had the creamy tomato, and it was fantastic! We just made a meal out of the soup, and it was great.  We split the container, and for over 2 cups of soup, it worked out to 2 ½ POINTS® -- so not bad!

RECIPES

Cranberry-Nut Turkey Salad - Adapted from www.weightwatchers.com

This recipe was posted in the meeting room as a way to use up leftover turkey.  I actually had all ingredients on hand except for the lettuce, so I made the recipe sans lettuce, and we had on Sandwich Thins.  For a sandwich, you don’t even need much more than ½ cup and the points would be cut by 2/3!  Definitely a great use for any leftover poultry. I’d even use this recipe with rotisserie chicken meat! Give this one a try. SO worth it!  As the Weight Watchers site said, this recipe definitely beats the endless parade of ordinary turkey sandwiches!

Yield: 4 (1 ½ cup) servings at a POINTS® Value of 5 Per Serving

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup(s) roasted skinless turkey, chopped or diced

1/3 cup(s) fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 cup(s) low-fat plain yogurt

1/4 cup(s) scallion(s), chopped

1/4 cup(s) chopped walnuts, toasted

2 Tbsp dried cranberries

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

4 cup(s) romaine lettuce, torn

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients, except lettuce, in a medium bowl; mix well and serve over

lettuce. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving. If serving on a sandwich? Cut back to 1/2 cup of the mixture and save 2/3 of the POINTS®!

Herbed Sweet Potato Cheese Puff

This recipe was another great find.  I had some leftover sweet potatoes in the fridge, and wanted to repurpose them.  This seemed like the perfect recipe!

Yield: Makes 8 servings at a POINTS® Value of 2 per serving

Ingredients:

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 (8 ounce) package low fat cream cheese, softened (I used fat free and it worked out fine!)

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sliced green onion

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sour Cream, for garnish (optional…I left it out!)

Fresh sprig thyme or parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend with electric mixer at medium speed until well combined. Then beat on high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Spoon mixture into a greased oven-to-table casserole dish.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 2 to 3 minutes.

Optional:  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of fresh thyme or parsley. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

calories 126 protein 6 g. carbohydrate 11 g. fat 7 g. cholesterol 71 mg. sodium 356 mg. Vitamin A 7,000 IU fiber 1g

Happy Thanksgiving....and may you not feel as stuffed as the bird!

This week I actually used my no-weigh in pass, for the first time in the year and 3 months I have been back “On Plan” this go around (again, not another go around for me, this is my LAST time…). I had another crisis of motivation this week.  I know I am doing everything right, but the spike I encountered after the Arbor Day Run has really been throwing me for a loop.  I keep trying to remember the three keys to success that Coach Dwayne preaches…commitment, consistency and PATIENCE.  I keep forgetting about the latter though.

I am enjoying the prospect of cooking Thanksgiving Dinner in my own house for the FIRST TIME since we moved to Texas in 2005.  Two years in a row, we were invited to my cousin’s house and the last two years we spent Thanksgiving in Orlando with my parents.  It will be nice to plan the meal and enjoy the day with family and some close friends.  My Tuesday activities included stopping by the Central Market after work to pick up my turkey.  I decided to have them brine it for me (so I took a shortcut this year!).

Thanksgiving for me is somewhat of a time for reflection and thinking about those things for which I am thankful.  For me, I am truly thankful for my friends, my family, my health, and my job!

I am thankful for my friends and family because without them, I’d have no support system at all.  Everyone has been so great in helping me achieve my goals and to lift me up when I faulter.  I am thankful for my health, as my bloodwork is doing MUCH better than when I started with Weight Watchers and my overall state of well being is awesome.  I feel better at 42 than I did at 32.  I owe a debt of gratitude to both Weight Watchers and to Coach Dwayne for helping me keep on the path toward fitness and my ultimate weight goal! I guess I should be thankful to myself as well, for finally opening my eyes and realizing that something needed to be done.  I realized over the last year and a quarter that you really do have to take care of yourself.  We are given one body and one life.  The most important thing we can do for ourselves is to take care of ourselves.  What a precious gift health is. 

We didn’t get here overnight, and we need to remember that we won’t get back to our goal weight overnight.  I really need to make an effort to remember this and practice what I preach (sometimes I am bad in the patience department).  I am human and I do slip up on occasion, but not once have Iost sight of what I need to do, or what I need to accomplish in order to get there. I remain focused on my efforts and want to be there for each of you so that if you need support, I can help! Trust me, we can ALL use a cheering section sometimes. 

I enclosed three of my side dish recipes for you to use at your next Thanksgiving celebration or other holiday gathering.  Wanted to show that eating healthfully doesn’t have to be boring!

In our meeting this week, we dealt with the emotional side of the holiday, or “Handling the Emotional Quotient”

>       Be Assertive. Say no to seconds if you want!

>       Practice the helpful habits (manage your environment, ask for help, etc…)

>       Use positive self-talk

Week 3 of the 7-Day Challenge is to read something Weight Watchers for 10 minutes each day, and write down what you read. Bring back to the meeting. Examples include weekly materials, cookbooks, Weight Watchers Magazine, or even the Website.

I hope that each of you had a terrific Thanksgiving, and remember:

"Face your stuff….don’t stuff your face!"

-this was posted on the meeting room board! Loved this!

RECIPES:

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Out of habit, every year I tend to just open a can of the jellied or whole-berry variety cranberry sauce.  I really made an effort this year to look for healthful side dishes, and found this one on the Weight Watchers Website.  I modified it to exclude the dried apricots, as I had none on hand.

Yield: 10 (1/4-cup) servings at a POINTS® Value of 1 Per Serving

Ingredients:

12 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen

½ cup dried apricot halves, chopped

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup water

¼ cup spreadable fruit, orange-flavor

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries have popped, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and serve at room temperature. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.

Lightened Broccoli Casserole

Yield: 6 servings at a POINTS® Value of 2 Per Serving (points verified on e-Tools)

Ingredients:

16 oz bag frozen broccoli cuts, thawed

1 can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup (98% fat free/lower sodium)

½ cup French’s French Fried Onion Rings

Directions (not really rocket science here…it’s a snap!)

In a large bowl, combine broccoli and soup until mixed well. Sprinkle in onion rings and fold in.  Spread mixture into 9” x 13” pan and smooth out top. Bake in 375 degree oven until heated through.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was another great find, when faced with the calorie-laden side dish of Thanksgivings past.  I wanted to keep the essence of the dish, yet find a calorie-friendly alternative.  Again, Weight Watchers came through for me. 

Yield: 4 (1 cup) servings at a POINTS® Value of 3 Per Serving

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, about 2 pounds, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch thick pieces

¼ cup orange juice

2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine; melted

½ tsp table salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain potatoes and arrange them in a single layer in bottom of a shallow baking dish.

Whisk together juice, sugar, syrup, margarine and salt; pour mixture over sweet potatoes.

Bake for 30 minutes, then stir to coat potatoes with liquid and bake for 15 minutes more, until sauce is thick and bubbly. Stir once again before serving. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Hello and happy hump day everyone!

I guess I had big hopes for myself last week in that I really thought that I’d have lost the 4.8 I was up last week by this Monday. I did lose, but it was only a pound. I am still in the red by 3.8, but now that I understand the cause, I am okay. It will drop when my body heals the muscles that were inflamed! My legs were really sore after the race on 11/7 and after running in the treadmill relay. I think that since I am feeling better now, and totally rehydrated myself, I may have better results.

I am still enjoying the bit of running that I incorporated into my workouts. Right now, I am doing 10-11 minutes prior to my training sessions with a walk/jog combination. I started out running a lap at 4.9 mph on Tuesday, and today, I had it up to 5mph, which is a 12 minute mile. Not too bad. Next step on my list is to get into Run On and get fitted for shoes. I want to make sure that my shoes fit my foot so I don’t get injured along the way. Trying to avoid pitfalls!

True to form, Dwayne is busy stepping up my workouts and I am challenging myself to do more running (be it faster on the treadmill…or going for longer than a lap…). I am going to try to run ½ mile straight on the treadmill this Friday. Trying to jumpstart the weight loss again and 1) lose that 3.8 that showed up and 2) kick myself into the home stretch so that the last 30 come off sometime before Morgan gets married!!!

On a more serious note, earlier this week I found out that a very good friend of mine has stage 3 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It was like getting the wind knocked out of me. I have been sort of going around in a fog since I heard the news. I cried quite a bit last night. This is the stuff that isn’t supposed to happen to your friends and family. It’s supposed to happen to OTHER people, you know? I know that’s not how it works, but it should. You and your circle of friends/family should always be fine. Her prognosis seems to be good and she started chemo today. I am praying that she gets through this. She’s pretty strong, so I think she’ll fight. Hard.

Okay…on to less depressing subjects. This week, the meeting dealt with Thanksgiving, which is quickly approaching. The gist was this: HAVE A STRATEGY for the day. Don’t go in blind. Me? I am treating it as another meal, as I did last year. I remember the saying…it’s a Holiday. Not a Holi-week or a Holi-month! Silly, but it works!

Below is an eye-opening chart (some of you may have seen this before…and for those that are not WW members, assume approx. 50 calories per point…and you can get the drift!). Enjoy your favorites, just keep an eye on the portion size, and don’t overdo. That’s my plan

Typical Average-Joe Thanksgiving Menu Items

Item                                                  Points
Turkey Breast (1 slice, 2 oz)                   2
Brown gravy (1/4 cup)                            2
Cranberry sauce (1/4 cup)                      2
Baked sweet potato (1 lg)                      3
Green bean casserole (1 cup)                 5
Pumpkin pie (1 slice)                              9
Stuffing (1/2 cup)                                   4
Winter squash (1 cup)                            1
Mashed potatoes (1/2 cup)                    2
Steamed green beans (1 cup)                 0
Fruit cocktail, unsweetened (1 cup)        2
Broccoli-rice casserole (1 cup)              5
Turkey-dark w/ skin (1 cup)                  8
Turkey-dark w/o skin (1 cup)                2
Pecan pie (1 slice)                               12

Think of your plate this way: all foods should be islands on the plate. Not continents. Keep space between them. The rim? Decoration. Get the idea?


The second challenge that was presented to us for this week was this: weigh and/or measure every food on your plate for at least one meal each day. Jot down the meal and bring to meeting next week.

   Please enjoy your Thanksgiving this year, and remember…………………….

"Don’t worry…the turkey has more to worry about than you do!"

-this was posted on the meeting room board! Loved this!

GLUTEN FREE CORNER:

I know that it’s been awhile since I posted anything here, but I am back with some good stuff for you to try. At the Arbor Day run, they had a sponsor there from Whole Foods and they were sampling bars. I really enjoyed the one I tried (it was a mango/macadamia nut bar) and not only were they gluten free, but they tasted good and weren’t terrible in the nutrition/POINTS® department.

I think that Whole Foods carries these, and you can order online as well.

The URL is: http://kindsnacks.com/ Definitely worth checking out.

RECIPES:

Almond-Crusted Chicken with Scallion Rice

I had some chicken breast defrosted and waiting in the refrigerator this past weekend.  I started searching for something different to do with them, but quick.  This gem came to me from Cooking Light, and it came out so fabulous that it has earned a place in my permanent weekly rotation!  I actually passed up the boil-in-bag rice for some brown jasmine rice I had on hand, but the recipe as it stands will be fine, and QUICK!

In this dish, you brown the chicken quickly over high heat, then finish it in the oven to give the chicken a golden crust without burning the almonds.

Ingredients:

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag brown rice (such as Success)

4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 tablespoons honey mustard

2/3 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

Cooking spray

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Prepare rice according to package directions; keep warm.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Place flour in a zip-top plastic bag. Working with one piece at a time, add chicken to bag; seal and shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour. Repeat with remaining flour and chicken. Combine buttermilk and honey mustard in a shallow bowl. Combine almonds and breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture; dredge in almond mixture.

Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over high heat. Add chicken; cook 1 minute. Turn chicken over. Wrap handle of pan with foil. Place pan in oven; bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until chicken is done. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and green onions to rice; serve with chicken.

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1/2 cup rice) at a POINTS® Value of 8 per serving

CALORIES 408 (24% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 1.4g,mono 5.9g,poly 2.5g); IRON 3.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 125mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.4g; SODIUM 749mg; PROTEIN 35g; FIBER 3.4g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2002

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

 

It’s kind of funny that this recipe appeared in the meeting room this week.  I have been making a similar pie for YEARS. It really is as easy as it appears below, and you will NEVER miss the crust. Trust me.  Plus, it’s a nice sized piece of the pie.  There is another variation that uses fat-free sweetened condensed milk, in place of the sugar and the evaporated milk.  If you choose to go that route, and omit the tablespoon of butter (which I leave off anyway), the POINTS® count only goes up by 1.   Just thought I’d throw that out there!

Yield: serves 6 at a POINTS® Value of 2 per serving

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ cup reduced-fat baking mix (such as Bisquick heart smart)

½ cup sugar

1 cup evaporated skim milk

½ cup egg substitute (it’s 3 points per serving if you use 2 real eggs)

1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Don’t skimp here. Trust me. Use the real stuff!)

1 tablespoon butter.

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Stir all ingredients together. Pour into plate. Bake 30-40 minutes until knife comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 3 hours, until cool. Points for this recipe verified on e-Tools.