Learning from Experience....

Hello friends! 

First and foremost? My 3 year old is JUST ABOUT potty-trained.  Have no idea how it happened.  My personal theory? His Fairy-Godmother game down and whacked him over the head with her wand and ruled that he will be trained before his 40^th birthday.  It just happened about 37 years sooner than that. Ok.  Now….on to other stuff…

I am seemingly back in the land of the losers.  Yes…I showed a 2.4 pound loss last week.  This doesn’t mean I am out of the red yet, but it does mean that I am making progress.  I also have three new subscribers to my newsletter.  What a great audience I have! Love you guys!!!  I am leaving this before and after picture in this newsletter, mainly for self-motivating purposes.  I have come a long way, and sometimes I tend to forget that.

I am one who tends to learn from my experience.  In this case, my experience tells me that I don’t want to go back to the June 2008 Elissa.  I’d like to lose the last several pounds and start a new chapter.  Weight loss is a journey and not a desination.  As such, there will be rough patches.  Me? I have been going over a rough patch since around oh…December or so.  Ups, downs, stagnancy….stress….but know what? I am not giving up.  My leader also sends out a newsletter.  Her words were especially fitting for this week and I think I am going to use this a both a motivational tip for you all, and for the closing quote!!!

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the steps you're taking seem all up hill,

When your will is low and your weight is high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but DON'T YOU QUIT!

This journey has its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have hit GOAL had he stuck it out;

A slip up could be just what you need

In order to get you to Succeed.

Success is failure turned inside out

Valuable feedback for when in doubt

You never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

SO...stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-

It's when things seem the worse that YOU MUST NOT QUIT!

The meeting this week, fittingly, focused on learning from one’s experience.  I have learned several things on my weight loss journey:

•   Weight loss is a journey, not a destination 
• It doesn’t come on overnight, ergo it doesn’t come off overnight
• Be picky when it comes to eating out or  when making food choices. Your body is worth it.
• Keep an anchor close by to remind you WHY you are doing this in the first place!
• If you track your food, and you all of a sudden stop losing, go back to those trackers and see what worked. If you had a loss that week, see what you did differently that week than in the week(s) you didn’t.
• It’s okay to slip up. We are human, and it’s in our DNA.  I mess up from time to time, but again, you learn from that experience and you move on.

 We also talked about what can trip us up. 

• Unrealistic expectations – This is when you think “I MUST lose X amount of pounds by X date”. Don’t do that to yourself.  Take it one ounce or pound at a time!

• All or Nothing mentality – Perfectionists? Beware.  This is when you think that you must be perfect 100% of the time.  News flash? We are human. Not gonna happen.

• Guilt over slip ups – and when it happens? Don’t feel guilty.  To err is human. To get back on the horse after falling off? Commendable!!!!

ATTACHMENTS:

See Gluten Free Corner!

GLUTEN FREE CORNER:

You are going to LOVE me this week.  The attachment is just for you (and anyone else who enjoys starchy side dishes!!!).  There is a collection of 9 side dishes that are healthy AND gluten free!  Enjoy!!!!

RECIPES

Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts                

This recipe was sent to me through Facebook by a very dear friend of mine.  She is about as big a foodie as me, and I love that she finds these recipe gems.  Hope you enjoy this one!

POINTS® Value: 4

Servings: 4

1 tablespoon snipped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce)

2 teaspoons fat-free or light cream cheese (1 ounce)

2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl. Pour enough boiling water to cover tomatoes. Let stand for 10 minues. Drain and pat dry.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in each chicken breast half by cutting through the thickest part but not all the way through. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine feta, cream cheese, basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoon into each chicken breast pocket. If necessary, secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

4. In a non stick skillet, cook chicken in hot oil over medium high heat for 12-14 minutes until tender and no longer pink. Makes 4 servings.

169 calories. 5g total fat. 2g sat fat. 75mg chol. 234 mg sodium. 1 g carb. 0g dietary fiber. 29g protein. Exchanges: 4 lean meat. Carb Choices: 0

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Beef and Spinach Matzoh Pie

This dish is a Passover-friendly take on a meat lasagna.  Since Passover is soon upon us, thought I’d offer this one up!  Feel free to substitute lean ground chicken or turkey for the beef!

POINTS® Value 5 per serving

Yield: 8 servings

Preparation Time: 16 minutes

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Level of Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

 2 1/2 tsp vegetable oil  

1 large onion(s), chopped  

2 large garlic clove(s), minced  

1 1/2 pound(s) raw lean ground beef  

6 oz spinach, baby leaves, coarsely chopped (about 6 packed cups)  

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes  

2 Tbsp canned tomato paste  

1 tsp dried oregano  

1 tsp table salt  

1/4 tsp black pepper  

1 tsp paprika  

4 board(s) matzo(s), plain  

2 spray(s) cooking spray  

Instructions:

1.         Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beef to skillet and cook, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes; drain off fat.

2.         Add spinach, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, pepper and paprika to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender and sauce reduces and thickens, about 15 minutes.

3.         Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Place 2 pieces of matzo in bottom of pan; spread 3 cups meat sauce on top. Place remaining 2 pieces of matzo on top; spoon on remaining meat sauce. Bake until matzo is softened and dish is heated through, about 30 minutes. Let sit for five minutes before cutting into 8 pieces with a sharp knife. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Notes

    If you eat milk and meat together, sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving (could affect POINTS values).

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

Spice it Up!

TGIF.  Hope your week went well, and quickly! Mine is okay so far.  I managed to get through month end close by day 2 this month, which is still amazing to me, but I’ll take it.  As far as the family goes…we had no major meltdowns, no major sicknesses and Steve seems to be coming right along on the pneumonia recovery.  We also have had no takers on the eBay or Craig’s List listings, so at this point, we still have the two kids.  I also was able to do my Saturday 5K with Michelle, which was nice!!! With basketball season going on this winter, the games were typically Saturday mornings, and it was hard to meet the girls unless Morgan had a late game.)  I also wanted to say thanks for the words of encouragement that I received from a few of you last week. It’s nice to know that these words are making a difference in your lives and that I can still motivate you, even when things are not perfect with me!

I am learning to seek out the good, and I will take what I can find.  This is a good start.  I also just read recently on my friend’s blog that she think her lymphoma may be going into remission and may not need chemo again for awhile. How wonderful. Love that there is actually GOOD news this week. Again, not sure I can handle any more bad news in the foreseeable future.

I think I have been really stressed out and stretched thin over the last few months (see last week’s issuance for details!), and I guess stress really does take its toll on weight loss efforts.  Coach Dwayne is addressing this with me in the form of more cardio being worked into my training sessions.  I like the lunge/kicks he had me do this week because I felt like it was a stress outlet for me.  I actually like the increased cardio, except for the fact that I turn into a massive SWEATBALL by the time I’m done.  Thank G-d for showers in the locker room.  The bad thing is that I am still sweating AFTER the shower.  Oh well…if that’s the only thing I have to complain about? Again, not so bad.  I can do more regular push ups, in good form, than I used to be able to a few months ago, and he is having me do other ab exercises that are also a step up for me.  I am definitely making progress, albeit not SCALE progress.  I hate to keep harping on this, because my progress is good, but I can’t reach lifetime status with Weight Watchers until the weight comes off.  I see progress in my workouts (stronger and leaner Elissa), in my clothes (smaller sized clothing in Elissa’s closet), and in my measurements (smaller Elissa).  I know this is great work, but I wish I would be getting some scale love.  Patience is a virtue.  I will get there, and I will NOT be discouraged ::::grumble grumble grumble::::

With that being said, and with the stress and pressures of life in general, Dwayne did some research for me and found an article that I am attaching.  This has to do with stress, hormones, and weight gain. The article talks about the effects of stress on the body, more specifically about a hormone called cortisol which is released when we are stressed out.  It’s worth a read, and I think this article may have shed some needed light on my situation.

I maintained this week which I guess is okay.  In my experience, any week where the scale doesn’t go up is a good week.  The topic of the meeting this week dealt with ways to spice up your meal prep.  We all came in with our food finds and ways that we keep things interesting.  Some finds that were mentioned:

• Cabot reduced fat cheddar cheese
• Kraft fat free shredded mozzarella and 2% Pepper Jack singles
• Kim’s Magic Pop cakes (15 calories per cake, and they are carried at Central Market) Website is: http://www.kimsmagicpop.com/
• Lawry’s seasonings (this was my contribution) My favorites are the Lemon Pepper, Garlic Pepper and Seasoned Pepper. All good ways to kick up your food!
• Sandwich Thins (carried w/ the bread in your supermarket, and if you are thrifty like I am…you can find these at your local Mrs. Baird’s thrift store. These freeze well, and day old doesn’t really matter here). These are 1 point each.
• Western Bagel’s Alternative Bagel. These are 1 point, and are really good. My favorite is the sweet wheat.
• Fage Greek Yogurt. My new BFF, next to rotisserie chicken!
• Orville Redenbacher’s 94% Fat Free mini bags of popcorn.  A nice 6 ½ cup serving for 1 point. Nice salty snack!
• Oscar Mayer Center Cut Bacon – only 1 point for two slices
• Another spice resource for you:  http://www.thespicestore.com
• A closing website for you to peruse: http://www.eatbetteramerica.com.  Coach Dwayne told me about this site, and I really like it.  Good healthy recipes and remakes of higher calorie/higher fat recipes!

One of the girls in the meeting that I attended on Tuesday shared this quote with the class.  I really liked it, because it focused on the physical results rather than the scale related victories.

"Your body keeps an accurate journal

regardless of what you write down”

-Anonymous

GLUTEN FREE CORNER:

McAlister’s Deli has some gluten free choices on their menu.  http://www.mcalistersdeli.com is the website.

RECIPES

 Cranberry-Orange Apple Crisp

I bought some beautiful Rome apples and then set off to find a way to use them.  I stumbled across this recipe and am making it this weekend.

POINTS® Value: 4

Servings: 9

Ingredients:

    1/4 cup all-purpose flour

    1/4 cup cornmeal

    1/4 cup granulated sugar

    1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

    1/4 cup chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces

    7 cups diced peeled Rome apple (about 3 pounds)

    1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

    2 tablespoons granulated sugar

    2 teaspoons grated orange rind

    3 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly.

Combine apple and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon the apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 183 (Calories from fat: 60); Total Fat: 6g (Sat: 4g; no Trans Fat)j; Chol: 15mg; Sodium: 45mg; Total Carb: 32g (Dietary fiber: 2.1g; Sugars: 21g) Vitamin A: 4%; Vitamin C: 4%; Calcium: 2%; Iron: 4%

Tomato Basil Chicken

Coach Dwayne actually gave me a copy of this one.  It looked really good, and it’s healthy!

POINTS® Value: 7

Servings: 4 ( 1 ½ cups each)

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 25  min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked whole wheat fettuccine

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

3 medium tomatoes, chopped (2 1/2 cups)

2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey breast

3 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper sauce

Instructions:

1.         Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package. Cover to keep warm.

2.         Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil, stirring occasionally, until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except fettuccine; reduce heat to medium.

3.         Cover; cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is hot and tomatoes are soft. Serve over fettuccine.

Nutritional Information:

1 (1 ½ cup)  Serving: Calories 360 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 540mg; Total Carbohydrate 47g (Dietary Fiber 6g, Sugars 5g); Protein 30g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 20%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 6%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 3 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.