Oh, what a week we had...but all's well that ends well!

Hello everyone!

In addition to this issuance being a bit late, you will also see that it's not coming from the Verizon Business email address.  Monday started off great, and it all went to hell shortly after that.  I did survive month end close this month, after putting in 50+ hours by Thursday.  Note to self: No more working till 10:30 on a weeknight. Not good for the sleep cycles, or the morale, for that matter...OK...I digress.  Long story short, I didn't want to do anything on the work PC this weekend, if I could help it!

So, how about that sleet, ice and snow and snow???? The thunder-sleet and thunder-snow came as expected on Tuesday morning.  The temperatures dipped to the low-teens, and any precipitation that hit the ground froze and froze.  It was quite the ice rink out there.  Friday the snow gods came out again, just to add a little insult to injury.  Yes, it did snow twice up here in Denton.  By the time all was said and done, we ended up with about 6 additional inches, and quite the mess.  Our temperatures stayed at around 16 - 18 degrees from Tuesday - Friday. This morning the sun came out and did its work melting the ice rink and drying out the roads.  Most roads are now very passable, and only the shady spots may still have some ice.  We will thaw just in time for snow again on Sunday and perhaps Wednesday too.  Does it end? I am thinking NOT.

The schools and daycare centers were also closed from Tuesday to Friday.  So...that meant that I was working from home, Steve was working from home, and we had both kids home.  By this morning, I had to get out of the house, before I did something stupid, like say...listing the kids on Craig's List (which I know is not right, but it would get them out of my hair! LOL...).  I usually attend my meetings on Wednesdays now, but with the weather, I have been literally iced in all week, and the centers were actually closed for a couple of days.  I finally got Steve to get us out of the house this morning so that I could go and weigh in.  I was the only one at the Denton Town Center location, so I had the staff's entire focus! I made it worth their while, because I LOST 3.6 THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told you that something good had to come from all this!

The meeting topic for the week, appropriately, was 'From Feedback to Success'.  This means that you should take cues from what goes well in your week, and learn from what may not have gone so well.  This week, ironically, I happened to have an incredible week.  I jotted down a quick punch list of those things that helped contribute to this loss.

So, what did I do different this week? Let me list some things for you:

• I did really well at tracking!!! Even though I was incredibly busy, I still made time for this.  It IS important for me to track.  I lose when I track--not so much when I dont.
  
• Month end close kept me busy so that I didn't snack unnecessarily
• I made a large pot of chicken taco soup and we ate soup for dinner a few nights
• I had bananas and oranges on hand for healthy zero-Points-Plus snacks
• I made sure that I had a nice afternoon snack. This week's concoction was my Greek yogurt/pumpkin parfait, for a total PointsPlus value of 1!!! (quickie recipe: 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt (I have The Greek Gods nonfat in the house); 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree; dash pumpkin pie spice; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1-2 packets of Truvia (or any non-calorie sweetener you like) for sweetness. Filling, and YUMM-O! Like pumpkin pie in a bowl.  I really think that this simple snack helped in a big way--especially during my hungries that strike around 3pm or so.
• I actually ate a 4 oz bagel (from Boopa's) with 2 oz Boar's Head 42% lower sodium ham and a 2% single each morning, and that kept me full most of the morning.  The bagel was 7 PointsPlus and the ham and cheese came in at 2, so breakfast was 9 plus what I had to drink (either water or 1/2% milk).
• I climbed the stairs several times.  Not as easy as it looks! But it was good safe activity.  Apparently, so was fussing at the kids...
• The biggest thing was that I didn't blow through much of my Weekly Points Allowance. Maybe there is something to that? We'll see.
  

One other thing I wanted to throw out there to you all is this website: Franklin Publishing - Nutrition in the Fast Lane  This site has the publication Nutrition in the Fast Lane.  I have been buying a copy of this probably once every year or other year.  This is a publication that has nutrition information on about 59 popular restaurants and about 3,000 food items.  I keep a copy of this with me, either in my glove box or my tote.  This gives you a smart way to make good choices when faced with limited dining options.  You can use this guide in conjunction with a Points calculator to figure out how these counts will fit in with your plan.  They run $6.95 per copy, which is well worth it.  Again, just my 2 cents, but I like to give you guys help where I can! 

As a closing quote for this week, I go back to an earlier one that I love!

"Whether you think you can

or think you can't….

You’re right!."

-Henry Ford

RECIPES - This week I was on an Asian kick...so enjoy!!!

Soba Noodles & Shrimp

This recipe found its way to me when trolling the recipe sites for any recipe ideas that used shrimp and soba noodles.  I happen to keep various varieties of Asian noodles in the pantry, along with a bag of frozen 21/25 count shrimp in the freezer.  I was in the mood for stir-fry and wasn't sure what to do with this. The recipe was designed to be eaten cold, but we ate it hot, and I had the leftovers today, chilled. Either hot or cold? This one is a winner.  What I loved was the subtle kick that the chili-garlic paste gave to this dish.  I prefer Huy-Fong Foods Chili-Garlic Sauce to other brands. It's got the most clean taste. I also took a some artistic license in this one...I added some leftover steamed broccoli from a Chinese dinner.

I hope you enjoy!

Cooking the soba takes about 6 minutes, and you can chop and assemble the remaining ingredients while the noodles cook. Purchase peeled and deveined cooked shrimp, or buy raw shrimp and add them to the boiling water a couple of minutes after adding the noodles. This recipe is easily doubled if you need more than one serving.

 

PointsPlus Value:9

Servings: 1 very generous serving (approx 2 cups)

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2  ounces  uncooked soba (buckwheat) noodles
• 4  cups  water
• 1/2  cup  shredded carrot
• 1  tablespoon  rice vinegar
• 1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil
• 1  teaspoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
• 1/8  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/2  cup  chopped cooked shrimp (about 3 ounces)
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• This was where I took my liberties: I added in about 1 1/2 cups of steamed broccoli to this.

Instructions:

Break noodles in half. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add noodles; cook 4 minutes. Add carrot to noodles in pan; cook 2 minutes or until noodles are done. Drain.

Combine vinegar, oil, soy sauce, garlic sauce, and sugar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add noodle mixture, shrimp, onions, and cilantro; toss to coat. Cover and chill.  This dish is good right out of the wok or chilled.  I had it both ways, and they were both incredible!

Shrimp and Egg Stir Fry with Napa Cabbage, adapted from a recipe by Tyler Florence

Okay...this dish found its way to me sort of in a backward manner.  I was scrounging around the produce section of Kroger looking for inspiration and found these beautiful heads of Chinese Napa Cabbage.  I bought one, without a single thought of HOW I would be using this beautiful produce.  I did some searching on my favorite sites, but didn't find anything there that grabbed me.  I did, suprisingly, find this one on the Food Network site.  I usually am cautious here, because not all of the recipes are waistline-friendly, but with a few slight modifications, this one was perfect!

The ginger adds a nice fresh note to the dish, and the stir-fried cabbage is so mild.  This one was definitely a make-again, according to the hubbie. Without futher ado, here we go!

Yield: 6 GENEROUS servings at a PointsPlus Value of 7 per serving

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 small head napa cabbage, core removed and finely sliced
• Salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten (or 3/4 cup Egg Beaters)
• 4 cups cooked long-grain white rice (I only had 2 1/2 cups leftover from a Chinese food dinner, and this was PLENTY!)
  
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed in warm water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 bunch scallions, sliced, for garnish (approximately 4 scallions)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish (I accidentally left these out, and honestly, the dish didn't miss these at all! Add them or save the POINTS and omit!)

Instructions:

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the peanut oil in a wok or a large nonstick skillet over medium-high flame. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the shallots, the ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the cabbage and stir-fry until the cabbage is wilted and soft, about 8 minutes; season with a nice pinch of salt. Remove the vegetables to a side platter and wipe out the wok with dry paper towel.

Put the pan back on the heat and coat with the remaining oil. Add the garlic and to the wok and saute gently until fragrant. Add shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pink. Set aside on platter with vegetables. Crack the eggs into the center of the pan. Scramble the egg lightly, then let it set without stirring so it stays in big pieces. Fold in the rice and toss with the egg until well combined, breaking up the rice clumps with the back of a spatula. Return the sauteed vegetables and shrimp to the pan along with the peas and season with salt and soy sauce. Toss everything together to heat through. Spoon the fried rice out onto a serving platter, and garnish with scallions and peanuts (if desired).

Be back with you next week!

...And what it all comes down to, my friends...is that everything is just fine, fine fine...

TGIF. It’s about freakin’ time too. What a long week.  I thought that the topic of this week’s newsletter was summed up best by Alanis Morissette, in her song “Hand in my Pocket”.  …And what it all comes down to, my friends…is that everything is just fine, fine fine…and honestly, it really is.  This issuance is actually going to hit your mailboxes on Saturday. I was actually in a blogging funk on Friday, and had to contemplate what I would ramble about for a bit!

It was actually a great (but very busy) week for me.  As I mentioned in the last issuance, I did my Saturday walk with Brenda and did some running as well.  Sunday, we did our first official 10K (I refuse to count the Chupacabra 10K as a race…as that was more like hiking at night. LOL…).  This race was 6.2 miles, and we did it in 1:47:35, which equates to a 17:21 minute mile.  I was totally happy with that time, and I was going to be thrilled with anything under 2 hours.  What a way to finish! We even sprinted across the finish line.  Best part? Race bling…or hardware, as some refer to it. Steve was nice enough to take the photograph. Mine came out with a bunch of glare.

I am so excited about my races this year.  I will be doing some great courses, and it would be fabulous if I could eventually RUN 6.2 miles.  I think I can handle 3.1, but still have a way to go.  I found an interval timer for my iPhone and just need to find an armband so that I can actually have a way to use the app during my walks/runs.  I also enjoy using iMapMyWalk so that I know exactly how far I go.  This uses the GPS feature of your device to track how far you walk.  Pretty cool huh? I am NOT a tech nerd by any stretch, but I do like those nice apps that will help support me along my journey.

Speaking of the journey, I just added another reader this week—the sister-in-law of one of my peeps! Welcome Linda!  I would like to take this time to ask if you are all still happy receiving my ramblings on a weekly basis.  If you no longer want to receive this, or have another email address that is more suitable, PLEASE let me know.  If you want to be removed, I’d like to know that too. No judgment! LOL…Also, lastly, if you know anyone who may be interested in this publication, by all means, pass along their name(s) to me.  This ends the public service announcements!

This week at work was absolutely crazy, and culminated in me taking on two more corporate entities for my month end cash flow reporting. Happy Happy Joy Joy! I may even get to spend a day or two in San Angelo, TX.  Have no knowledge of this city, other than the fact that it lives smack in the middle of the state.

Strep throat has invaded the Ducar household.  Adam wasn’t quite himself this morning…stuffy nose, poor appetite [for him, this is a HUGE thing], and the capper? He said his throat hurt [insert sinister music here].  After a run over to the pediatric urgent car, it was confirmed. STREP.  As I type this, Steve is over at the urgent care (he came home to deposit the sick boy and had just enough time to run back out again), and is getting tested as well.  Boys are sick, and the girls are fine, at least for the time being.  Hoping I don’t succumb to this at all, but if I do have to, I am hoping for AFTER month-end close.

Prior to the whole strep fiasco, I did manage to enjoy a nice stress-free few hours with Adi, walking and shopping at the Shops of Highland Village.  This is a great open-air mall, and has a great selection of shops and eateries.  We stopped at Patrizio for a bite to eat afterward.  After perusing the menu, we found a delicious salad that came in at approximately 7 Points Plus™.  The salad was comprised of grilled chicken breast, baby spinach, Portobello mushrooms, a teaspoon or two of pine nuts, and the most delicious caramelized onions.  The dressing was a balsamic vinaigrette.  I used the old fork trick (dip your fork into the dressing and then get a bite of salad). It’s surprising how little dressing you actually need for your salad.  This is one that I intend to recreate at home.  So good, and SO filling! This is also a great ‘Power Food’ entrée. 

I also have a couple of websites to share with you this week.  If you are looking for some good resources for ladies’ sports foundations and/or workout gear, try these sites:

http://www.titlenine.com – this site has a variety of sports bras, yoga clothing, women’s sportswear, and athletic apparel. 

http://www.athleta.com – this is now a subsidiary of The Gap, and carries many of the same items that Title Nine carries.

Both of these are great resources.  I like Title Nine because they organize their foundations by levels of support (they use dumbbells to indicate the support level of the bras).  I also ended up finding a great sports bra in Macy’s. The brand is Wacoal, and it is fantastic. Totally adjustable. It’s underwire, but has the underwire on the outside of the bra so that there is less chafing during your activity.  Just my humble two-cents worth. Sonya—thanks for the site information!!!!

This week’s meeting focused on activity.  Start moving! Keep Moving! Find an activity that you like. You will be more likely to stick with it. 

ACTIVITY:

Benefits:

• Boosts weight loss results
• Improves health, energy, sleep and mental focus
• Critical to weight maintenance
• Allows you to eat more and still lose weight

Challenge:

• Find an activity you like and sticking with it.

Here are some other ideas on moving more. These were provided by Jessica Wozinsky of Weight Watchers Magazine

• Have a winter-style “Easter egg” hunt.  Hide colored ice cubes (tint water with food coloring before freezing) around your yard or neighborhood. Focus on getting in some extra walking as you help the kids search for the “eggs.”
• Build a snow fort.  Pile snow into about a 5-foot-high mini-mountain and hollow out the middle. Pour water over the roof so it freezes (and won’t cave in).  The result? Fun for the kids and a strength-training workout for you, too!
• Play sidewalk games in the snow.  Fill a spray bottle with water and add two to three drops of food coloring. Then “spray paint” a classic sidewalk game, like hopscotch, in the snow.  Don’t just referee – join in the fun for some impromptu aerobics.

This closing quote was on the meeting room board, and I loved it.  Please enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I will be back with you again next week!!!

"There are only two options: make progress or make excuses.” 

~author unknown

 

RECIPES

Dijon Roasted New Potatoes

Coating the potatoes with mustard and a small amount of oil helps make them crispy outside and tender inside. These are perfect with burgers, roasted chicken, or steak.

PointsPlus™ Value:    4

Preparation Time:  10 min

Cooking Time:  35 min

Yields: 4 servings of approximately 1 ¼ cups each

Ingredients:

1 spray(s) cooking spray  

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard  

1 tsp olive oil  

3/4 tsp paprika  

1/2 tsp table salt  

1/4 tsp dried thyme  

1/4 tsp black pepper  

1 1/2 pound(s) uncooked new potatoes, red or white, quartered or halved  

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9- X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, oil, paprika, salt, thyme and pepper; add potatoes and stir to coat.  Transfer potatoes to prepared baking dish and roast 15 minutes; stir and roast until tender on inside, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Notes: If your potatoes do not get crispy enough, coat them with cooking spray and then bake them for a few more minutes.

Have your cake and eat it too? It is possible!!!

Happy Saturday all…

Yes, I am a bit late in getting this out, but even though year end for work is over, I still am playing catch up with my dad’s books and my sister-in-law’s books.  The curse of being an accountant!  UGH!  Anyhoooo…..

Hope your respective weeks have gone well! Mine was busy, and am still trying to figure out exactly where it went!  Let’s see, last week I got in some good walks, and even tried yoga for the first time.  Even though it was deemed a yoga glass, it was a restorative yoga class, which I am SURE is much easier than the garden variety yoga.  Very relaxing, and you know…now that I think about it, I slept VERY well that night!

I did my usual Saturday walk with Brenda.  Today, it was just the two of us.  The other ladies had plans or otherwise were not able to make it.  We did some intervals, alternating jogging and walking.  We spent almost an hour and a half, and did 4 2/3 miles…and put in over 10,000 steps.  We did all of this before 10 AM today. Tomorrow morning is the Einstein 10K race in Fort Worth.  Brenda and I intend to use this race as another training session.  I felt good during the jogs today, and I hope that tomorrow brings more of the same for me.  I really felt good after this morning, and am now beginning to think seriously that there IS something to this whole running adventure that I am embarking on.

This week was a maintain week for me, which is more than fine!

In other non-scale related victories, I wanted to share a picture of me that definitely shows that all is not only lost in the body…it’s also lost in the FACE.  See below for the proof.  Left was taken in November 2007 while in Florida visiting family.  The one on the right? Taken this month, right after the new color and cut!  I cannot stress enough how important those photos and benchmarks are.  They are crucial for motivation!

This week’s meeting focused on ways to stay on plan while dining out.  There are some strategies that you can use to help when you are going out on the town.

• Crunch away temptation.  Some members bring along a bag of cut veggies to munch on so that you can avoid the bread basket.
• Steer clear of fried items, and opt for grilled choices. Instead of white rice, ask for brown.  If pasta is your thing, avoid cream sauces and ask for whole wheat pasta options!
• Keep your hunger at bay.  Never skip a meal to ‘save up’ for a dinner out.  The trick is not to be hungry beforehand.  Be prepared!
• Bring tools if necessary. Weight Watchers serving spoons or measuring spoons can help. If this isn’t feasible, use your visuals (deck of cards for protein, tennis ball for a cup-size serving of rice, etc…)
• Have your pie and eat it too! If you want to splurge, it’s okay to use your Weekly Points Allowance. The key is to not feel deprived.

The weekly challenge for this week is to find 10 menu items, at restaurants you frequent, that you feel would be easy to incorporate into your plan, but which still sound delicious.  Eat out—at least once this week—on plan!

For the closing quote du jour, I found this one online today. I loved it and wanted to share it with you!

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. 

I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” 

~Jim Davis

RECIPES

Coconut Shrimp

No need to deprive yourself of this crunchy, coconut dish any more.  Instead of ordering it at a restaurant, prepare this lightened-up version at home!

PointsPlus™ Value:    6

Preparation Time:  15 min

Cooking Time:  12 min

Ingredients:

2 sprays cooking spray

2 large egg whites

¾ cup all-purpose flour

6 oz beer, about 2/3 cup

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp table salt

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave tails on)

Instructions:

·        Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray

·        In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, ½ cup of flour, beer, baking powder, and salt.  Place remaining ¼ cup of flour and coconut into two separate shallow bowls.

·        Holding shrimp by their tails, dredge each shrimp in flour and shake off any excess.  Dip flour-coated shrimp into egg batter and allow excess to drip off.   Roll shrimp in coconut and turn to coat both sides (press coconut onto shrimp to make it stick).

·        Transfer shrimp to prepared baking sheet and spray surface of shrimp with cooking spray.

·        Bake until coconut is golden brown and shrimp are bright pink and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes

 
Notes: To put crunch in this dish, reduce to coconut flakes to 1 cup and add 1 cup panko (light Japanese bread crumbs), available in some supermarket fish departments or down the aisle with the flour and sugar

I won I won I won I won....

Happy Hump Day all!

This week, I picked up another two readers for this little newsletter.  Pretty soon, I am not going to be able to call it little anymore.  Seems to have taken on a life of its own! LOL…

This really has been a fantastic week all the way around.  Brenda and I did the “Bold in the Cold” 5K, and it did live up to its name. It was something like 37°F the morning of the race, and my wimpy “glubs”, as Adam likes to call them, did little to dispel the cold of the morning.  We did some light jogging and walking for the 5K and managed to take 6 minutes off of our Jingle Bell Run time.  My new running suit and Under Armour worked out well, and kept me quite warm.  Still learning about running fashion…lol…people—bear with me.  ANYHOOOO…we met a woman named Stacy on this race, and she had her pug doing the race with her.  His name was Jager (think: Jagermeister)…he was adorable, and can sprint quite well; definitely better than I can.  She lives in Flower Mound and will be joining us on Saturday mornings.  Love that the group is growing! 

I did muster enough energy to sprint across the finish line, but was sort of bummed because there was no chip time for this race.  Just the gun time was recorded…what this means is that if you weren’t at the very front of the pack when the start gun went off, you automatically lost time. They only had the electronic timer mat at the end of the race. Although the chip time said we did it in 53 minutes, we actually came in at 51.  This was a nice improvement over December’s race. 

Coach Dwayne sent me a copy of “Couch to 5K” and this is the plan I will be using to train for my April 30 Thrill of the Grill Run.  Even though I have been doing 5K races for the last couple of years, I have committed to myself that this is the race that I am going to actually RUN.  If any of you local D/FW peeps out there would like to join us, registration is officially open and you can go to:  http://www.thrillofthegrill5k.com/ and follow the link to register online.  It’s a nice course, and they have an amazing breakfast afterward.

In other news, my team for the “Maintain Campaign” tied for first place! I won one of those folding umbrella-type chairs that have its own case.  Pretty happy with my loot.  I found out this morning before my Bollywood Dance class.  Still loving the Bollywood Dance class.  It’s slow enough where I can follow, but you still manage to work up a sweat. You also use many of the large muscle groups, so I am sure I’ll be feeling it tomorrow.   I just was hoping that it would be held on a more permanent basis.  Think it’s just through the end of the month

I have an update on my New Year’s Resolution list.  I promised myself that I was going to do at least one 5K or 10K each month of 2011.  Here is what we have lined up or completed so far (thanks to Brenda for helping keep me straight on these)…Anyone who is around during these times is more than welcome to join us. I am still entertaining the idea of doing the Chupacabra 10K again…any takers there? Still no date/time for that one yet.

DATE:	RACE:	TIME:
January 8, 2011	LGRAW – Bold in the Cold	51 minutes
February 20, 2011	FWRC – Demery 500 5K
March 5, 2011	Boopa’s Family Fun Run 10K
March 20, 2011	FWRC – March Madness 5K
April 17, 2011	Hound Hustle 5K – Forth Worth Stockyards
April 30, 2011	Central Market Thrill of the Grill – Plano (my one to RUN!!!)
May 1, 2011	Heels and Hills 10K – Williams Square, Irving
May 30, 2011	FWRC – Memorial 3 mile
June 26, 2011	FWRC – Three Amigos 4 mile
July 17, 2011	FWRC – High Noon 1.2 mile – picnic after that one!
August 14, 2011	FWRC – Watermelon 5K
September 2011 (Date TBA)	Heroes for Children – Plano
September 25, 2011	Heels and Hills 10K – Williams Square, Irving
October 16, 2011	FWRC – Mercury 10K
November 20, 2011	FWRC – Mote in Motion ½ marathon…wait…BRENDA…what are you doing to me…or after all of these races will we even BE ready???
December 11, 2011	Tropical 10 Mile or Hawaiian 5K
December 2011 (TBA)	Jingle Bell Run…

So, needless to say, I am going to be busy this year.  Whodathunk that I may have to schedule vacations AROUND my races? That’s a new one for me!!!

I also found out that (and this is probably the BEST news of the week) that Verizon is taking over the gym here in Irving.  This completes the whole “maybe-the-move-wasn’t-a-bad-thing” that I was trying to convince myself of.  First the Richardson Weight Watchers center closed.  First sign that I needed to move.  Then I get my training back. Second sign!  The only thing that would make it even BETTER is for them to send Coach Dwayne over this way.  Don’t think that’s going to happen, but I do trust his judgment to know that whoever comes over here is going to be fantastic!

Finally, in the good news department, I wanted to give a shoutout to my little brother, Kevin.  He proposed to his girlfriend on Wednesday, and she accepted.  What a way to close out the newsletter!

This week’s meeting focused on ways to get the Power Foods into your daily routine.  There is an article on http://www.weightwatchers.com that talks to this, and offers up some good ways to help you achieve that.  It is an important part of the new plan, so I highly recommend that you do what you can to work with these foods.  In addition to all fresh fruits and MOST vegetables having zero PointsPlus values, fruits and veggies offer the following benefits:

• They make you feel fuller.
• They're rich sources of disease-fighting antioxidants.
• They reduce the risk of heart disease.
• They provide folic acid, vitamins and minerals.
• They increase energy, fight infection, improve regularity, keep skin healthy, promote normal blood clotting and build bones!

Please give it a shot!

For the closing quote du jour, I found this one online today. I loved it and wanted to share it with you!

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands;

you need to be able to throw something back.”

-Maya Angelou

 

RECIPES

Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar, Sweet Onions and Thyme

The sweet onions deliciously balance the acidity of the vinegar sauce. Sautéed or steamed spinach would be great on the side!

PointsPlus™ Value:    5

Servings:  4

Preparation Time:  10 min

Cooking Time:  20 min

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour  

3/4 tsp table salt, divided  

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, divided  

 1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz pieces  

2 tsp olive oil  

1 small vidalia onion(s), cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)  

1 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth  

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar  

1 Tbsp thyme, fresh, chopped, or less to taste  

2 tsp butter   

Instructions:
    * On a plate, combine flour, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and turn to coat; shake off any excess.
    * Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, flipping once, until golden and cooked through, about 7 minutes; remove to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.
    * Add onion to skillet; sauté over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add broth, vinegar, thyme and remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring often, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
    * Remove skillet from heat and stir in butter until melted; spoon sauce over chicken. Yields 1 chicken breast and about 1/4 cup onion sauce per serving.

Notes:  Don’t have fresh thyme in the house? Use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme instead!

Elissa’s Awesome Turkey Chili

I may have posted this in a prior issuance, but I thought it deserved to be placed into the spotlight this afternoon!

This is a perfect chili for North Texas’ weather situation lately.  This was based on a recipe I found on http://www.epicurious.com/ a couple of years back.  As per usual, I lightened up the recipe and made it my own.  This chili is great over whole-wheat elbows, making a nice hearty dish for the cold weather!  This chili can be prepared up to three days ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover. Reheat over low heat before serving.  Enjoy.

PointPlus® Value: 6 per 1 cup serving. If you use less turkey or less beans, adjust PointsPlus Values® accordingly!

Servings: Makes an 8 quart pot of chili…approximately 12-16 cups of chili

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 90 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 1/2 cup(s) onion(s), chopped 

8 clove(s) garlic clove(s), chopped 

5 Tbsp chili powder 

1 Tbsp ground cumin 

1 tsp ground basil 

1/2 tsp ground oregano 

1/2 tsp dried thyme 

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes 

14 1/2 oz fat-free chicken broth 

1 can(s) or bottle(s) light beer 

6 oz canned tomato paste 

3 (15-0z) cans kidney beans, Use mixed --- light, dark, white or black!

1 can (s) Bush's Chili Starter - Mild  (or a can of seasoned chili beans)

2 pounds lean ground beef (at least 90/10) or 2 pounds lean ground turkey (93/7)

Instructions:

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add ground turkey and saute until brown, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 5 minutes

Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano and thyme. Stir 2 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, beer and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hr. 15 minutes. Mix in beans. Simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Gettin' Bold in the Cold!!!

Happy Friday all!

I am finally able to say that this week is behind me.  If any of you have ever seen the movie “Groundhog Day’ with Bill Murray, you will know what my life was like this week.  We had month end/year end close this week, and from Monday through Thursday, it was like one big, huge, never-ending day.  I am emotionally drained! But, on the bright side, all reports and schedules have been delivered to the appropriate people, and in a timely manner.

I maintained this week, which, in and of itself, is fantastic.  Also, our team is in the lead for the ‘Maintain Campaign’ that our fitness center launched in November.  Our team is one of the few who actually lost over Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I kept up with my physical activity, and we may have a shot at winning this thing.  Have no idea what the prizes are, but still…bragging rights are awesome!  I also started taking some of the classes offered down there.  The one that I really am LOVING is the Bollywood/Bhangra dance class that Alex is leading.  Very easy to follow and you work up a great sweat while doing it.  For those who are coordination-challenged, this is a great one.  Even I can keep up!  Liked it so much when I tried it the first time that I actually rearranged my Weight Watchers meetings to accommodate this class.  Switching to a Friday noon meeting for the next three weeks so I can get these classes in. Compromise. That’s what it’s all about!

Still living by my new mantra, and am loving it.  This Saturday, I will be up before the crack of dawn to participate in the Bold in the Cold 5K race in Grapevine.  A running group puts this one on in early January.  I think we are supposed to be at a nice balmy 37° F when we start walking in the morning.  Good thing I was able to get my running suit and Under Armour! Think I will manage to be nice and toasty.

I hope that all of you have had a great start to the New Year and if you need anything from me at all…program advice, a swift kick in the tushie or just an ear to listen, please call, email or come over!!! We are all in this journey together, and our goal? To get to OUR goal.  I actually had one of my readers (and also a GREAT FRIEND) reach out to me this week to ask if I’d be her accountability partner.  I am more than happy to do this for her and any one of you!  Please have a fantastic weekend, and I will update you next week on how the race went!  

Found this quote on a friend’s Facebook page. Loved it, and had to steal it for this issuance!!!

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity!”

-author unknown

RECIPES

Wild Rice, Barley and Asparagus Pilaf

Soooo glad I found this recipe.  It's a great and healthy alternative to plain old rice pilaf, and I love the nuttiness of the barley in this one.  I had all the ingredients in the house.  My pantry is pretty well stocked, and dishes like these come easy for me because of it.  Our grocery store here carries boxes of wild rice, and you can buy pearled barley really inexpensively in bulk.

Hardly traditional, this hearty side dish could be a meal on its own, alongside a cup of soup or a light green salad.

PointsPlus™ Value:    3

Servings:  12

Preparation Time:  12 min

Cooking Time:  55 min

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients:

5 cup(s) vegetable broth  

3/4 cup(s) uncooked wild rice  

1 cup(s) uncooked barley, pearl-variety (do not use quick-cooking)  

1 medium shallot(s), chopped  

1 tsp table salt  

1/2 tsp dried thyme  

1/2 tsp dried sage  

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground  

10 oz asparagus, pencil-thin spears, cut into 2-inch segments

Instructions:
    * Bring the broth and rice to a simmer in a large saucepan; cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
    * Stir in the barley, shallot, salt, thyme, sage and pepper. Cover and continue simmering over low heat for 25 minutes.
Notes
Use pure wild rice, not a blend of wild and brown rice.
Some things I did this time around:
1. I had no shallots, so I used red onion in this dish
2. I used beef broth in place of veggie broth
3. I let this simmer a tad longer than indicated, so that the liquid got absorbed.
4. Leftovers would be great in a chicken roulade.  Use a tablespoon or two and roll up in a chicken breast pounded out to 1/4 inch thick. Fasten with toothpicks and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until juices run clear.

Prosciutto Spirals with Balsamic Glaze

As most of you probably know, I am a bit of a Pampered Chef junkie, and I have almost all of their products and all of their cookbooks.  Out of one of the last ones I purchased, an appetizer cookbook, I found this gem.  I am having a great friend over tonight, and wanted to do a nice and simple appetizer, but one that would pack a big flavor punch.  Here is what I ended up deciding upon!

The photo below is what the appetizer looked like right before I rolled it up.  Very colorful!!!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

4 oz cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel cheese instead)

1 (14.5-oz) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped red onion

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves

16 slices prosciutto (about 8 oz or so) (I would ask the deli clerk to cut it on about a 1 1/2 on the slicer)

2 cups loosely packed arugula (I used baby arugula)

Prep time: 40 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Instructions:

1. Prepare glaze and filling

Simmer vinegar in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat for 7-9 minutes or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth.  Add artichokes, onion and basil to the bowl; mix well (this filling is also makes a great dip for crudités!)

2. Assemble and refrigerate rolls

Lay sheet of plastic wrap over a plastic cutting board.  Arrange four slices of prosciutto vertically over plastic wrap, overlapping slightly to form a 9-inch square.  Spread 1/3 cup of the artichoke filling over prosciutto.  Top with 1/2 cup of the arugula.  Starting at side closest to you , tightly roll up prosciutto jelly roll style.  Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to serve.  Repeat three times for a total of 4 rolls.

 3. Slice and serve.

Remove each roll from plastic wrap and slice into 12 spirals for a total of 48 spirals. Place on serving platter and drizzle with glaze. A serrated knife works wonders on these.  Also, chill very well before slicing!

 Yield: 24 servings

Nutritional information: (per 2 appetizers) Calories: 50, Total fat: 3g, Saturated fat: 1.5g, Cholesterol: 15mg; Carb: 3g; Protein: 4g; Sodium: 270 mg; Fiber: 0g