Desperate Measures

I was REALLY craving chocolate last night. That's usually not a problem since I almost always have a stash of Hershey's kisses on hand. However, I'm running low on groceries and I was out. I just happened to find a can of triple chocolate frosting in the cupboard - generally reserved for birthdays, potlucks, etc. I gave in. It wasn't as bad as I thought, though. I used two graham cracker halves and 2 tsp. of frosting to make a little sandwich. I figured it up and it was only 2 points! Well whaddayaknow?

Yummy Hot Chocolate

This time of year, we really like to curl up with a mug of flavored hot chocolate. However, that is a very calorie-ridden habit. This is our solution:

1 envelope Swiss Miss diet hot chocolate (prepared as package directs)
1 tbsp fat-free coffee creamer, any flavor
2 tbsp whipped cream on top!

This is only 65 calories for the whole mug. There are a bunch of different flavors of the coffee creamer. Right now we have Caramel Vanilla - yum! The perfect 1-point winter treat.

Easy, Cheesy Broccoli Soup

I'm nervous about it getting colder. I always gain weight this time of year. It's a combination of wearing lots of layers, wanting to eat warm and filling meals, and lots of holiday treats. I did find this recipe the other day and it ended up being very yummy. Be forewarned that it is NOT creamy; it has a broth base. However, it is easy, yummy, healthy, and warm. A great winter soup!

6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 pound broccoli
1 pound cauliflower
10 oz Velveeta 2% (the light kind)

Boil the broccoli and cauliflower florets in the chicken broth. While the veggies are boiling, cut the Velveeta into cubes. When they are soft, squish up the veggies with a potato masher right in the broth. Add the Velveeta cubes and continue cooking at medium heat until the cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

And the best part of this soup? Only 1 point per cup! Makes 8 servings.

P.S. I'm not usually a big Velveeta fan, so this didn't appeal to me at first, but I thought it was worth a try for only 1 point per cup. It adds a cheesy flavor without adding too many calories, which is great! Tip: the Velveeta was MUCH cheaper at Wal-Mart than anywhere else I looked.

Sometimes Ya Gotta Bake

We have a General Conference tradition... Muffins!! Each General Conference Sunday, we make a batch. Since we're trying to cut back on the indulgences lately, the thought of making muffins seemed a little too extravagant. Then, I found this mix. Fiber One muffins! If you make them like it says on the back of the box, they are 3 points each (as opposed to 5 or 6 for other muffins). If you make them like it says on the SIDE of the box, they are 2 points each. They were quite yummy if I say so myself.

Turtle Chex Mix Bars

Another tasty-treat discovery! The Turtle variety are only 2 points. Surprisingly, they have 4 grams of fiber in them! And just 130 calories! I ate one for breakfast this morning, and I felt like I was cheating. I mean, seriously! It's corn Chex, wheat Chex, peanuts, pretzels, and chocolate candies covered in caramel. And it's the same amount of points as those Curves granola bars, which are supposed to be a diet food. And the Chex bars are bigger. Stay clear of the chocolate chunk ones though. They have more calories and less fiber so they're actually 3 points.

Greek Quinoa Salad

This is not a picture of the salad I made. I just wanted you to see what the little grains look like. Aren't they cute? =0)

Okay, so we tried the spaghetti squash salad recipe I posted previously - sort of. We don't have a microwave in this apartment, so I cooked the squash in the oven for the first time. It ended up getting a little overdone. We didn't think that squishy cold squash salad sounded very good, so we scrapped that idea. Instead, we used quinoa (thanks for the info, Lashelle!). I had never had quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) before and I really like it! So here's the recipe for the salad I ended up making:

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
1 container (pint?) grape tomatoes, halved
1 4 oz container reduced-fat feta cheese
1 whole cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 red onion, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

Dressing:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Cook the quinoa in 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The quinoa is done when the grains are slightly translucent. Drain any excess water. Add all of the vegetables and cheese. Pour the dressing over the top and mix.

1 cup = 4 points. Yields 8 cups.

Because quinoa is a complete protein, this can be used as a main dish. We had it along with grilled tilapia fillets for a 6 point meal. I think next time I might not put as many olives in it. Jason picks them out and even I found them to be a little much.

Hot Tamale Popsicles

I know they sound gross. For the longest time, Jason wanted to get them but I kept saying that was disgusting. We finally got them the other day and FELL IN LOVE!!! They have a cinnamony flavor without being super hot like the candies are. I don't know how to decribe it, but I highly recommend you try them for yourself! They are Albertson's brand so I think you can only get them there. They're two points each but they are big like big sticks and TOTALLY worth it.

Greek Spaghetti Squash Salad

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it looks YUMMY! And I have almost all of the ingredients, so we'll try it soon and let you know how it goes!

This recipe makes about 10 cups; it stores well in the refrigerator one to two days, and is even better the second day. Here the squash is cooked in the microwave to save time.
Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)
Ingredients
1 (3-pound) spaghetti squash
5 cups chopped plum tomato
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1 cup green bell pepper strips
1/4 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Preparation
Pierce squash with a fork; place on paper towels in microwave. Microwave at high 15 minutes or until tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove spaghetti-like strands.
Combine cooked squash and next 6 ingredients (through olives) in a large bowl; toss well. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Add to squash mixture, tossing to coat. Cover and chill.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
100 (37% from fat)
Fat:
4.1g (sat 1.7g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:
4.7g
Carbohydrate:
13.8g
Fiber:
1.5g
Cholesterol:
5mg
Iron:
0.7mg
Sodium:
350mg
Calcium:
85mg

Greek Pasta Salad

I wanted to put a picture of this up because it is so pretty, but our camera has gone awol. Anyway, I made a Greek pasta salad today. I LOVE Greek salads with feta and kalamata olives, but they are usually pretty calorie-laden. This one is too, but a 1 cup serving is about 4 points compared to 8 or 9. I admit it's a little "pointsy" for a whole meal, but I'm going to grill up some talapia for dinner tomorrow and have it as a side - YUM!!

1 14.5 oz box Ronzoni Smart Taste rotini
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 4 oz. container of feta cheese (next time I'll try fat free)

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tsp. dried rosemary
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch salt

Mix the dressing and pour it over the other ingredients. Serve chilled. Makes 10 1-cup servings of 4 points each. This would also be good with cucumbers and/or grape tomatoes. Then you could up the serving size a little.

Renewed!

I've decided I need to get serious about Weight Watcher's again. I have still been passively counting points, but our trip to AZ made me forget about weight loss and get excited about pie!! Anyway, I have noticed a dramatic drop in my self-confidence, and also a small jump in the number on the scale. To reverse those two phenomena, I'm getting back in gear!

I noticed while counting points that, even when I would be very strict about sticking to my allotment, I wouldn't really lose weight. I think I am going to drop my points allowance by a point or two and see if that makes a difference. I know it's not supposed to work like that, but I really don't get a whole lot of exercise. I have bad ankles and even just doing the dishes and vacuuming the living room makes my feet throb. So a lot of exercise is just too painful. I know I need to go to a podiatrist and get some good orthodics, but that will have to wait until we've got insurance or money, one of the two. I do love the feeling of being active, but I hate being in pain. My exercise of choice is swimming because it DOESN'T HURT!!! But, I don't have the time or the place to do it.

Anyway, since it's difficult to increase the number of calories I burn, I'm going to have to decrease the number I consume. We are planning on getting family pictures taken in early December. That means I have to look good! So the goal is at least 6 pounds down by then! Wish me luck!!!

By the way, I have added a few helpful links to the sidebar. The healthy dining finder is one that I just discovered today and I'm so excited about it! Check it out!! =)

Mission Accomplished

First of all, I apologize for the pictureless blogs lately. I guess I've gotten out of the habit of taking out the camera. I need to start that soon. I just wanted to share the good news: As of Saturday, I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight!! It is very bittersweet. Of course, I am thrilled to have lost 22 pounds in 2008. I definitely feel more confident and more myself. I enjoy feeling healthier too. The bitter part is that, even though I weigh the same as I did before the pregnancy, I still don't fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes!!! The baby did a number on my tummy, I guess. So that was kind of a letdown. I guess my next goal is to get back to what I weighed when we got married. I'm embarassed to say that that means there are 10 more pounds to go... No excuses for that one except that I guess we just had a really fattening "honeymoon period." So wish me luck with my next endeavor!!

Sizzlin'

We discovered a "new" restaurant today: The Sizzler!! Their salad bar is $6.99 at lunch time and it was SO GOOD!! Everything was so fresh and they had so many great choices. All the veggies you can think of, lite ranch dressing, a bunch of fruits - they even had whole kiwis and avocados! It would even be good for those not on a diet. There were taco salad/nacho/burrito fixins, pizza, breadsticks, an ice cream machine with toppings, brownies, muffins, etc. Their veggie soup was really good too with big chunks of cauliflower, potatoes, pea pods, etc. I like being able to pick out what I'm going to eat and know what goes into the finished product so it's easy to count points. And then, of course, I had a brownie for dessert. At most restaurants, your meal is either tasteless and disappointing if you order the lite meal, or extremely fattening if you order something "good." So it was nice to splurge the exact amount I wanted to. Next time, however, I will ask them not to bring the cheese bread to our table. It makes it too tempting. It was really yummy, but I would have been fine without it.

A Special Post for a Special Lady

So I have been thinking about how hard it would be to have only 18 points to work with in a day. It would be SO difficult to not have extra points to snack with. I was lying awake in bed tonight thinking about what I would do. I thought of two different things. The first one is to cut down on the amount of points in your meals, the second is to have some 0 or 1 point snacks around. I know I have already put most of my ideas up here, but I thought of a few more.

After starting Weight Watchers, I had to kind of change my attitude about fruits and vegetables. I always thought of them (veggies especially) as a healthy afterthought to compliment a meal. But, veggies are very nutritious and filling and most of them don't take any of your points. Instead of having them as a side dish, you can make them the main event! Or, have very little of your "dinner" and fill up on your veggies. Start adding a salad, apple, etc. to EVERY meal or snack. That way you can have less of the points food and still feel satisfied - leaving points for dessert! A few examples of making veggies the main event:

1) I don't usually eat cheese on Weight Watchers because it is SO high points, but sometimes I crave something cheesy. I get the Normandy Blend of frozen vegetables at Costco. It has broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Sometimes for lunch, I just steam up a HUGE bowl of veggies and cover them with cheese. It works because, even though cheese is high points, it's the only thing with points in the whole meal. I curb my craving, stay on track, and have a healthy meal all at the same time.

2) Rice is high points so instead of having a bed of rice with stirfry on top, we have a bunch of stirfry with a little rice. I really never liked the actual rice that much anyway. And that way you can put chicken with it and get your protein in too!

3) Replace rice with ground-up cauliflower like I made for you. For everyone else, I'll put the recipe up here soon.

4) A nice little lunch would be a bowl of zero point soup and a piece of one-point toast. Progresso has a few vegetable soups that are zero points per serving. That way, your whole lunch is only one point! Who wants dessert?? =)

5) Salads, salads, salads. Salads don't always have to be made with lettuce. I like to get a bag of pre-packaged cole slaw and follow the instructions for the dressing on the bag. If you use fat free mayo, the finished product is zero points. You can add some chicken or eat it with a piece of one-point toast or some low-point crackers. It's really easy too. Also, I think I have posted this recipe before, but I'm going to do it again. I often have a huge bowl of this made in my fridge and I eat it for an easy lunch. It is SO flavorful and yummy. I was thinking maybe you could take some to work for lunch in a tupperware. If you make it ahead, it'd be really easy to just grab some on your way out the door.

6 oz. imitation crab meat, shredded (about 2 cups shredded)
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed until thawed
1 cup chopped bell pepper (green, red, or yellow)
I've made it without the bell pepper when I don't have it. Just reduce the serving size to 2 cups.
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

This makes two servings of 2 1/2 cups. Each serving is 4 points. You might find that that's a little bit too much food. If you have 1 1/4 cups, you can bring two points worth of baked corn chips (I explain how to make them a little later on in this post) and still have a 4-point lunch. I love scooping up the salad like salsa on the chips.

This has nothing to do with vegetables, but I thought you might like trying these too: Jimmy Dean D'lite breakfast sandwiches. You can find them in the refrigerator section. A box of 4 is about $5 so I have only gotten them once, but that's not too bad of a price if you eat it for lunch instead of breakfast. It's turkey sausage, egg white and cheese on a multi-grain english muffin for 4 points. (It might have been 5...) They're a nice size. Just put it in the microwave for a minute, eat some fruit on the side, and you're good to go.

Now for low-point snacks. Most of my favorites are already listed somewhere on this blog. I tend to use my extra points for sugary things like Hershey's kisses, Healthy Choice fudge bars, and tootsie pops, but I'll share a few of the things I go for when I'm actually hungry.

0 point snacks:

1) Carrots, celery and cucumbers w/ fat free ranch
2) Frozen peas.
3) Sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper or grape tomatoes from Costco.
4) Claussen pickle halves.

1 point snacks:

1) Frigo Cheese Head light string cheese.
2) Weight Watcher's Yogurt
3) An apple sliced thin (it makes it seem like there is more)
4) Quaker's "Quakes" Rice Cakes. These are very crunchy and you can have 8 for one point. I've only tried the caramel variety, but there are a bunch of different flavors. I'm a fan.

2 point snacks:

1) Chips and salsa. You need to find some corn tortillas that are just made with corn meal and water, no lard. They are usually about 30-40 calories each, no fat, and significant fiber. I cut up FOUR of these, bake them at 350 for 15 minutes, and have 32 chips with all-you-can-eat salsa (Jack's Special from Costco is my favorite) for 2 points. It's best to make as many chips at a time as will fit in your oven. That way, you have them on hand without having to heat up your house all the time.
2) I often eat dry cereal. 3/4 cup of Honey Bunches of Oats or 1 1/2 cups of Kix. Yum.
3) A 100-calorie bag of microwave popcorn. They have kettle corn too.
4) Ak-mak crackers with Laughing Cow cheese.
5) Fiber One bars or Curves granola bars. Curves don't have as much fiber so they're easier on your digestive system.
6) Lite Lays potato chips with onion dip. These aren't Baked Lays, they're different. They're a lot better and you can have a whole bunch of them for one point. I make the dip by mixing onion soup mix into fat free sour cream.
7) I know you don't like shrimp, but for those who do: shrimp and cocktail sauce.

Well, I hope this makes life a little easier for you. I also hope I can finally sleep after getting all these ideas out of my head. Good luck!

Wonder of Wonders!!

It's amazing what you will find to eat when your cupboards are bare. All of a sudden, you are putting together snacks that you would not have considered before - just out of forced creativity. Anyway, last night we had "no" food in the house. I was hungry so I opened the freezer in desperation. I saw a bag of frozen shrimp that I usually keep on hand for pasta dishes and whatnot. I knew that shrimp was lean protein, but I didn't realize just HOW lean until I looked at the bag. 5 oz for 75 calories!!! That's about 17 medium shrimp for ONE POINT!!!

Needless to say, I grabbed those little shrimpers and ran them under some water, threw them on a paper plate, and had 1/4 cup of cocktail sauce with them for a YUMMY two point snack. Not as glamorous as the above picture, I admit, but quite satisfying and new.

P.S. I know it sounds like a very expensive snack. I guess it kind of is, but I usually buy shrimp at $2.99 a pound and stock up my freezer. So I guess the snack costs a little under a dollar. Good for protein.

Dippin' Dots??

Here's a snack we have rediscovered: frozen peas! My mom used to feed them to us while she fixed dinner when we were kids. I still really like them. Sweet and cold - better than cooked, I say! Jason doesn't like peas, but Brooklyn is CRAZY about these cold little balls. She would eat them all day. Best of all - 0 points!!

Eating Out

Weight Watchers advertises that it is not a "diet." However, it can certainly feel that way when it comes to eating out. EVERYTHING is fattening at a restaurant. We have been doing Weight Watchers for about 5 months now, and we still haven't found very many things we can eat when we go on our weekly date. You do get 35 flex points a week. Those come in handy if you want to splurge, but you also don't lose weight as quickly. I use them and Jason doesn't and he has lost almost 4 times as much weight as I have. It all depends on what your goals are. I know it is not a very big list because, like I said, we haven't had much luck, but here is what we have discovered in the eating out world so far:

Wendy's Sour Cream and Chive Baked Potato - 5 points with the sour cream, no butter.

Wendy's small chili - lots of hot sauce - 4 points.

Taco Bell Spicy Chicken soft taco - 4 points.

Taco Bell has an entire "fresco" menu with some decent choices.

Subway - We split a turkey, ham, chicken, or roast beef footlong with no cheese. Get sweet onion or honey mustard sauce for the dressing. We also split a bag of Baked Lays and a diet soda and the whole meal is 7 points.

Applebee's - actually has an entire Weight Watcher's menu.

Salad Bar restaurants like Sweet Tomatoes, Souplantation, Garden Spot, Fresh Choice, Souper Salad, etc. A lot of buffet type places have some really good choices if you can stay away from the temptations.

Panda Express - get veggies instead of rice or noodles - their chicken dishes like black pepper chicken or Kung Pao are relatively low points. Just don't get anything fried like Orange Chicken.

McDonald's - several salads available as well as a grilled chicken sandwich. Their ice cream cones are only 3 points - yum!

Baskin Robbins - Berry Banana frozen yogurt. It's 2 points for a single scoop, 1 point for the cone. VERY yummy. If you really want to indulge, try the Maui Brownie Madness (also frozen yogurt) for 4 points. Double the points, but it's SO decadent. Doesn't even taste like yogurt.

See's Candies - 2 points each. Rich enough to appease the sweet tooth.

Sbarro - 1 big slice of cheese pizza with red hot pepper = 10 points.

Cafe Rio - we figure their shredded beef salad is about 20 points with the dressing. I get the salad and cut it into thirds. Then, I eat the first third of the tortilla/meat/rice/beans with ALL of the lettuce they give you and a third of the dressing. The other two pieces I eat at home and add my own lettuce. It makes three yummy meals of 7 points each.

Grilled chicken sandwiches - You can find these at Chick-fil-a, Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's etc. They are usually about 6 points each. Just make sure there is no mayo.

California Rolls. The trick is to find a place that makes them without adding mayo to the crab. Without the mayo, they are about 1 point each.

We have eaten at some other places with success. You do need to be careful, and it is best to know what you are going to order before you go. We always visit dietfacts.com before trying a new restaurant. It is GREAT!! They actually calculate the points for you. Whatever menu items they don't have on dietfacts can usually be found on thedailyplate.com. You just have to calculate the points yourself. Mimi's Cafe is another good place with a decent light menu. All of their nutrition information is found on their website.

I'll add to this as we get more creative - feel free to share your ideas too!

Grocery List

These are just a few of the staples that we almost always have on hand:

Couscous and bulgur wheat.

Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta.

Marinara sauce.

LOTS of fruits and veggies. Fresh and frozen.

Laughing Cow cheese. This is much cheaper if you get it at Costco.

Ak-Mak sesame seed crackers. 3 big crackers for 1 point - top with Laughing Cow Cheese.

Hershey's Kisses. 2 for 1 point.

Soy sauce, mustard, and other 0 point seasonings/condiments.

Apple & Cinnamon Oatmeal packets. 2 points each.

1 point bread. We LOVE Granny's Delight Wheat & Fiber Bread, but I think they only have that in Utah.

2 for 1 point corn tortillas.

Salsa.

Claussen Pickles.

Fat Free Mayo.

Canned Soup. Progresso has some that are 0 points.

Cereal: Total, Fruity Cheerios, & Bran Flakes are a few low-point favorites.

Weight Watchers yogurts. (1 point each)

Frigo Light String Cheese. (1 point each!)

Lunch Meat, particularly Kirkland extra lean ham.

Kirkland Egg Starts (like Egg Beaters but cheaper!)

Tootsie Pops. (1 point)

Skinny Cows (2 pts.) or Healthy Choice fudge bars (1 pt.) from Costco.

Skim milk.

Tuna.

97% fat free ground beef chubs from Costco.

Chicken Breasts.

Kirkland Canned Chicken.

Kirkland Canned Beef Cubes.

Peanut Butter Fiber One Bars (I only buy them when they're on sale, but they are SO yummy!)

Fat Free sour cream.

Frozen Hash Browns, shredded and cubed. So versatile, convenient, filling and low-point.

Diet Soda.

I'll add to this as I think of more...

Quick Fix Meals

A few QUICK meals that we eat for dinner in a hurry:

Costco Ling-Ling Potstickers and green beans. Potstickers are 1 point each.

Hormel or Tyson entree's in the deli section. There are several that are low points such as Chicken, Turkey, and Roast Beef - all with gravy. They taste like cafeteria food, but I don't mind - it's nostalgic! Just add potatoes and a veggie. I get these when they are on sale for about $3-4 a piece. I keep them in the freezer and pull them out in a pinch. They only take 8 minutes in the microwave when they are frozen.

Lean Pockets. We get the Spinach, Chicken and Artichoke variety from Costco. 5 points each.

Lean Ole Steak and Chicken Burritos. Also from Costco, 7 points each.

Chili w/ polenta. We used to eat chili and cornbread, but now I make polenta instead. It has a lot fewer calories and I like it just as much. I make chili with just canned beans and seasonings and pour it over the polenta. It's very filling, a good winter meal.

Grilled salmon and bulgur wheat salad. (salmon is 1 pt per ounce)

Turkey burgers from Costco. (4 pts. each)

Hashbrowns with ham and egg (whites). Jazz it up with salsa. Also good with turkey kielbasa instead of ham.

Wendy's baked potato and chili. (8 pts. total)

Subway sandwiches. (6 points for a 6-inch of turkey, chicken, ham, or roast beef - no cheese)

Salad "bar." Lots of 0 point veggies with kidney beans, lunch meat, fat free croutons, whatever you like...

Tostadas. Bake some 2 for 1-point corn tortillas at 350 until crispy. Top with fat free refried beans, taco meat (97% fat free ground beef), fat free sour cream, hot sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. This is one of my favorites!

BBQ Beef Sandwiches. Kirkland Canned Beef Cubes shredded and mixed with BBQ sauce. Heat it up and put on bread from a yummy sandwich.

Spaghetti with Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta. I also like to throw some Pilgrim's Pride "Eat Well Stay Healthy" chicken nuggets in with the marinara. It's fast, a lot of food for low points, and tastes just like Chicken Parmesan. Love it. (pasta is 1 pt. per ounce)

Turkey kielbasa with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. I use instant when I'm in a hurry.

French toast made with Egg Beaters and 1-point bread. Top with apple sauce. Jason likes sugar-free syrup but I think it's nasty.

Lunch

Today for lunch, I decided that I was tired of my usual turkey sandwich. So.. I got creative with some stuff I had on hand and this is what became of it:

I just threw together a can of black beans (drained & rinsed), a can of chicken, about a cup of frozen corn, and some purple onion. I sprinkled on some lime juice, salt, cumin and cayenne and poof! There was lunch! As you can see in the picture, I spooned it over some romaine and served it with fat free sour cream. It was indeed yummy, nutritious, fast, filling, and low-calorie. Everything you could want in a lunch. (Makes 3 servings of 4 points each!)

UPDATE: This is a LOT better with imitation crab instead of canned chicken. Add fresh cilantro too! We had the crab version with baked corn tortilla chips instead of lettuce.

Then, of course, it was time for dessert. I have to do a product plug on this one. Jello Dark Chocolate Raspberry Sugar-Free pudding cups (with a squirt of Cool Whip!). Found in the refrigerator section. They are usually expensive, but they were on sale and I had a coupon so we tried them out. They might become a must-have for me. Very yummy and cool on a hot summer day with only 60 calories!

What's for Dinner?

Lettuce Wraps!!

This recipe was SO yummy and so EASY!! You can even use leftover chicken. Enjoy!

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

10 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped small

1 cup water chestnuts, chopped small

2/3 cup mushrooms (I'm not a big fan, so I left them out)

3 tablespoons chopped onions

1 teaspoon minced garlic

6-8 leaves lettuce, rinsed and dried (iceburg or romaine work best)

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray and heat to medium heat. Add chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, onions, and garlic until heated through. Pour soy sauce mixture over the chicken and heat a little more. Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce leaves, roll up, and enjoy!

This was so yummy you would never think you could eat it on a diet! I counted the whole recipe as 10 points, 9 for the chicken and 1 for the brown sugar. Jason and I split it for 5 points each! Splash a little teriyaki sauce on some 0 point stir-fried veggies and you've got dinner! It would be good with rice too.

The website I modified this recipe from also had a recipe for a "special sauce" to go with them. The people who rated the recipe just RAVED about the sauce. I made the sauce but we didn't eat it because I thought it just tasted like watery ketchup. I'll put the recipe here if you want to try it, but I would recommend making it without the ketchup and adding it to taste at the end.

Special Sauce

1/4 cup sugar (I replaced half of it with Splenda to cut calories)

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil (I didn't have any so I left it out)

1 tablespoon hot mustard, mixed into 2 teaspoons hot water

1-2 teaspoons garlic and red chile paste

Just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure to mix the hot mustard with the water first or you will have little mustard clumps.

Don't like lettuce wraps? Here's a different Asian-inspired recipe. We have this one about twice a month.

Noodles with Peanut Sauce

2 T soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp garlic pwdr
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 C peanut butter (I used crunchy so there'd be little peanut chunks)

Sauce: whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, cornstarch, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. In a small saucepan, whisk together peanut butter with 1/2 cup hot water. (Add more water before you pour it over the noodles or it will be too thick.) Add soy sauce mixture to peanut butter mixture; bring to simmer over medium heat until mixture thickens. Reserve.

I cut up a large, 9 oz chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and cook it in a frying pan with some Pam spray. Then I dump in about 1/3 of a bag of the Costco stir-fry frozen vegetable mix. We LOVE this mix. It's got broccoli, carrots, peppers, water chestnuts, mushrooms, edamame, etc. I do cut the broccoli florets in half because they are disproportionately large. Anyway, after that is cooked through you add about 1/2 box of cooked spaghetti noodles. I use the Ronzoni SmartTaste brand. It's white pasta but it's got fiber and calcium in it. I break the noodles into thirds before cooking. Pour the peanut sauce over everything and mix it up!

You end up with a yummy, peanutty noodle dish with lots of veggies and a little protein. The Ronzoni pasta is only 1 point an ounce so the whole recipe makes 4 LARGE servings for about 7 points each. We are always impressed at how much food you get for just 7 points!

Diet Chicken Enchiladas

I miss Mexican food a lot since being on Weight Watchers. However, I have actually found (or modified) a few recipes that are pretty close to giving me the fix that I crave sometimes. Here is a recipe for chicken enchiladas. It is definitely not as cheesy as I am used to, but still yummy. Only two points per enchilada! If anybody's interested, let me know and I'll post more.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (7 oz) bottle salsa verde (such as Herdez brand)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup (3 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup chicken broth
12 corn tortillas (be sure to get the 30-40 calorie ones, we like the Lynn Wilson's brand)
2/3 cup (2.5 oz) crumbled queso fresco
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine first 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Combine chicken and cream cheese in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa mixture. Reserve remaining salsa mixture.

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium skillet. Working with one tortilla at a time, add tortilla to pan; cook 10 seconds or until moist, turning once. Remove tortilla; drain on paper towels. Divide chicken mixture into 12 equal parts and spoon it down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place each tortilla, seam-side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas; sprinkle evenly with queso fresco and chili powder. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.

WW Update

Just thought I'd give a little update on my Weight Watchers progress. I have lost 17 pounds since Jan 1st (10 pounds since I announced I was trying to lose 15). So, that means I have just 5 pounds left to lose in order to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. My goal was to do that by July 12th and I think I'm still on track. It's so nice to finally be able to fit into some of my non-maternity clothes!

Weight Watchers has been great. I really don't even feel like I've made that many changes to my diet. I'm just more aware now of what I eat. I decided that I need a weekly splurge, so we still eat out once a week. (I try not to go TOO crazy, but I do use my WW "flex" points.) Because we've been doing that, I haven't lost weight as quickly as I might otherwise, but I'm happier. =) And I've still been able to reach my goals. Anyway, if anybody has been thinking about joining WW, I highly recommend it. You have to sign up for the first three months all together, but I think after that you know the diet well enough that you don't have to renew your subscription. You can just keep track of your points in Excel, or even on paper. So it costs about $65 to lose the weight - I think it's worth it. Anyway, if anyone has any questions about it, feel free to contact me. I'm a big fan.

Oh, and I found a new chocolatey snack that I love... S'MORES!!! You can have one whole graham cracker, three squares of a regular-sized Hershey bar, and 2-3 marshmallows (depending on the brand) for 3 points! I roast the marshmallows with a fork over our gas stove and the chocolate gets all melty. Heaven on Earth.

Diet Food?!

Is it weird that I took a picture of our dinner last night? I just thought it looked so yummy and I was so excited to eat it. Grilled salmon with lemon pepper, ripe mango slices, and bulgur wheat salad over lettuce. I know bulgur wheat doesn't sound at all appetizing, but it really is YUMMY! Jason even likes it. So chewy and satisfying. This salad has herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans. Also good with cucumbers and/or olives. The whole plate? 5.5 points.

Fudgy Friends

My goal is to lose 15 pounds by July 12th. This means that I will have lost all of my baby weight by the time Brooklyn is 9 months old. (I figure it took me 9 months to gain it, so I've given myself 9 months to lose it too!) Since it is still 19 weeks away, I have to lose just under a pound a week to reach my goal. I feel like this is totally doable, but it won't happen on its own. I've only lost about 7 pounds total since the day she was born. So, to kick it up a notch, I have recently joined Weight Watchers' online program. I have used Weight Watchers before and really liked it. Plus, my job reimburses up to $150 of Weight Watchers' fees a year, so why not take advantage?

Why am I sharing such a private goal in such a public forum, you ask? Simple. When I try to lose weight but don't tell anyone, there are no repercussions when I fail. This is a matter of accountability. When I know that other people will be aware of my possible failure, I am much more likely to stick to my plan. So anyway, feel free to ask me how I'm doing at any point over the next 19 weeks. It'll keep me on my toes and on my diet. =)

One of the downfalls of all dieting women everywhere (I'm sure) is that life lacks a certain "fudginess" when you're on a diet. There is no good substitution for quality chocolate. So I've decided to share a few of my Weight Watchers-friendly solutions for that fudgy fix. I will start with the most unusual that we just discovered last night:

1) The Diet Soda Cake. Apparently you can take a 12 oz. can of diet soda (any flavor) and add it to any cake mix instead of oil and eggs, thus eliminating tons of fat. I have tried substituting applesauce for oil before, but this not only adds calories and still requires the use of eggs, it is too spongy and not very chocolatey. Last night I made a Devil's Food Cake with a can of diet Cherry Coke. I chopped up about 2 Tbsp. of chocolate chips and added those too for good measure. The result was a big slice (1/12 of a 9x13 pan) of warm, decadent, chocolatey heaven with a slight tinge of cherry. It seriously was very yummy and only 3 points! We had it with fat free Cool Whip on top, but I think I decided I'm a purist and won't do that next time. Next time I'm also going to try a can of diet Orange Sunkist instead of the Cherry Coke.

2) Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis. These are seriously SO yummy and SO fudgy. And all you have to do is add a little water and stick them in the microwave. They're ready in about 2 minutes flat. They are also only 3 points and come in 3 flavors. The problem is that they are about $2.50 for a package of 2 so they're quite pricey but possibly worth it in a moment of need. My diet soda cake cost a total of 80 cents for the whole thing. (I will have to share my grocery tricks with you sometime, I've gotten some really good deals.)

3) Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches. At only 2 points each, these babies taste like the real thing to me. There is also a nice-sized Healthy Choice fudge bar out there for 1 point, but I find that the Skinny Cow chocolate is more intense and, therefore, more satisfying. You can get them both at Costco, making them about 50 cents each.

4) Hershey's Kisses. Nutritional information on these varies because there are so many different flavors, but that's also what makes them fun! My favorites are the Mint Truffle and Cherry Cordial varieties. Delicious! 2 of these = 1 point. That might seem a little high, but they certainly pack a chocolate punch!

5) Cadbury Orange Creme Eggs. This is a recent discovery that the Weight Watchers website actually condemns. I, however, am in love. I've always been a fan of the original Creme eggs and look forward to them every Easter. This year, with the addition of the orange variety, I have become a lifetime convert. These little guys are 3 points each and may appear too small to be worth it. For me, there is nothing like straight chocolate sometimes and Cadbury has figured out the formula. The trick is to savor them. One egg usually lasts me about 15 minutes. I lick the top of it until I get down to the creamy center. Then, I break off small pieces of the shell and dip them into the cream, letting each little morsel melt in my mouth. I feel so indulgent and satisfied after eating one of these... and lately I've had one almost every day! Being seasonal, these are also quite pricey. (about 65 cents each) My plan is to go to the store first thing Monday morning (day after Easter) and buy ALL of the rest of their stock at 50% off. That way, I'll have a stash! (PLEASE don't get there before me!)

6) Three Musketeers Minis. I like the mini ones better than the fun size because there is more chocolate on the outside! 2 of these = 1 point. I also really like the mint ones, but those aren't as chocolatey because the mint flavor is so strong.

7) Chocolate Twizzlers. I have to admit I was suspicious of these at first. Chocolate licorice? Ew! But they are surprisingly good and surprisingly chocolately. And they have that classic Twizzlers texture we all know and love. You can have 5 for 3 points. This one is good if you're looking for quantity over quality.

8) Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper. This one is strangely chocolatey. Seriously, it tastes like a Tootsie Roll in a can. (Ooh... Tootsie Rolls might also be a good fix, I'll have to look into that one.) Best of all, it's 0 points!

Well, I hope you don't all think I'm insane now. Or addicted. I just like reading other people's ideas/solutions to things so I thought I'd share! One suggestion I have is that if you get something like a bag of kisses, take it home and IMMEDIATELY divide it out into single portions in ziploc snack bags. If I don't do this, I'll sneak them throughout the whole day and end up eating a lot more of them. Oh, and if you noticed that this blog was posted at 4:45 AM, that's because I've got a horrible sore throat and can't sleep. YUCK!!