Happy Thanksgiving

I would like to wish everyone a healthy, happy and safe Thanksgiving. Getting together with family and friends always brings joy to my day. I will miss doing all the food preparation and my family this year but I'm so thankful to be able to join in the Walk for Food 5-k in Chico on Thursday morning then come back to Paradise and share a wonderful meal and football  with Roger, Frankie and Griswald.

                                                     Our Thanksgiving Menu
Smoked Turkey
Baked Sweet Potato                                     Everything on our menu is a Simply Filling Food
Seven Layer Salad                                         except the Cheesecake Shooters
Cranberry Relish
Pumpkin Cheesecake Shooters

           Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

The meeting of Thursday November 8th was a turning point in the unhealthy food choices I've been making. The Simply Filling Plan was just what I need to get myself motivated and back on track. It really brought back the excitement I had when I first joined WW and I really needed something to get me going again. Below are a few days of my food choices for last week. I felt more energized, aware of my hunger in my body instead of letting my emotions take control of my choices. I'd like to say everyday will be this perfect but the reality is life happens and I won't always make such good food choices. But I now I have Points Plus and Simply Filling to choose from. The * is the symbol I used for Power Foods as I can't make a green triangle. Where there is a PP listed I took those Points from my 49 extra points .

Thursday November 8

Snack after weigh in

Banana                                                                                 * 

Breakfast

1/2 cup dry Oatmeal made with water                                 *

1 Cup frozen mixed Berries                                                  *

Fat Free Milk 1 Cup                                                             *

     Coffee                                                                                  0PP

Snack

Apple                                                                                    *

Lunch

Subway Salad with Lettuce, onion, bell pepper,                    * 

cucumber, jalapeno, peppercines,  pickles, tomato,  turkey * 

2 Tbsp. Tortilla Strips                                                        1PP

Fat Free Ranch Dressing                                                       *

Snack

Yoplait Yogurt                                                                      *

Dinner

Chicken Casserole (recipe below)                                          5PP

Cauliflower Broccoli Salad  (recipe below)                         *

Snack 

Popcorn                                                                                *

Apple                                                                                    *

Total PP used today 6

 

Saturday November 10

Breakfast

1 Egg                                                                                            *

Ham 2 oz.                                                                                      * 

English Muffin Wheat                                                                  *

Orange                                                                                          *

Sugar Free Strawberry Jam 2 tsp.                                            0PP

Milk Fat Free 1 cup                                                                      *

Snack

Popcorn                                                                                        *

Apple                                                                                           *

Lunch

Kim's Dump Chicken Tortilla Soup 1 serving                            *

Tortilla Strips                                                                             1 PP

Fat Free Greek yogurt 1 Tbsp                                                         *

       Cilantro                                                                                          *      

Dinner 

Smoked Chicken Breast 4 oz.                                                          *

Cauliflower Broccoli Salad ( recipe already in blog)                      *

Snack

Apple                                                                                                *

String Cheese                                                                             2 PP 

 

Total PP used today 3PP

 

       Below are pictures of the meals I eat these two days.                    

 

 

Oatmeal with Fruit, Milk, and coffee

Subway Salad






Chicken Casserole and Cauliflower Broccoli Salad




Eggs, Ham, English Muffin, Orange, Milk

 

 

Kim's Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

Some recipes I was asked to share again and some new ones. 

 

Kim's Chicken Tortilla  Soup 

12 servings---1 cup=4 Point Plus(with tortilla strips= 5 PP)

 

2 cans black beans rinsed

2 cans corn

2 cans tomatoes with peppers (Rotel)

2 cups Chicken

2 cans Chicken Broth

1 package taco seasoning

Dump everything into a pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. I add fresh squeezed lime, tortilla strips and cilantro on top when served.

 

 

 

 

Cauliflower Broccoli Raisin Salad ( I love this salad)

2 1/2 cup cauliflower chopped small
2 1/2 cup broccoli chopped small
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tbsp. Hormel bacon bits
1/2 cup Kraft Free mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 Tbsp. Splenda
Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Cover and chill in fridge for 2 hours. Stir to mix and serve.

2/3 cup = 2 Points Plus

 

If you don't like raisins you can use grapes. I do for Roger and Frankie and it should make the points less.

 

 

3 2 1 Pumpkin Cake =3 PP

I make this in a cereal bowl

3 Tbsp. Angelfood Cake

2 Tbsp. Pumpkin

Pumpkin Pie Spices to taste

2 Tbsp. Water , Mix all together then

1 minute in microwave

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake ShootersSkinnytaste.comServings: 16 • Size: 1 shot glass* • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 2
Calories: 78 • Fat: 4.2 g • Carb: 11.6 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 1 g • Sugar: 7.5 g
Sodium: 16.5 mg


Ingredients:

• 3 (1.5 oz total) whole chocolate graham crackers
• 4 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp dark brown sugar, unpacked
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 8 oz light whipped topping (I used Truwhip light)

Directions:

Crush graham crackers in a food processor. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat until well combined and creamy. Use a spatula to fold in 5 oz (1-1/2 cups) of the whipped topping; combine until no streaks remain. Place in a piping bag or ziplock bag with a corner snipped off.

To assemble: Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs on the bottom of each shot glass. Pipe a layer of pumpkin cheesecake onto the graham cracker crust (about 1 tbsp) followed by a layer of whipped topping. Repeat a second layer and finish with another sprinkle of crumbs. Insert small spoons and refrigerator until ready to serve.
copied from: skinnytaste.com


I adjusted the recipe a bit to make it 1 PP. I used regular graham crackers (that's what I had in the cupboard.) I used fat free cream cheese and fat free cool whip. I shared these with Kim, Jean, Frankie, Margurette and they all thought they were delicious. Hope you all enjoy them as much as we did.

The Best and Worst Breakfasts for Your Health | Yahoo! Health

The Best and Worst Breakfasts for Your Health | Yahoo! Health

For everyone who dosn't eat breakfast this is a must read.

Starting Over or Just Continuing the Journey?

It has taken me since Thursday to get this written. I wasn't sure what I wanted to share and how honest I should be. I have been playing at losing weight these last few months. Oh, I've been doing the activity I need to do but I sure haven't been real honest with myself about why I am NOT losing weight. I used my trip as an excuse, really!!!!

I know I need to get back the excitement I felt when I lost those first few pounds two years ago. I would never have considered eating 3 or 4 pieces of pizza or a whole sleeve of graham crackers or a large bag of potato chips. I have been allowing old habits to take over the new habits I have been working so hard to instill into my everyday life. The Thursday meeting was just what I needed to get me excited again.

This week I have chosen to eat Filling Foods and try my hand at Simply Filling  eating. I am finding out I like it so far. I thought I could only eat veggies and fruits. Boy was I wrong. I will be posting this weeks meals next Thursday. I'm not surprised that I am feeling and sleeping better. Most of my bloating is gone and I'm coming out of my food fog. But most of all I'm glad I have come back to what makes me happy. With that being said I recommit myself to what works for me.

One of the things Kim mentioned in the meeting really struck home with me. Journaling my meals is like  keeping and balancing a checkbook. I wouldn't think of overdrawing my checkbook so why do I  think it's okay to overdraw on my 26 points plus I get to spend each day in healthy food choices. I find it amazing how easily I have fallen into the OLD habit of 10 or 15 extra Points a day (aka Ice cream, chips, crackers). I consider myself an intelligent woman who can make such good choices in all other aspects of my life but when it comes to food I truly struggle. Food is and always will be something I struggle with to make better choices but I hope to balance that checkbook better through continued efforts to make better choices. If any of you struggle with this or have been able to over come this please share your ideas. Anything we can share will be of help to someone.

Mary's Chicken Tortilla Soup 4 PP

Thank you Mary for sharing your Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe and the great picture you took. If anyone has a recipe they would like to share please do. Just send it to my email address and I will post it for everyone to enjoy.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup 4 pts PP

 

 Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Author: adapted from Food.com

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 (32 ounce) containers low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Sauté onion, garlic, jalapeño and green pepper with olive oil in a large pot until soft.
2. Add rest of the ingredients to the large pot and bring to a boil.
3. After about 25 minutes, remove the chicken breasts and shred.
4. Return shredded chicken to the pot and simmer an additional 45 minutes.
5. Garnish (if desired) with crushed tortillas, shredded cheese, and sour cream

Notes

Make Ahead and Freezer Instructions This recipe is great for the freezer. Make completely, cool. then portion into freezer containers, and freeze. When ready to eat let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator then warm on stove or in microwave.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/10 of recipe Calories: 191 Fat: 3 Carbohydrates: 17 Fiber: 3 Protein: 23

 

 I was telling Kim about this salad. She said she would like to try it so here it is. It would be really good with turkey on Thanksgiving. I make it at least 3 times a month. So basically it's always in my fridge. Just ask Frankie, I'm always saying you ready for some Cauliflower Broccoli Salad. Roger and Frankie aren't fond of raisins in it so I make theirs with sliced grapes.

                                          Cauliflower Broccoli Raisin Salad ( I love this salad)
2 1/2 cup cauliflower chopped small
2 1/2 cup broccoli chopped small
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tbsp. Hormel bacon bits
1/2 cup Kraft Free mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 Tbsp. Splenda
Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Cover and chill in fridge for 2 hours. Stir to mix and serve. 2/3 cup = 2 Points Plus

Here is a Green Bean recipe that everyone will rave about. Plus it looks really nice on the table.

 

                                    Green Beans and Caramelized Onions

                                              Serves 6- 1 Points Plus

1 tablespoon margarine, or butter
1 1/2 cup(s) onion(s), chopped 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar, balsamic, or red wine vinegar
1/2 ounce(s) pepper(s), red sweet, roasted, drained and finely chopped
1/4 cup(s) olives, pitted, ripe, quartered
2 tablespoon basil, fresh, snipped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, black
1 pounds beans, green, cut into 2-inch lengths

1. In a large heavy skillet heat margarine or butter over medium heat until melted. Cook and stir onion and sugar in margarine or butter about 10 minutes or until the onion is very tender and golden brown. Stir in vinegar. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until liquid evaporates. Stir in the roasted red peppers, olives, basil, salt, and black pepper. Remove skillet from heat; keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the green beans, covered, in a small amount of boiling water about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. To serve, stir caramelized onion into green beans

                        

I'm loving soup right now with the cold weather. Here is one I made last year and thought I would bring back. It's really good and very easy to make.

 

 

                                            Broccoli-Cheese Soup---2 servings= 3 PP each
4 Cup raw Broccoli (chopped)
8 baby Carrots (sliced thin)
2 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 Cup fat free Milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese

Cook broccoli and carrots in chicken broth for 10 minutes on medium. Put 3/4 of the broccoli into your blender and blend till smooth. Add blended broccoli back into pan, add milk, salt, pepper and cook for 10 minutes on med-low. Add cheese , heat till melted. Enjoy


           Haven't tried this one yet but thought it sounded really good. I have the Lentils in the pantry so will have to throw it together this week and let you all know how it is.                     

 

                                     Brown,Black and Green Lentils Soup=3 Points Plus

Makes 4 cups / Prep tips: These will take the same time to cook, or slightly less, than the Chard Braised with Cilantro and Rice. The time required depends on how old your lentils are, how hard you water is, and the altitude where you live. If they’re done after 25 minutes, just turn off the heat and let them wait. They should be tender but still have a little tooth to them.
1 1/2 cups brown, black, or green lentils, rinsed
6 cups water
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 bay leaves
1 carrot, cut into large chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into large chunks
1 teaspoon sea salt
1. Put lentils in a soup pot with 6 cups cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises; then add onion, garlic, bay leaves, carrot, celery, and salt. Simmer, partly covered, until tender but still a little firm, 25–40 minutes. Strain; reserve broth for soup stock. Remove onion, carrot, and celery chunks, garlic, and bay leaves. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
PER SERVING (1/2 cup): 123 cal, 6% fat cal, 1g fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg chol, 8g protein, 23g carb, 6g fiber, 302mg sodium

Pumpkin Cheesecake Shooters and more

I'm back and I'm hitting the road running. I had a wonderful time on my vacation but it's time to get back to healthy cooking and healthy food choices. I'm so glad that I had some habits that stuck with me while I was gone, walking and a good breakfast. Now it's time to get back in the habit of doing what I know best. Journal, measure, exercise, all the things I have learned over the last two years that has gotten me to where  I am. I am so glad you are all a part of my journey. See you next week.

Bon Appetit
Lynda



Todays Inspiration




copied from: sparkpeople.com

Here are two recipes I have made since returning from my trips. They are both keepers. I am looking forward to sharing some new recipes with all of you in the next few weeks. My plan is to share recipes for Thanksgiving dishes. Of course I had to start with dessert. These shooters are amazing. You won't be able to eat just one but with the adjustments I made they are 1 PP each. Another quick idea for a quick pumpkin dessert is to make the 3 2 1 cake with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices . As we pepare for the holidays I hope we can all pitch in and share some healthy recipes. I plan on making this the healthiest Thanksgiving ever. Check in next week and I will be sharing the veggie part of my meal.


Pumpkin Cheesecake ShootersSkinnytaste.comServings: 16 • Size: 1 shot glass* • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 2
Calories: 78 • Fat: 4.2 g • Carb: 11.6 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 1 g • Sugar: 7.5 g
Sodium: 16.5 mg


Ingredients:

• 3 (1.5 oz total) whole chocolate graham crackers
• 4 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp dark brown sugar, unpacked
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 8 oz light whipped topping (I used Truwhip light)

Directions:

Crush graham crackers in a food processor. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat until well combined and creamy. Use a spatula to fold in 5 oz (1-1/2 cups) of the whipped topping; combine until no streaks remain. Place in a piping bag or ziplock bag with a corner snipped off.

To assemble: Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs on the bottom of each shot glass. Pipe a layer of pumpkin cheesecake onto the graham cracker crust (about 1 tbsp) followed by a layer of whipped topping. Repeat a second layer and finish with another sprinkle of crumbs. Insert small spoons and refrigerator until ready to serve.
copied from: skinnytaste.com


I adjusted the recipe a bit to make it 1 PP. I used regular graham crackers (that's what I had in the cupboard.) I used fat free cream cheese and fat free cool whip. I shared these with Kim, Jean, Frankie, Margurette and they all thought they were delicious. Hope you all enjoy them as much as we did.

Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 servings • Size: 1/4th • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6
Calories: 284.1 • Fat: 5.0 g • Carb: 37.6 g • Fiber: 5.5 g • Protein: 22.6 g • Sugar: 2.4 g
Ingredients:

• 1 lb reduced fat, turkey sausage
• 1 lb kale, stems removed, leaves shredded
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups fat free chicken broth
• 3 medium new or red potatoes, peeled diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:
In a large pot, cook sausage over low heat. Turn and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pot and let cool. Cut sausage into slices. Remove fat from pot.
Add oil to pot, add onion and cook on medium until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add broth carrots, and black pepper, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add sausage, potatoes, red pepper flakes and bring back to a simmer. Cook covered for about 4 minutes. Add kale and bring back to a simmer. Cook partially covered until the potatoes and kale are cooked. Adjust salt if needed.

Frankie and Jean were my taste testers for this recipe. They both said they could eat this again soon. I agree, it is very filling and tastes like something you could get in any restaurant only better because it is Points Plus friendly.