Yucky

I know I already established that I feel pudgy, but now I'm adding yucky. Yucky and pudgy. I think it's the weather, which is also yucky. Okay, time to snap out of it!

My lunch was not yucky; it was YUMMY! Yucky weather = soup; soup= sammie. I had a delish grilled cheese, spinach and bacon!! Really easy- just a slice of 2 % cheese, handful of baby spinach and a slice of center cut bacon cooked in the micro (gets a lot of the fat out this way) between 2 slices of light seedless rye -spritzed and grilled. My soup was the Trader Joes Creamy Tomato. My cup runneth over...


I was munchie again today. I have been picking all day. Little bites of this and that; I didn't even keep track. The pudge will continue I guess. In an effort to clamp down on this picking, I decided to have a real snack. I picked popcorn for its volume factor...


Dinner was "heat and eat"again. Remember this dinner?? I had made my own "frozen dinner" with leftovers from the other week. I nuked it and ate it right out of the container! Laaaaazy!

I still feel like eating. I grabbed these Hostess 100 calorie Strawberry Cakes to nibble while I am posting...

Goal for tomorrow -

Do not feel pudgy AND yucky at the same time :1

Work It Off

I feel pudgy today. I didn't say fat, just pudgy. I'm trying to be nicer to myself:) Anyway, I think it's the "guilts" over eating pretzels and Cheez Its before bed last night. It shouldn't be a big deal, I had the weekly points for it, but I know I don't lose well when I dig into those. Plus, I probably used most of them for Thanksgiving. Well, nothing else to do but stay focused on eating properly and work it off on the treadmill!!!

I had to get going quick this morning for an errand, so I'm getting a late start on breakfast and exercise. For breakfast, I toasted a Maple Cornbread Muffin and spritzed it with some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (ICNINB) spray and a tsp. of Smucker's Sugar Free Seedless Strawberry Jam. Mmmm, that was a tasty combo! I also had 1/4 c. nonfat cottage cheese with 1/2 c. crushed pineapple...

Time to get going; I've got a hot date with the treadmill....;D

Thanksgiving Revisited

I was excited for lunch today! I decided to make mini turkey and brie "sandwiches" on maple cornbread muffins at the suggestion of Megan from Megan's Munchies. I liked these cornbread muffins. They were tasty and low point! For my "sandwiches", I split two of the muffins, spread with 1 tsp. each cranberry sauce, layered 2 thin slices of turkey and 1 oz. light brie. Don't they look so cute?? I loved the way these looked, but I wasn't too thrilled with the combination of flavors. I think the cornbread taste overpowered the turkey and brie, so I didn't taste much of that. I really wanted that turkey and brie flavor to come through. I'll try this again on a more neutral flavored bread and I think it will be great. I love the muffins on their own, toasted with some spray butter and/or preserves. This may be my breakfast tomorrow!



Along with my minis, I had a sliced plum and 1 oz. Kettle Baked Potato Chips (haven't seen these in a while, right?? I'm trying to break my chip obsession!)...




My afternoon snack was wine! The husband and I met an out-of-town friend of his for drinks this afternoon. I had a glass of Shiraz and no "pickies" - pretty good, eh?



Dinner was Thanksgiving revisited. I love heat and eat dinners!!! I had a little of everything again, this time I concentrated more on the veg and plain turkey breast. I had uncooked butternut squash leftover from the "yucky Tyler Florence slaw" (sorry, Tyler), so I just microwaved it for about 5 min. and sprayed with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray. Awesome and easy - I will definitely make that again! I also ate the last two spaghetti squash pancakes from the other night - another winner!

A great dinner, again. Unfortunately, it wasn't filling enough. I ended up wanting to munch about an hour after I ate. I caved and had a large handful of pretzel sticks, a handful of Cheez-its (why are these so good??) and a cheese stick!! Ugh. Maybe I should have just had more wine...:(

Don't Forget About "Wheat"

It seems many people eat oatmeal for breakfast, but there's a new guy in town -Cream of Wheat! You may remember this from childhood days; I had this a lot growing up. The daughters like it too, which is nice. I always buy the instant packet variety, but now Cream of Wheat has revamped itself to include more whole grain (which means more fiber) and it's available boxed with a 2 1/2 min. cook time. I cook mine in the micro, so it's still basically "instant" for me! For 3 tbsp. (which doesn't sound like much, but it is a huge serving) it is 100 cal., 0.5 gr. fat and 4 gr. fiber(*if made with water)...





Now, what do you do to make this taste good, you say? You make Warm Pumpkin Pie Cream of Wheat! I adapted this recipe from The Biggest Loser Cookbook...

• 3 tbsp. Cream of Wheat (use the amount of water needed for your choice of preparation -stovetop or micro)
• dash of salt
• 2 packets of Splenda
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 c. pumpkin puree
• 1 small rectangle of graham cracker

Cook Cream of Wheat according to package directions. You can add the spices before cooking. Stir in pumpkin puree at the end and top with crushed graham cracker.

*You can enhance this to your own taste. The original recipe called for the addition of ginger and cloves, but I'm not a lover of too much spice. So, play with this to come up with the flavors that remind you of pumpkin pie. A little vanilla extract would probably be good , also. Next time...

This big serving was a 2 pt. breakfast! This might be kickin oats to the curb... ;)

Veggies and All

I was cleaning up this afternoon, so I decided to have a quick snack to tide me over until dinner. I like these Clif Z Bars. I haven't met a flavor that I didn't like! I chose the blueberry for my snack. It was sweet and satisfying ...I think... I really wolfed it down. That was not an example of "mindful eating"...


Dinnertime was hectic. The in-laws came to visit, the daughters had a friend over and everyone was wanting something different to eat. They decided that raviolis was their dinner of choice, so they got that with some wonderful crusty bread and a salad. I wanted to try and make a "baked potato soup" using some of the leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving. I liked the way this turned out and it couldn't have been easier! I really can't call this a recipe. All I did was use about 1 1/2c. of leftover mashed potatoes (these were lowfat) and add about 1 c. chicken broth and whisk it in a saucepan until heated through. I topped it with 1 oz. 2% cheddar cheese grated, slice of center cut bacon, crumbled and a little chopped scallion. Just like a "loaded" baked potato! It was awesome. I will definitely try this on the husband and daughters for one of our "quick" night dinners. I had some leftover asparagus and broccoli rabe as a side. Veggies all the way!


A nice filling dinner, but I had to end with a sweet. I dug into the Holiday Ginger Cookies - just three - well, and a couple tastes of little daughter's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. It wasn't good AT ALL. Was that convincing??? :p

Holding Strong

The protein from my yogurt this morning really did a good job in holding me until lunch. I was pleasantly surprised about that! Lunch was tough because I do have many leftovers in the fridge but, my in-laws are coming tonight, so I decided to save our leftovers for them. I ended up with soup and a yummy bagel. The soup I have buying lately is actually found in the freezer section of the supermarket! It comes packaged with 2 pouches to a box . I love instant portion control. They have many varieties, but I mainly buy the Minestrone and Vegetable Soups. This minestrone is only 100 cal., 1.5 gr. fat, 4 fiber and 320 mg. sodium (which is relatively low compared to some of the canned guys)...





To go with my soup, I had a Western Alternative Bagel with thinly sliced ham, cranberry honey mustard and Brie. Yes, BRIE!! I love all cheese, but brie is one of my top faves. I was lucky enough to find a light brie. It is only 70 cal. and 4.5 gr. fat for 1 oz.! I spread the cranberry honey mustard on the bagel, layered on the ham and topped it with the brie. I ran it under the broiler to get the cheese all melty. I loved this lunch!!!! Bread and cheese, what's not to like!

So far, I'm holding strong. Not feeling the urge to munch out. We'll see what the rest of the day brings:)

Focused

That is what I am striving for today; to be focused on my healthy eating goals and not let a little overindulgence yesterday take over. I feel ready this morning. Here's how I started out...

• 1/2 c. plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/2 c. crushed pineapple
• slice of pumpkin bread (yes, I still have a few pieces left!)

If you haven't tried greek yogurt, don't be afraid. It is really good; very thick and has tons of protein. I bought the Trader Joe's brand which has 11gr. protein for 1/2c.!

I also did 30 min. on the elliptical and plan on doing the Wii Fit later. I am going to drown myself in water today to combat some of the sodium from yesterday! Hopefully, I won't grow gills... :)

Stuffed Bird

I am stuffed! We had a wonderful dinner at my parents' house. My Mom and Gram really cooked up a storm! This was the first holiday that we did not have pasta!!! The horror! But, it was actually a nice change of pace. We were calling it a Traditional Thanksgiving. My pictures are not doing this food justice, but take my word for it, everything was delish. We had greens beans with garlic and oil, homemade cranberry sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole and butternut squash slaw (a Tyler Florence recipe that I made -I was not a fan of this, Tyler!!)...


and a turkey breast that my Mom stuffed with some amazing stuffing and rolled, plus a plain turkey breast, turkey legs and wings, sicilian olive and pepper salad, pancetta stuffing...


and asparagus, mashed potatoes and gravy!!!! What a spread...

I filled my plate with small amounts of everything, but it sure was a ton of food and I sure ate it all...

Oh no, this would not be the end. We had to have dessert to celebrate my Dad's birthday. He requested pecan pie and my Mom also made a pumpkin caramel cake. I could not decide, so I had both! I have to say that I did not clean my plate of these yummy desserts, so that I can at least be proud of ...

Whew, I could not wait to come home and put my sweatpants on!!! I know that is a bad thing. I'm hoping that tomorrow I will not feel triggered to start an eating frenzy. That is a slippery slope I am not wanting to sled down. I am so stuffed I might start an avalanche...:) Hope everyone had a happy, healthy day!

Gobble, Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!! What a great holiday that's all about food and giving thanks! I have soooooo many things to be thankful for in my life and I try to give thanks on a daily basis for many of them. Today, I can add that I am thankful for the opportunity to start this blog to help me in my continued journey of weight loss and maintenance. The response I have gotten from family and friends with respect to this blog has been so kind and I hope to reach many more in the "blogosphere" as I continue to do this! Thanks so much everyone!!



So, this is a day that really focuses on food. How appropriate, since I woke up feeling like I could eat my right arm! Not a good sign considering there will be MUCHO opportunity to eat large quantities of food today. But, I'll do the best I can to eat in moderation. Check back later, I hope I don't have to "eat my words", too! Enough chatter, on to the food. I went for a big, bold breakfast this morning. I made a Breakfast Burrito with 3 egg whites, chopped green pepper, a handful of baby spinach, a slice of 2 % cheese and a few tbsp. of salsa all rolled up in a 1 pt. tortilla. Mmmm, mmmm!

( * sorry, the picture is a little blurred-I have been fooling with the settings on my camera in an effort to take a better picture for you. However, since I am technologically inept, this didn't happen! Try, try again...)

Another Squash Pancake

Tonight for dinner, we had baked chicken drumsticks and potatoes. I cooked it all together in a roasting pan with a little EVOO, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. I baked it for an hour -crispy and delicious. The family ate it all - yeah!! I also had some leftover spaghetti squash in the fridge. I decided to try out Roni's recipe from Green Lite Bites for spaghetti squash pancakes. These were great! I could have eaten the whole batch for my meal! This will now be my "go-to" dish for spaghetti squash. Thanks, Roni!





Well, I have eaten a lot today. But, I always feel like I need something sweet after dinner. I had the points left, so I chose these nice Holiday Ginger Cookies from Trader Joes. They are tasty, not overboard on the ginger and a good "bargain" points-wise. They are only 110 cal., 3.5 gr. fat and 2 gr. fiber for 3 cookies. Great with tea...

Now, if only chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream were that good of a bargain... ;)

A Birthday Celebration

Today, we got together for lunch to celebrate my Dad's birthday. He had decided, after taking the Real Age Test , that he is going by this age since it is 7 yrs. younger than his chronological age! Ok Dad, we'll play along! He does look pretty good, for .........???





Anyway, Dad is awesome and a very busy guy for being "retired". He has 3 part-time businesses, but the one that keeps him the busiest is his "video to DVD" transfer business. He converts videos, slides and pictures to DVD. You can check out his website for more info: http://www.digitalkeepsakeservices.com/. That was my shameless plug for Dad - Happy Birthday, Dad!!!!!



On to the food. We went to Appleby's for lunch today at my request. I knew the Weight Watcher Menu they have would keep me on the straight and narrow. I am feeling a little "chompy" today. I went with the Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Salad which is huge and only 5 pts. Very good for chompyness....

Of course, when you are chompy, a salad does not last long. For my snack,( if I could have the nerve to even call it that since it was filling up my plate), I have been dying to try this greek yogurt from Trader Joes. I had 1/2 c. yogurt with 2 tbsp. homemade pumpkin butter and 1 tbsp. granola. I also had some pretzel sticks and a string cheese. Can you say, "oink, oink"?

I'm thinking this should last me til dinner! We'll see...

More Pumpkin

Whew, I slept so much better last night! I feel like a new person today! So, this great morning calls for pancakes!! Why, pancakes? Because they are energizing and full of nutrition! Now, if you're having flashbacks of needing a nap after eating a towering stack at the IHOP, have no fear! I am giving you my Power Pumpkin Pancakes recipe...

• 3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 c. all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. unpacked brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree
• 3/4 c. fat free milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet until fully incorporated. Let sit for 5 min. Meanwhile heat a large nonstick skillet. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup, pour batter in pan and spread into about a 4" pancake. Cook until small bubbles form and slightly brown, then flip and cook other side until slightly brown. Makes 8 pancakes. 2 pancakes per serving = 3 pts.

I ate these with a little low calorie syrup (but honestly, they were great plain, too) and 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce with a dash of cinnamon. These were no wimpy pancakes...

Hey, did you know that just 1/2c. of pumpkin puree is LOADED with vitamin A (with 80% as Beta Carotene) and also, loaded with fiber! The whole wheat pastry flour is also high in fiber and contains a good amount of iron and some protein!

What a great way to start the day! Even the daughters ate these for breakfast! No, that is not a typo..... :)

Fading Fast

I did not sit down at all this afternoon. I had a lot to do in the house, but I mainly kept going because I knew once I stopped, I'd be done for.

I was too busy and frankly, too full for a snack this afternoon. I spent time making a nice dinner for the family (that I knew they would like- homemade "Spaghetti O's with Mini Meatballs") and made something quick for myself. I had these Salmon Roulettes from Trader Joes in my freezer. I made one with a side of leftover broccoli rabe. It was just right for me tonight...



I was still feeling full, well maybe, satisfied is the right word. Buuuut, I couldn't let Pumpkin Day go without a pumpkin ending. So, I had another piece of Whole Grain Pumpkin Bread. Are you tired of seeing this????

Unfortunately, I'm not tired of eating it! But, I am definitely just plain tired... nite:)

Pumpkin Continued

I had some errands on tap for today, but we got out of the house later than I had planned. I decided to have an early snack and a later lunch. I ran out of the Kashi TLC Pumpkin Spice Flax Granola Bars(it would have went great with my pumpkin theme today) so I had Roasted Almond Crunch which is also terrific. These are filling, so I figured I would be okay to wait for a later lunch. I am looking forward to trying out a new salad idea.





I knew the daughters wouldn't be able to wait for a later lunch, so I treated them to clogged arteries at the local Wendy's fast food joint. They haven't had this in many months, so I was proclaimed a rock star today!



When we finally got home, I got to work on my salad idea. I used baby spinach, chopped Golden Delicious apple and 1/4 c. dried cranberries. Then, I made a dressing using my homemade pumpkin butter, 1 tsp. olive oil and 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar. I tossed it all together...

It was really good. I like a sweet salad for a change. This would have been crazy good with some walnuts or pecans and a little goat cheese! Next time. But, you know a girl cannot live on salads alone, so I made a Boca Vegan Burger to go with it. These are super "cheap" in the calorie department - only 70 cal., .5 gr. fat and 4 gr. fiber. That's 1 pt. in WW language...

I put it on an Arnold Sandwich Thin with some lettuce and ketchup. I was one stuffed squash after all this. Aren't I corny? It's the lack of sleep ...

Off to take a nap. Yeah, in my dreams.... :)

Rise & Shine, It's Pumpkin Time

I did NOT want to get up this morning. I had a bad night sleep and felt fatigued. I was in no mood to workout either, but I figured I would get started and do what I could do. I ended up doing a good job - 30 min. on the elliptical and 15 min. on the Wii Fit!

Today I thought I would try to incorporate as much pumpkin in my meals as possible since I have so many cans of it. For breakfast I had a piece of Whole Grain Pumpkin Bread (I did put a tbsp. of mini chocolate chips in the batter - so those are the dark spots you see) and 1/3 c. of nonfat cottage cheese with pumpkin butter and a sprinkle of bran cereal...

I really like this bread. I think I will be eating the whole thing. Not all at once. I hope :0

Keeping it warm

My workout was really fun this afternoon. I am addicted to the Wii Fit now! I am surprised at what a good workout it is; there is everything from yoga to aerobics to strength training. I worked out on the elliptical for 20 min., then the Wii Fit for 20 min.! Time flew by.


For lunch, I wanted another warm meal. I got this great new cheese by Cabot...



It has these markings on the side to help you measure so you don't even need to weigh it. Isn't that clever? One oz. is only 60 cal. and 2.5 gr. of fat - 1 pt. on WW...

I used it to make a Chicken, Spinach and Cheese Quesadilla. I added 2 0z. chicken, handful of baby spinach, 1 oz. of this great cheese to a 1 pt. tortilla. I sprayed a nonstick skillet and heated the quesadillas on both sides until brown and cheese melted. I used 2 tbsp. of salsa on the side for dipping. I also had a sliced pear with the Lighthouse Reduced Sugar Caramel Dip which I warmed a little in the microwave. The pear and caramel dip was fabulous! I don't know why I always equate apple with caramel, but now pear is on the list! This was another great 6 pt. lunch...

For dinner, I had planned on making chili with some lean pork chops and black beans. I had a lone uncooked sweet potato and decided to add that in. What a nice combo! Here's the recipe for Pork, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili...

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 12 oz. lean pork chops, cut into small chunks
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 6 oz. sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic with olive oil in a large saucepan until soft. Add pork and spices. Cook for 5 min. Add broth, sweet potato, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 min.

The addition of the cinnamon really makes this dish. There is just a hint of it and it goes perfect with the pork and sweet potatoes. This makes 4 servings. Not huge, but very filling and packed full of nutrition! I added 1 tbsp. of light sour cream to the top and had a zucchini corn cake with it (I had these in the freezer for a while!)...

I ended the night with a big slice of Whole Grain Pumpkin Bread. Just like the banana bread, but I made it with pumpkin instead! Awesome! I will be making lots of pumpkin dishes in the next few days. It is Thanksgiving week, after all! This pumpkin bread came out to the same point value as the banana - 2 pts. a serving! I topped it with some homemade pumpkin butter and a dollop of fat free Cool Whip. Dipped some strawberries in that, too...

Off to put on some warm pjs - nite:)

Crisp Fall Morning

Brrrrr- it's cold this morning. How did it go from 70's to 30's so quickly? I had an early meeting at little daughter's school, so I skipped my workout and breakfast this morning. My stomach was not happy; it was growling during the whole meeting. But, I was determined to tough it out because I had a warm, comforting breakfast in mind for when I got home. I have been wanting to make an apple crisp but fear I will eat the whole thing. Hey, but it's apples at least, right?? So , I settled on making an individual apple crisp and thought it would make a great warm breakfast. Here's what I came up with for my Indie Apple Cranberry Crisp...

• 1 small apple, sliced (I left peel on for extra fiber!)
• 2 tsp. brown sugar (not packed)
• 1 1/2 tbsp. rolled oats
• 1 tsp. light butter (I use Land O Lakes Whipped Light Butter)
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• dash of salt
• 1 tbsp. dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp. nonfat cottage cheese

Put the sliced apple in a small oven safe dish or 6 oz. ramekin. Sprinkle cranberries over apple. In another small bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, salt and rolled oats. Add this over the apples and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Top with cottage cheese and an additional dash of cinnamon.

This was soooo worth the wait and it was only 3 pts.!

You can alway put this together the night before (minus the cottage cheese, of course) and bake while you're getting ready in the morning. Hey, and if you don't want to do the cottage cheese, you can always add a mini scoop of fat free or light vanilla ice cream! Who says you can't have dessert for breakfast???

All ears

I had some broccoli rabe in the refrigerator that needed to be cooked. This is a bit of a process because I wash it, blanche it for 2 minutes to take away some of the bitterness and then saute it with garlic and a tiny bit of EVOO. I have come to love this green. It is a little bitter but very tasty. I like to eat it the best with orecchiette pasta! They are cute little pasta that resemble little ears which is how they got their name. This is a familiar Italian dish often made with sausage also, but I didn't want to go there! Since I did not have a snack this afternoon, I decided to use my points for a nice big pasta dinner! I measured out my serving of pasta, cooked it and mixed it with my broccoli rabe. I used 1 1/2 tbsp. of parmesan cheese to top it off. My plate looked like a restaurant- style serving of pasta, but without all the hideous fat and calories! I really bulked the pasta up with the added broccoli and since I love volumes of food, it was very satisfying to look at and to eat! This was a 10 pt. dinner and worth every bite...



I was pretty full after this dinner, but I had a little sweet tooth (maybe because the family was eating leftover chocolate cake!), so I made some tea and had these Hostess 100 calorie Strawberry Snack Cakes. Just right....

Cleaned and pressed

Time flew by while I was doing some cleaning up around the kitchen today. My stomach was letting me know it was time to make lunch. I had this idea for a cuban sandwich. It isn't normally the most health conscious sandwich. It is made on a long roll, slathered with butter, layered with ham, swiss cheese and roasted pork. It is topped with sliced pickles and yellow mustard. Then, more butter and pressed down to flatten it out and meld the flavors. I had most of the ingredients to reproduce this "my way." Here's what you'll need for my "Converted Cuban"...

• 1 Amoroso Club Roll or similar club roll
• I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray
• 3 thin slices of ham
• 3 thin slices of turkey
• 1 slice 2% swiss cheese
• few pickle slices
• yellow mustard

Split the roll and spray inside with a little ICBINB spray. On one side of roll, layer ham, turkey and cheese. Add pickle slices and spread remaining side of roll with mustard. Heat a medium nonstick skillet, spray top side of roll with a little ICBINB spray, place sandwich sprayed side down in skillet and press and hold down firmly until bottom is browned. Add spray to top side and flip sandwich over, pressing firmly until browned. * You can also cover sandwich with a flat lid or heavy duty foil and weight it down with a soup can.

This sandwich had great flavors and seemed really sinful. I paired it with some grapes. This delicioso lunch was only 6 pts.! What, no chips you ask? I know, I gotta check my temperature - I must have a fever....

The party's over

The birthday is over and it's time to be back on program. I got the best birthday gift to help me add in some extra exercise - the Wii Fit!!! Oh my gosh, this is so fun. Part of why I'm posting breakfast so late today is I have been trying this out this morning. I wanted to do a more intense workout today to try and counteract what I have been eating the past few days. I ran on the treadill for 20 minutes and switched to the stairclimber for 20 minutes. Then, I popped in the Wii Fit and used that for another 20 min. It was harder than I thought. The hula hooping really gets your heart rate up! That is my favorite of the games so far.



For breakfast, I was craving protein and fruit. I decided to make a Strawberry Breakfast Sundae. Here's what I used...

• 1/2 c. nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp. Smucker's Sugar Free Seedless Strawberry Jam
• 4 strawberries, diced
• 2 tbsp. Fiber One Bran Cereal

Sundaes on Sundays Rock!

Birthday Blowout!!

Wow, I had a birthday feast prepared for me today! It's been a really fun day. I'm pretty tired and I am posting way past my bedtime, so I'll give a quick rundown of my wonderful meal. Warning: these meals may be hazardous to your health!!!

We started off with an appetizer plate of baby pitas filled with hummus, carrots and peppers with dressing, mini bagel dogs and green bean "fries". Mom did her best to provide a healthy option, but the green bean "fries" were irresistable! They are breaded and deep fried - need I say more???

We are Italian, so we always have pasta. There would never be a "special" occassion without it. It would be a sacrilege. We had paparadelle pasta with my Gram's meat sauce. Gram made a whole wheat paparadelle AND regular. I had a bit of both...

Mom made a tomato and mozzarella salad - divine...

Mom also made chicken rolls with proscuitto and fontina cheese (my fav). Gram made her yummy broccoli. My mother-in-law brought an amazing rustic bread. I had EVERYTHING...

Here's a not so clear picture of my awesome family (minus the husband who was taking the picture). That's me on the right, hugging little daughter...

Well, it wouldn't be a birthday without cake, now would it?? I had a thin slice of chocolate buttercream cake and a pumpkin square with cream cheese icing that my mother-in-law made -so yummy...

Boy, and I was worried about some extra pizza??!!! But, I decided to enjoy eating what I wanted in moderation today. It's not an everyday occurrence and frankly, I'm looking forward to eating in my "normal" way. It makes my body and my mind feel good.

This was a great day! I am so thankful for the wonderful family I have and for my good health. It's the only present I'll ever need...

Still eating lunch

My family has a big birthday dinner planned for me tonight. My Mom and Gram are amazing cooks so it will be a spread! Even though there will be plenty of food that I couldn't possibly figure the points for, I am still eating my regular lunch. The general school of thought seems to be if you're going to have a big special meal, you should eat lighter during the day. However, I think that backfires on me and after my damage last night, I am trying to stick close to my normal day for the surrounding meals. Today, I had a Chicken Spinach Salad Stuffed Pita. Wow, that was a mouthful to say and to eat, too! I used 2 oz. chicken, a bunch of baby spinach, sliced tomatoes and 2 tsp. Marie's Light Blue Cheese Dressing. I stuffed it all in a Weight Watchers Pita Pocket -these are only 1 pt. for a regular sized pita! I chose a plum for my fruit and 1 oz. of those great Kettle Baked Potato Chips. These chips are a keeper; even the daughters were grabbing them off my plate and declaring their love for them...





This whole lunch was only 6 pts.! Not too shabby....