I tried something new for breakfast. I have a love/hate relationship with oatmeal. I would love to love it because I know it is good for me, but I hate the texture. I also hate that, to make it taste good, I have to add a bunch of extras (toppings, milk, fruit) which puts it way up the POINT (calorie) scale. But, I'm willing to revisit it every once in a while. I came across a recipe for overnight oatmeal in The Perfect Recipe for Eating Great and Losing Weight. All you do is mix oats with milk and dried fruit, put it in the fridge overnight and in the morning, you have "instant oatmeal". You can eat it cold, but I nuked mine for a minute so it was warm. My mix was 1 c. oats, 1 c. unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze ,1/4 c. dried cranberries and a pinch of salt. This made 2 servings at 4 POINTS each... for a measly little bowl... :(
I have to say that I actually liked it. The texture was not "gluey" at all and the taste was great. For me, the volume eater that I am, this just doesn't cut it for 4 POINTS. Plus, it doesn't stay with me long enough. I was starving by 11:30 a.m.!
Needless to say, lunch was a bit earlier than usual. I had a Health is Wealth Chicken Free Patty on an Ezekiel Bun with 2% cheese, lettuce and dijonnaise. To go with it, I had my usual soy crisps, but an unusual-for-me fruit - papaya! I found this little nugget in my produce store and I decided to give it a try. It has many black seeds in the center which I scooped out; not sure if you can eat them or not - anyone know?? It was sweet and juicy. Another fruit I can add to my rotation! Altogether, a delicious and filling (unlike my breakfast) 9 POINT lunch...
Later, I snacked on a Pumpkin Spice Cupcake with Orange Glaze for 2 POINTS...
Then got some dinner going which included this mystery veg... (*in my best Ben Stein voice* anyone? anyone?)
Well, if you said jicama, you would be right! I really had no idea what to do with it, but thought it might be an interesting addition to my dinner salad tonight. I peeled it and cut it into sticks with my mandoline. It has a different taste than I expected. I guess because it sort of looks like a potato, I was expecting a bland taste, but it has a bit of a sweet bite to it. Interesting. I can't say I loved it, but I would like to play with it in maybe some type of slaw recipe. I think it would be good within that kind of preparation. Anyway, I added it to my Grilled Chili Lime Scallops Salad with Guacamole dressing. I seasoned sea scallops with chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and a squeeze of lime, then grilled them for about 4 min. per side. I arranged them over a mixed salad with red pepper strips and jicama sticks. Then topped with guacamole dressing that I made using 1/4 c. prepared guacamole (I buy Trader Joe's guac) thinned out with a little fresh lime juice and skim milk. I also had a cornbread muffin to go with it. A nice "beat the heat" 8 POINT dinner...
I ended the night with bites of this and that, which included Cheez Its, a couple chocolates and licks of Cookies and Cream Ice Cream! UGH! A way over POINT day, but I did make sure to get in a 45 minute weighted elliptical workout with 20 tricep dips and 30 wall pushups.
Next goal - make better choices!
Have a great day!!!
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12 comments:
Another idea for breakfast is to put the oats, yogurt, blueberries/strawberries or any other fruit, and nuts in the fridge the night before and it's awesome!
I need to give a papaya another chance. But I remember last summer when I tried it, I wasn't a big fan. :( But it looks soo vibrant! LOL
The papaya looks awesome. Think I'll check 'em out at my produce store. Thanks for the idea.
okay now you have me super interested in papaya
I love oatmeal. Sometimes, I make a big pot, eat some for breakfast and the rest for a snack or lunch. I havn't tried preparing it the night before though. I will have to try that.
Jimica - I had it for the first time in Mexico. They had it served in a salad with cucumber. They also sprinkle a seasoning salt on it. You're salad looked great!
I don't like papaya at all. It's has a funky taste to me. I'd much rather have a mango.
Papaya- you are correct. The seeds are inedible.Papayas not only taste good, but are a great natural remedy for acid reflux problems !
Jicama goes well in tossed salads, as well as in addition to any cole slaw recipe or broccoli slaw recipe. It also makes an interesting addition to already made salsa. You will want to use it within 3 days once you cut into it. The sugar content makes it turn brown quickly in the fridge. My favorite use for this one is just julianned in a tossed salad.
Your food always looks so pretty! I love jicama. I saw papaya in the grocery store a few days ago and found myself wondering if I should try it. Your post confirms to me that I should.
spunkysuzi - that sounds good!
Sharon, fatty McButter Pants, princessvalecia, MoraPiggy, Vickie-
this was a "red flesh" papaya - don't know if that makes a difference taste-wise. Can't hurt to give it a try =)
The Incredible Shrinking Family - thank you so much for such great info!
Mmmmm...pumpkin cupcakes. Me likey.
I am the same way with oatmeal. I know I should have it daily because of my cholesterol and other benefits but I HATE the texture and it takes so much to make it taste good. I may try spunkysuzi's idea.
I'm glad you posted the jicama because I've always wondered what it was. It is a soft texture though? I wonder if you could make baked "french fries" with it? I tried sweet potatoes and my kids hated them.
I made the oatmeal breakfast cookies and instead of dates, I used dried cranberries that were orange flavored. It was really good. Thanks for all of the food ideas!
I LOVE Almond Breeze!!! Your salad looks fabulous too - fun that you used a Jicama.
I have a love-hate relationship with oatmeal too, Marisa, but it’s different than yours. I LOVE oatmeal and, being a volume eater like you, I could eat it until I’m ready to burst. Especially with butter and cream. :-0 Yup, that’s where the “hate” part comes in. LOL It’s difficult for me to eat just a standard-size serving. Fortunately I like it without the fatty add-ins almost as much.
I love papayas and use them on salads with grilled chicken and a raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette. The seeds are actually edible but they don’t taste good so most people discard them. They’re very peppery. Like pineapple, papaya enzyme (papain) is very beneficial for digestion.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I loved your comment! :-D
--Susan
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