Night Off

Hey, everyone!! Whew, it's been a crazy fun day (basketball championship, pizza party, playdates) and now, the husband and I are off to a St. Patrick's Day party at a neighbor's house. I'm sure we'll be home late, so I won't be blogging tonight. I'll be back tomorrow night!!!

Hope you're having a great Saturday!!

Feelin Fine Friday

I feel so much better today! Must have been all your well wishes!! My body really fought this cold and didn't let it come out full force thankfully! I even got to stay in bed a little later since the daughters were off from school. Then, I got up and rolling. I had a great strength training session. Today was back and biceps; I worked them pretty hard - my arms were shaking after I was done! I do miss the cardio with this new routine I'm trying. I'm looking forward to 5K Saturday tomorrow! Who knew???!!

Breakfast was a wonderful combo of Ezekiel english muffin (plain ones) topped with PB2 and Smucker's Sugar Free Grape Jam. I have to say that the Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin are much better than the plain which is a bit on the bland side. Both are such hearty muffins and really stay with you; the husband is HOOKED on the Cinnamon Raisin ones! I also had a hard boiled egg white cuz it looked good! A good looking 3 POINT breakfast...


Lunch was a turkey BLT on an Arnold Sandwich Thin. So tasty! Center cut bacon is a bargain; 2 slices are 1 POINT (check the brand - some are more) and add so much flavor. I had a serving of Creamy Ranch Soy Crisps and 1 c. cantaloupe for a delicious 6 POINT lunch...


And I just needed a teensy bit of sweet, so I grabbed 2 Chocolate Macaroons for 1 POINT...

I took little daughter to the library in the afternoon. I LOVE the library! I know, such a dork. I read some books to little daughter, then got a few books for myself. And what do I get??? Yep, cookbooks and diet books!!! It's a horrible obsession. I can't resist new diet books that have recipes in them. I read cookbooks like novels and I wonder why I am preoccupied with food morning, noon and night! I picked up the new Biggest Loser Family Cookbook; looking forward to trying out some recipes:)

Speaking of recipes, I made up a crazy one of my own for dinner! I had 4 beautiful zucchini in my fridge and every time I looked at them, I pictured them stuffed with cheese! I would add cheese to everything if I could!! So, I came up with Breaded Cheese Stuffed Zucchini...

• 4 medium zucchini
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 c. seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
• 4 light string cheese sticks
• 1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1. Cut zucchini in half, leaving stems on. Hollow out the centers with a pairing knife and spoon.
2. Season zucchini with salt and pepper.
3. Dip each zucchini shell into beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs.
4. Cut each cheese stick in half and place one half in each zucchini shell. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs.
5. Spray a baking rack with cooking spray and place over a baking sheet. Place zucchini on baking rack and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 -20 min. or until browned and cheese is melted.
7. Makes 4 servings - 3 POINTS per serving (2 halves). Serve with marinara sauce for additional POINTS.

Before going in the oven...

and after....

These were really tasty! I ate mine dipped in a bit of pizza sauce. Yep, tonight was pizza night! I indulged in a small slice along with my stuffed zucchini and a bit of salad with Kraft Light Three Cheese dressing. A yummy 9 POINT dinner...

After a serious game of Connect Four with little daughter, I had dessert...

another sweet Banana Cream Pie! This time I used some ground up Trader Joe's Holiday Ginger Cookies for the crust and omitted the butter. I liked this better than the graham crackers! Awesome and only 3 POINTS!

A busy day is on tap tomorrow, so I better get busy on the ZZZ's! Have a great night!

Putzerella

You know how when you're sick, you just don't feel like eating?? Okay, well explain that one to me because I have NO IDEA what that is like!!! I woke up feeling blah with a scratchy throat and yet, could not wait to eat my breakfast! I would need full blown bubonic plague to not be able to eat and that might not even do it!!



I gave my body its fuel; a delicious Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin with 1 tbsp. lite cream cheese (and a huge cup of green tea!) for 3 POINTS...





Then, I putzed. Cleaned a couple things here and there, did a load of laundry and putzed some more. I didn't have much energy for anything. It was such a nice bright sunny day and for a second, I thought I might go for a run. I quickly decided against it - too taxing for my body in my weakened state ;) But, the need to exercise was looming over me so I popped in the Shred! Whew, I DO NOT miss Jillian ;) Still rough as ever, although I can rock a push-up now!



Soup was on the menu for lunch today. I had planned to make this Stuffed Pepper Soup yesterday, but never got around to it. It's a tasty soup; actually reminds me a lot of chili without the beans. I think I may morph it into a chili by adding some beans and chili spices to it next time I eat it. Here's what you'll need to make it...

• 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef
• 1 c. finely chopped onion
• 1 c. chopped green pepper
• 1 (14oz. can) diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz. can) tomato sauce
• 1 c. fat free beef broth
• 3 c. water
• 1 c. cooked brown rice
• 1/2 tsp. chopped basil
• 1/2 tsp. chopped dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

1. Brown beef with onion in a large pot sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Add in remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 30 min.
3. Makes 6 servings - 3 POINTS per serving.

Along with my soup, I had a Golden Corn Vitatop and cantaloupe slices for 5 POINTS...

I was missing some crunch though, so I had a serving of TJ's Sour Cream and Onion Rice Chips for another 2 POINTS...

Then, more putzing. I actually got back in bed and soaked in the sun coming into my bedroom. Reminded me of 'the good ol days', when I was young and barely did anything, but still took naps on the weekend! *singing* Memories.......of the way we were...... Gotta love Babs:)

Back to my usual snack of Weight Watchers Yogurt topped with a serving of TJ's long name cereal for 2 POINTS...

I finally got my rear in gear to take little daughter to dance. I had planned on breakfast for dinner for the husband and daughters. There were squeals of delight, which I don't get because they just had breakfast for breakfast so what is the big deal??? But, it's easy for me, so I won't complain:) I wanted Spinach Artichoke Dip. Appetizer for dinner? I guess I'm just as bad!! So, I whipped up this dip for dipner (hehe)...

• 2 tbsp. minced red onion
• 7 oz. bag baby spinach
• 3/4 c. chopped artichoke hearts (not marinated)
• 4 wedges Laughing Cow Light Cheese
• 2 tsp. Hidden Valley Ranch dry dip mix (packet)
• 4 tsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp fat free sour cream
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

1. Saute onion in nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add artichoke hearts.
2. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Stir in sour cream and dry dip mix until heated through.
3. Take off heat and add in lemon juice.
4. Makes 4 (1/3 c.)servings - 2 POINTS

I used the dip to top a Kim's Light Bagel and had a side of carrots and a Fuji apple for a great 5 POINT dinner...

And for dessert....Banana Cream Pie! Oh yeah! I whirred one whole graham cracker sheet in a mini processor until finely crumbled, added in 2 tsp. melted light butter, pressed the cracker mixture into a small ramekin to form an even crust. Then, added 1/2 c. Jello Banana Cream Sugar Free Fat Free Pudding (made from the box) and topped it with 2 tbsp. fat free Reddi Whip. A yummy 3 POINTS....

Well, it was a day of accomplishing nothing around here. I was Putzerella. But, I am feeling better; I think I killed the cold with B-12 and Vitamin C :) Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, too!!!

One more thing before I go....

I got a Blog Award!!! What a surprise! I have no speech planned, DARN! My BWWF (Best Weight Watcher Forever!) Heather - the ww chick sent me this cool award! Thanks, Heather - you are so awesome and my IDOL!!! I'll continue the blog award love and send this off to Angie of Angie All The Way. She has lost an amazing 130 lbs., is a team leader for the Biggest Loser Blog Edition and has a wonderful inspirational blog!

Have a great night everyone!

Putzerella...out :)

Yucko

That is how I am feeling. I am coming down with a cold and I feel like do-do, so please excuse my mundanity tonight. I'm just not feelin it. So here's the lowdown on the chowdown...

Breakfast went completely down the drain. Literally. I made this wonderful bowl of TJ's High Fiber O's with strawberries and unsweetened vanilla almond breeze for 3 POINTS...

I started eating it and cleaning like a maniac at the same time because the husband had some business execs coming to the house for a meeting. It was multitasking at its finest; a spoon in one hand and a toilet brush in the other! I walked over to the table to take another spoonful and it was gone! The husband had walked by the table and thought it was cereal left from the daughters' breakfast, so he dumped it down the sink drain! UGH!!!! He got the MAJOR STINK EYE from me !]

I ordered sandwiches for the meeting at lunch. There was a half turkey left, so I made that my lunch. With REAL KETTLE CHIPS!!! What I am doing????!!!!!


I have no idea what possessed me. I was starting to feel crappy and I just didn't care what I was eating. I didn't even count it which started an afternoon of "who gives a crap"!!! I ate cheese, chocolate and cookies. The 3 C's! As you can imagine, this made me feel soooooooo much better. NOT! I swear the sugar rush made me feel more achy and lethargic.

I wrangled it in for dinner. I made chicken brown rice soup. This was actually a doctored up tortilla soup mix that just needs water. I think the brand is Bear Creek. I would not buy this again because it is FULLY LOADED with an exorbitant amount of sodium - 870 mg. per serving - yikes!!! I added some leftover chicken and cooked brown rice to it to bulk it up. It was tasty and hit the spot for my chills and sore throat. I served it with cheese toast. I think this was a 9 POINT dinner...

And because I needed something cool to soothe my throat afterward, I had one of these...

These are a great 2 POINT treat...

Okay, I'm gettin in my jammies and cuddling up with a good book. Nite =)

Big Eats!

Morning is no fun! I'm still having a hard time getting up at 6 a.m. in the dark. When I get big daughter off to school, I just want to crawl back into bed. As a matter of fact, big daughter asked me what I do after I drop her at the bus stop and I told her that I go exercise. She said she would go back to bed if she were me! I just love her so much!!! Some mornings I wish I could :) But, the princess life is not for me, so I headed to the elliptical. About 5 minutes into it, I realized something felt different. Whoops, I forgot to put on my sports bra! The girls were dancing up a storm, free to fly this way and that with nothing holding them back! Shear laziness and fear that I may not return to the frigid basement kept me from running up and retrieving the proper attire needed for bouncing. It was an interesting workout for sure:)



Then, it was time for a hearty breakfast of Ezekiel Sprouted Grain English Muffin (I bought the plain flavor in addition to the Cinnamon Raisin) topped with a wedge of Laughing Cow Light and a Yerba Mate Latte for a great 3 POINT breakfast...








I met up with Mom and Gram to do some shopping for Gram's new apartment. We made a mid-shop pit stop at Panera Bread for lunch. I went with the "you pick two" of black bean soup, a half Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich and an apple. I realized when I got there that I forgot my camera! Bad Food Blogger!!!! So here's some tiny pics that I gleaned from the internet...



The black bean soup is a standard for me (I love it!), but the Mediterranean was new to me and absolutely yum! It was a sandwich made with peppadew peppers, lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumbers, feta and cilantro hummus. It was a big, flavorful lunch for 10 POINTS!





This big lunch kept me full for the rest of the afternoon, although I did have a few real kettle chips when the daughters came home. Then I got to work making some marinara sauce for tonight's dinner: stuffed shells! I decided to indulge in some for dinner, too. I had 3 shells and a big salad with olive oil, vinegar and topped with some chick peas. I also had a whole wheat roll to round out this 9 POINT dinner...

The big finish was a 1/2 c. serving of Turkey Hill Chocolate Marshmallow Frozen Yogurt for 2 POINTS...

And now for the Biggest Loser!!!!! See you all tomorrow!

Short And Sweets!!

I'm gonna try to make this a quick post tonight; I promised the husband I would cut out early and so we can spend some time together. I am really tired, too. I can't believe how the time change has thrown me off; I mean, it's only an HOUR, what's the deal??!!! Anyway, here I am already rambling!! I have some new food finds to tell you about, so let's get to it!

The weather was beautiful today, so I decided, in addition to my strength training today, I wanted to go for an outdoor run. I normally don't eat breakfast before I work out, but I was hungry this morning, so I grabbed what I thought wouldn't be too heavy in my stomach: turkey slices and a lite string cheese. A nice protein start to the day for 2 POINTS...


I enjoyed my 30 min. run, then headed straight to the supermarket. I had an apple with me, too just in case I got hungry, but my little protein breakfast lasted all the way to lunch!

I was looking forward to tofu for lunch again! I decided to make a tofu scramble burrito. I crumbled and "browned" 1/2 block Nasoya Lite Tofu ,added a bit of chopped red and green peppers, a few tbsp. leftover bruschetta and a slice of 2% cheese. Isn't it purty...

When it was heated through, I rolled it up in a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Tortilla. I had a side of carrots and a serving of TJ's Sour Cream and Onion Rice Chips. A filling 6 POINT lunch...

Now for some goodies!!! I picked these up at the supermarket today...

They caught my eye and when I looked at the nutrition label, I knew they were coming home with me! These Manischewitz Chocolate Macaroons may be a seasonal item. They were on an end cap with other Passover/kosher foods. I have never noticed them otherwise, but I haven't really looked for Kosher foods in a long time- little daughter used to have a severe milk protein allergy and could not eat any dairy foods, so during that time, Kosher foods were my saving grace (and hers)!! Anyway, 2 macaroons are 90 cal., 4 gr. fat and 4 gr. fiber which comes to 1 POINT!! I couldn't wait to dig into these! They are really moist and delicious. They are little guys, but are flavorful and satisfying. I had 2 macaroons with a warm Yerba Mate Latte...

This tea was another find today! It was on the clearance aisle in my supermarket, so I'm not sure if it will be a discontinued item. I have had this brand of Yerba Mate before but not this flavor. I know they still sell the original flavor at Trader Joe's. I have to say that this Chai Spice Mate had a nice flavor to it. The neat thing about Yerba Mate is you can make lattes with it; it actually enhances the flavor. I made my Yerba Mate Latte with unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze and a bit of Splenda. Fantastic and free......

Dinner was an Asian pork tenderloin. I marinated the pork in teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, honey, garlic and green onion, then baked it all in the oven. To go with it, I made fried brown rice. I tried a new way of making brown rice and it came out amazing!!! Instead of using the traditional 2 to 1 ratio of making rice, I boiled it like pasta!!! Sounds strange, but it works like a charm! My brown rice has always come out kind of mushy or weird texture-wise, so I researched and came up with this method. I took 2 cups of brown rice, rinsed it and then added it to a large pot of boiling water and stirred. I boiled the rice(no lid) for 30 minutes then drained it and placed it back in the pot(off the heat) and put a lid on to steam it for 10 more minutes. It was perfectly fluffy and delicious! I mixed some of the cooked rice with green onion, peas, 2 scrambled eggs, soy sauce and "fried" it in a bit of oil. Delish!

I had 1 c. of fried rice and 3 oz. pork for 9 POINTS...

And last, but not least, I got this yummy treat today, too...

Chocolate Marshmallow Frozen Yogurt!!!!!! How bad can that be??!!! This fat free froyo is only 110 cal, o gr. fat and 1 gr. fiber for 1/2 c. serving which comes to 2 POINTS. It even contains active yogurt cultures and has 20% Calcium and 20% Vitamin D. I knew dessert was good for me ;) Look at the yummy whipped marshmallow...

Those are my "sugar and spice" food finds for you!! Hope you had a sweet Monday =)

Behind The Times

I feel a bit messed up from the time change. I got a late start this morning since it is now dark again. I never feel like getting out of bed when it's like that! I did some things around the house and read a little and before I knew it, it was almost 11 a.m.! Time for breakfast! I wanted another one of the grocery goodies my Mom brought me...







Another low POINT bagel! These are called Kim's Light Bagels . They are made by a woman named Kim Bensen who has lost over 200 lbs. on the Weight Watchers Program. Her story is so inspiring and her bagels are delicious! My Mom picked me up the Everything flavor which is 110 cal., 1.5 gr. fat and 4 gr. fiber which is 2 POINTS. She does make other flavors that are only 1 POINT, too. I had mine toasted and topped with 1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge and a sliced orange for 4 POINTS...

For lunch, I made a veggie tofu scramble. Don't say, "eeewwww"! It was really good! I made good use of leftover veggies, too. I took a 1/2 block of Nasoya Lite Tofu , crumbled and sauteed it in a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray. To that, I added some leftover chopped grilled zucchini and leftover roasted potato, peppers and onions. When everything was heated through, I mixed in a slice of 2% cheese until it was all melty. Sooooo veggie-licious for 4 POINTS...

If you're scared of tofu, try it in a scramble. It takes on the consistency of a scrambled egg and really doesn't have much flavor on it's own, so it takes on the flavor of whatever you season it with. A few years ago when I "dabbled" in vegetarianism, I had tofu scrambles all the time for breakfast or lunch. It really is yummy!

I fit in another favorite snack this afternoon: Weight Watchers Strawberry yogurt and THAT Trader Joe's cereal for 2 POINTS...

I finally got around to doing my exercise. Instead of another 5K, I hit the basement for a pumpin 35 min. on the elliptical while reading, Intuitive Eating. I began reading this book a few weeks ago and I have been enlightened by the principles in this book. So eye-opening! My sister from another mister, Angie is currently reading this book also and has been doing some great recaps and self-discovery posts. Check it out; it's so interesting!

Dinner was a family favorite: Philly Cheesesteaks! I made some homemade baked fries ( I love my mandoline!!) and a big salad with Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch to go with it. A yum-o 9 POINT din din...

After dinner, I "un-intuitively" (it's a word now!) ate 2 Hershey's kisses and another small chocolate that I, um, "forgot" to take a picture of ;D. So, to finish out my dessert, I had some tea and a Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookie ( 1 POINT)...

Not too shabby, today. I feel a little off kilter with the time change, but I like that it is light longer in the evening! I'm off to catch up on that whopping hour of sleep that I lost; hey, every bit counts right?! Have a great night and good zzzz's!!