Food And Family

It was another early morning. I really wanted to sleep in a bit, but for some reason I am waking up at 6:30 a.m.! I'm still on Florida exercise time. So, it was up and at 'em. I caught up on some blogs, then headed to the treadmill for 5K Saturday. Sadly, I only made it 2 1/2 miles due to an aching ankle. Don't know what's up with that, so I didn't want to push it. I may try again tomorrow if time permits.



After my run, I ventured to the scale for the "after vacation weigh in". I was up .2 lbs. I was completely pissed for a minute. I thought after all that walking, extra morning exercise and basically making healthy choices that I might lose a little. But, after mulling it over, I can't be mad. I didn't journal, count POINTS, drink my regular amount of water and eat my normal portions of food, so I really shouldn't complain or be upset! Just being so close to goal is making me nutty! I want to GET THERE!!!!!! Alright, enough of my boo-hoo-ing; let's GET to the food...



As you can tell lately, I am in love with Ezekiel buns/muffins. While I was in Trader Joe's yesterday, I found this "Ezekiel" knockoff...







The nutritionals are great (click on the picture to see ...)




I toasted up 2 slices and topped it with 1 tbsp. lite cream cheese. Mmmmm! Loved this 3 POINT brekkie...

I spent the rest of the morning making marinara sauce and prepping for dinner this evening. I finally got around to lunch which was another Trader Joe's find...

I never met a canned soup that I loved until this one! It is so delicious and only 2 POINTS per serving...

Along with the soup, I had a tasting plate of carrots, Kashi TLC crackers and a light string cheese for 3 POINTS...

It was such a filling lunch, I made it all the way to dinner without a snack! I am noticing since I have been trying to eat "cleaner" and more of what Weight Watchers calls "filling foods", I have had less cravings for junky things, have a lot more energy and have been sleeping better/more deeply. I really like the way my body is feeling eating this way!

I invited my in-laws over for dinner tonight. I decided to try out a recipe from a Weight Watchers cookbook, Simply the Best Italian. It was Rigatoni with Three Cheeses. I used ziti since I had some on hand and it was delish! Like a mac n cheese, but not as creamy. Everyone liked it! I liked that it was only 5 POINTS!! I doubled the recipe so it served 8. Now I have some leftovers for later in the week. I would definitely make this again, next time with whole wheat pasta...

I also made the family favorite, chicken cutlets...

and Gram's green beans...

Can't forget the rustic Italian bread...

The family table...

My plate...

I also snagged a slice of bread. I tried to resist, but it jumped out of the basket and on to my plate! It landed in the juice from the green beans/tomato, so I had to eat it ;)

For dessert, I made No Pudge Brownies. I seriously love these. They are all natural and taste so rich and fudgy, just like a brownie should! I paired mine with some strawberries and a tbsp. of freshly whipped cream for 4 POINTS...

I ended the night with some coffee and Wii Bowling which I supremely stink at :( Well, I'm off to spend some time with the husband. Have a great night =)

Catch Up

It's been a day of playing catch-up. I woke up at my 6:30 a.m. "Florida exercise time" -ugh! I spent a few minutes blog reading(still not caught up - you all have been so busy!!), then geared up for a workout. It never happened though because the rations were low, so I needed to head out to grocery shop instead. My shopping list was a mile long with veggies and fruits. I am craving them like crazy and would have bought every fruit and veg in the store! Who knew a week of staring at chicken nuggets, fries and hot dogs would cause such PMS-ish cravings!

Along with my produce desires, I was really missing Ezekiel english muffins. Thankfully, I had one lonely Cinnamon Raisin guy left in the freezer. I did a quick toast and topped with 1 tbsp. lite cream cheese for a yummy 3 POINT breakfast before the grocery shopping marathon...


Another item on my list was greek yogurt. The lovely folks at Stonyfield Farm sent me some coupons to try out their Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt (thanks, Kristina!) and I was really looking forward to tasting it. I was able to find 2 flavors of nonfat - Vanilla and Blueberry. I decided to have the Vanilla for lunch today...


This 5.3 oz. container has 110 calories, 0 fat and hello--15 gr. protein!!!! The ingredients are all natural, organic and contain no artificial sweeteners. As I was scooping it into a bowl, I noticed it had a rich and creamy consistency unlike the nonfat yogurt that I usually buy. I topped it with some beautiful strawberries and 1/4 c. Grape Nuts cereal for an "unusual-for -me "4 POINT lunch...

This was so rich and filling! I loved the consistency of the yogurt; even though it was nonfat, it had a "full fat" feel to it. It wasn't very sweet tasting and I didn't pick up much of the Vanilla flavor, so this was a very different yogurt experience from the artificially flavored type that I have become accustomed to. Overall, I really liked it! I am excited to try the Blueberry flavor to see if there is a bit more sweetness to that. I don't normally think of yogurt as a "meal", but this was so filling that I was good to go until way late in the afternoon! Can't say that about my other yogurts :)

After lunch, I headed to Trader Joe's for the remainder of my list. I also got a million and one things that weren't on my list! That store is just impossible to get out of without finding a bunch of yummy new items. One thing that caught my eye was this...

I love Tabbouli! My mom first introduced me to it; she used to make it and I always enjoyed it, especially with pitas! I had 2/3 c. (3 POINTS) for a snack today with TJ's flax and honey flatbreads (1 POINT). So delish...

I finally got everything put away and prepped some veggies just in time to make dinner! No Friday night pizza; the husband and daughters ordered it last night when we got home from the airport, so I made Philly Cheesesteaks and Fries. I decided to make mine into a wrap using a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Tortilla, 1 Landis sliced Beef Sirloin Sandwich Steak, slice 2 % cheese, sauteed mushrooms, onions, a squirt of ketchup and a couple pickles. Instead of regular fries, I nuked a 7 oz. sweet potato for a couple of minutes, then diced and pan-fried them in 1 tsp. olive oil. An awesome 8 POINT dinner...

I did have a couple of chocolate covered almonds for dessert but forgot to take a pic - oops! I am out of practice!!!! A week off will do that to ya!

So glad to be back!

I Am A Warrior

A Disney "warrior", that is!

Hi Everybody!!! I just got back from my family trip to Disney. It was CRAZY!! The husband said we are "born again hard" like a Marine! lol! We knew it wasn't going to be a "relaxing" vacation, but it was a bit much sometimes dealing with the huge crowds that were there and the extreme wait times for some of the attractions. I had brought with me a book, Walt Disney World with Kids 2009, and I have to say that it was my saving grace during the trip. I carried it in my bag to every park that we visited and it was so helpful. There are maps, in depth ride descriptions, "don't miss" lists and it also includes charts with time estimations for speed of lines and duration of shows/rides in addition to everything you wanted to know about dining in Disney. It really helped us navigate through the park and pick which rides/attractions we wanted to see. So worth every bit of the $17.95! I highly recommend it!

As for the dining, well, let's just say that it is very "kid-friendly". There were lots of chicken nuggets, fries and hot dogs. But, surprisingly, there were also many more healthy choices than I had anticipated. I was happy to see salads, whole wheat buns and baguettes and veggie sides. I tried my very best to make as many healthy choices as possible during this trip. I wasn't perfect. I picked on the daughters' fries here and there and did have tastes of this and that, but overall, I stayed on the healthy side. In addition to all the walking we did (generally about 6-7 miles a day according to my pedometer!), I went to the gym every morning and did the elliptical for 30-40 minutes. Pretty good, eh?! The husband was even impressed! He's usually stuck working out by himself on vacation, but now I was waking up at 6:30-7 a.m. and huffin it right along with him! Not sure if the scale will show me some love after all this, but I'm really happy with myself and feel that I was able to enjoy myself on vacation while also keeping my health in mind :)

I'm looking forward to getting back to my "home" routine tomorrow. Most of all, I'm looking forward to getting back to blogging! I have missed it this week. I felt strange not taking pics of my food, but honestly, it would have been near impossible with all that was going on. I can't wait to catch up on all your blogs and see how everyone is doing, too!!!!! Hope everyone has been well and I'll see you for a "back to normal" post tomorrow night!

This Is My Last Night Blogging

But, only until next Thurs.!!! Sorry, you can't get rid of me that easily! I've become addicted to boring the pants off of you all with the food diary of my life! However, we are going to Florida (Disney) on a family vacation and I don't think I will be able to fit in blogging amongst all the craziness. So, I will look forward to catching up with all of your blogs when I get back !

I have a million more things to do to get ready, so I'll make this quick. Breakfast was an open faced omelette using 3 egg whites, 2 slices of canadian bacon, handful of baby spinach and a slice of 2 % cheese for a delicious 3 POINTS...


Even though I had a ton to do, I wanted to make sure I fit in my exercise. I did a 40 weighted (18 lbs.) minutes on the elliptical and 20 tricep dips.

When lunch rolled around, I wanted to make sure to use up some of the leftover chicken. My first thought was Heather's BBQ Chicken Salad. It was so good! I used a little less chicken so, mine came to 6 POINTS...

I also had some Kashi TLC 7 grain crackers for 2 POINTS...

For an afternoon snack, I had a bowl of yummy strawberries (1 POINT)...

While I was sprucing up the house, I did grab a handful of Peanut Butter Puffins, too!

Dinner was easy tonight: hot dogs and whatever veggies left in the fridge! I decided to have a lonely Spinach, Fontina and Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage from the freezer instead of a dog. I sauteed a side of baby spinach and topped with some pine nuts and made a side of "baked tofu fries", too. A tasty 8 POINT dinner...

I felt pretty full, so no big dessert tonight. I actually took out a Vitatop and was ready to defrost it, but then realized it wasn't necessary. I decided to just go with a "taste" of something sweet...

It was perfect! Well, I'm off to finish packing. I have to say that I will really miss blogging and reading all of your wonderful blogs this week! If I have some time, I'll try to check in mid-week, but if not, I look forward to seeing you all on the 9th for a recap of my trip. I'm going to try my very best to make healthy choices while I'm there. Hopefully, there will BE healthy choices! I'm counting on all the walking to be my saving grace!

See you all next week!!!! Stay healthy =)

More Shopping...UGH!

Another day of run, run, run. Unfortunately not how I wanted to run! I actually planned an outdoor run for this morning, but big daughter realized that she forgot an assignment and I had to meet her up at school to sign it. So, I ended up fitting in my run on the treadmill before taking little daughter to school - thanks to the husband who was able to attend to her while I ran. I did a good 40 min. and felt great after!

Once I got everyone set, I headed for the remainder of the shopping escapades. Before I left the house, I grabbed my breakfast to eat in the car -again! I don't love eating on the run, but the Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin with 1 tbsp. lite cream cheese (3 POINTS) made it an enjoyable experience...


I finally sucked it up (more like sucked it IN) and bought myself two bathing suits. One-piece, basic black. No do-dads or patterns to draw attention. Boring, I know :( But, I got one at a major bargain at Target - it was on clearance for $8.74 !!!! Seriously, it's not hideous; it was just on sale!

After recovering from bathing suit shopping, I went to eat!! I met my sisters -in -law and mother-in-law for lunch at Bertucci's Italian Restaurant. The food is really good here, but the rolls are exceptional. They are made with pizza dough and baked in the wood-fired oven. Mmmm! But, I decided NOT to eat them because I knew I would have white rolls with dinner tonight and didn't want to bog down my system with too much junky bread. Wish they made them with whole wheat! Anyway, what I DID eat was a portion of the "table salad"...

Nothing special. Just bogus iceberg with cucumbers, tomatoes and an olive with an Italian vinagrette dressing. I only had a bit, so I counted it as 1 POINT for the dressing. I also ordered the Tuscan Minestrone Soup which was delish! I couldn't find any nutritional information for this anywhere on the internet, so I'm guesstimating it at 5 POINTS...

When the daughters came home from school, I was ready for a snack. I had a fuji apple with 1 tbsp. of homemade almond butter for 3 POINTS...

I did some extra snacking, too. Nothing too extreme- a handful of Peanut Butter Puffins and a handful of reduced fat Cheez-its. I wasn't hungry and I knew the whole time I was snacking that I was just using up some nervous energy. I guess being able to recognize that during the snacking instead of after is a step in the right direction. The next step would be to tell myself to KNOCK IT OFF! Baby steps ;)

Later, I got dinner going. I made mini burgers( or sliders as they are now called )with ground beef. My mom had seen these made on a cooking show by spreading the ground beef evenly on a cookie sheet, baking it whole and then, cutting it into squares to fit on the mini buns. I decided to give it a whirl and it worked out great! It took no time at all; way better than forming a bunch of mini patties! I served these on Pepperidge Farms soft dinner rolls (12 in a pack). For a side, I made Bacon Ranch Coleslaw using a package of coleslaw mix dressed with a mix of 1/4 c. Kraft Light Three Cheese Ranch Dressing, 1/4 c. buttermilk and 4 slices of crumbled center cut bacon. This was a hit with the daughters who NEVER eat regular coleslaw!

I had two mini burgers and 1/2 c. coleslaw for 8 POINTS...

No big dessert tonight since I had the "snack attack". I did indulge in a little bit of dark chocolate...

I needed the antioxidants :)

I'm off to give my attention to the Biggest Loser. I've been watching bits while posting and can I just say Ron needs to GO! UGH!

Have a great night =)

Shopping Escapades

What a day! I have been running around since early this morning. I had to be at big daughter's school by 7:45 for a presentation that she was giving on "Women I Admire" and she chose me! Very sweet and I was very dorky and teary the whole time. I am retaining a copy of the essay and making extra copies, laminating them and wallpapering her room with them when she turns 16. Just as a reminder for when she is banished to her room for saying, I hate you and the classic, You're soooooo mean! Not that I am expecting any of that to happen with her - she is very sweet and will remain so I'm sure. But, you always gotta have backup ;)

Anywho, I brought a Banana Date Breakfast Cookie with me since I knew I wouldn't be coming home for a long time after the presentation. A good portable 2 POINT breakfast...

After the presentation, I headed straight to one of the million stores I had on my list for the day. I needed to shop for summer clothes/bathing suits for the daughters and myself. I don't think I mentioned this yet, but we are going on a family trip to Florida and we all need updated summer things. I am thankful and happy that not many of my clothes fit from last summer. Some shirts are fine, but no bottoms fit. But for some reason, shopping was not a joyous event. I don't know what has happened to me, but I seriously dislike shopping. I KNOW! It's crazy! The only logical explanation I have is that the husband has been hypnotizing me while I sleep, chanting...you hate shopping...don't spend money...shopping is baaaad. If you knew him, you would know this could happen =] In the midst of my shopping torture, I stopped for an apple snack that I had stored in my handbag...

Two pairs of capris, a skirt, a shirt and two bathing suits(not mine) later, I was able to head home for a late lunch. I toasted a Kim's Light Bagel and topped it with baby spinach, roasted peppers and 3 sliced mini mozzarella balls. A side of carrots and a wonderfully ripe plum made up this terrific belated 5 POINT lunch...

A little later, I was feeling hungry, so I decided to have a real deal Larabar...

After making my homemade Larabar, I was interested to see how close they were in taste. I ate 1/2 which is 2 POINTS for the real deal and the homemade. Here's what the real Larabar looks like...

It was terrific and basically identical to the homemade recipe. Now seeing the real Larabar, I realized that I processed the almonds too much when I made it- there should be more chunks than when I made it. Since many of you have asked, here is the link to the recipe I used: http://www.cleaneatingonline.comhttp//www.cleaneatingonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:larabar-recipe&catid=39:snack-recipes&Itemid=59
Awesome stuff!

Dinner was chicken mushroom stroganoff using leftover chicken from last night. I used 3 oz. chicken breast and mixed it with a mushroom thyme sauce that I made from ...
I put the mixture over 2 oz. whole wheat noodles. It was a huge portion...


add a delicious green salad ...

And it was one filling 9 POINT dinner! But, you know, I always save room for dessert even when I go shopping for bathing suits and have scarred my retinas...

I still have no bathing suit :( Can't commit. But, I DO have chocolate marshmallow frozen yogurt :)

Have a great night =)

I'm Really Trying

I'm really trying hard this week. Trying hard to be On Program. Trying hard to eat as many "whole" foods as possible. It's going pretty well which always makes me feel better and more positive that I can get to goal :)

I woke up to a yucko day outside, so no 5K outdoor run. I decided to do some cleaning instead and save my workout for later. I finally got around to breakfast which was another open-faced omelette. This combo was 3 egg whites, 4 thin slices canadian bacon, 1/2 c. leftover chopped broccoli and 1 oz. Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese. A yummy 3 POINTS...



This didn't hold me as long as I thought and I was ready for lunch earlier than I expected. I went with another Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bun topped with 2 tbsp. homemade hummus, roasted peppers and baby spinach. Yum! With it, I had a fuji apple, some carrots and another 1/2 homemade Larabar. A very filling 7 POINT lunch...


After lunch, I did 40 weighted minutes on the elliptical and 20 tricep dips. I've been slacking on the strength training, but I like doing the tricep dips and Lord knows my "Miss America" wave could use the help!

I was getting a little hungry in the late afternoon, so I grabbed some grapes (1 POINT)...

Who IS this person that snacks on grapes in the afternoon???? I don't know, but I'm feeling like it's the right thing to do ;)

The in-laws came for dinner tonight. I decided to make a nice, healthy meal of roasted chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, salad with olive oil, red wine vinegar and a touch of honey. Of course, we had to have some amazing rustic Italian bread. I did well with my portions; about 3 oz. chicken, 3 oz. sweet potatoes, 2 oz. bread and big spoon of salad, all for 9 POINTS...

Everyone started digging into some cookies for dessert. I was planning on just having coffee, but the cookies were tempting, so I brought out the big gun...

Then, everyone wanted MY dessert! But, I'm not sharing. Nope. It's mine. All mine. muwahh haaa haaa!!!! =)

Hope you had a great weekend!