Favorite Recipes

Favorite Recipes

Turkey Enchilada Pie
POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients
1 sprays cooking spray
3/4 pound lean ground turkey (I use Ground Turkey Breast)
1 medium onion(s), chopped
1 tsp chili powder (I use a few tablespoons of Mrs Dash "Hot & Spicy")
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free skim milk (I use Skim Plus)
4 oz canned jalapeno peppers, drained and chopped (see tomatoes below)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I omit)
3 large burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s)
3 cup tomato(es), chopped (I use 2 10oz cans of diced tomatoes with chilis)
10 Tbsp low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (I put all the cheese on top)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Place turkey, onion and chili powder in skillet and cook until turkey is browned, stirring occasionally to break up meat, about 8 minutes. Remove turkey mixture from skillet and set aside.


Place skillet over medium-high heat and add flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium; simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.


Remove skillet from heat; stir in turkey mixture, jalapenos and cumin.


Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on HIGH until softened, about 15 seconds. Place 1 tortilla in bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Spread 1/3 of turkey mixture over tortilla. Spoon 1 cup of tomato on top and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients ending up with 2 tablespoons of cheese.


Cover pie plate with aluminum foil and cook until cheese melts and filling is warmed through, about 15 minutes. Let stand, covered, 2 minutes before cutting into 6 wedges.




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Zero POINTS® Value Slow Cooker Soup
POINTS® Value: 0
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 300 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
10 oz spinach, baby leaves
2 medium carrot(s), chopped
2 medium stalk celery, chopped
1 large onion(s), chopped
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
4 cup vegetable broth
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 piece bay leaf
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker; cover and cook on high power for 5 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir and serve. Yields about 1 cup per serving.


Tangy Spinach Florentine Soup

POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 8 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Fresh spinach gives this soup a gorgeous green color. And the pungent nutmeg packs an alluring, spicy-sweet punch.

Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 small onion(s)
6 oz spinach
1 1/2 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1 cup(s) cooked whole-wheat spaghetti
1 cup(s) cooked chicken breast
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions

* Coat a medium nonstick pot with cooking spray. Add onion and spinach and sauté, stirring frequently, until spinach is limp, about 3 minutes. Add broth.
* Purée mixture in pot using an immersion blender (or pour soup into a blender and purée in batches, being careful not to splatter the hot liquid).
* Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 5 minutes to heat through. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

These are a few of my favorite things......

New items will be posted when found. I am always looking for yummy low point items.



Cal 60
Fat 3g
Fiber 2g
POINTS 1



15 crackers (garden veg)
Cal 120
Fat 4g
Fiber 5g
POINTS 2


VitaTops

1 Muffin Top
Cal 100
Fat 1.5g
Fiber 6g
POINTS 1



Mr. Wheat's Crispy Wheat in Plain, Honey and Sea Salt Flavors

7 crisps (approx 4" circles)
Cal 110
Fat 1g
Fiber 4g
POINTS 1


Arnold Sandwich Thins POINTS = 1


Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Rice Pudding POINTS = 1



Chocolatey Mint Mini Delights POINTS = 2


Marzetti's® Fat Free Ranch Veggie Dip - POINTS = 1 (4T)





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Know Before You Go

Summer is all about fun, sun, friends, and food (at least it is here in my neck of the woods).

I usually find it easier to diet in the fall/winter. It seems like there are fewer get togethers during that time. Or, maybe I should rephrase that......fewer get togethers that I have little or no control over.

In the latter part of the year and early months of the new year we have DS9's Birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, DD6's birthday and my birthday. Totally doable for me, because I host the birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For Hanukkah we go to my extended family's gathering (which I feel comfortable bringing my own stuff if need be), and I know beforehand that I need to stay away from the potato pancakes and sour cream. New Year's is at one of our neighbors which I plan to eat before heading out, and try to keep my buzz level low (I would much rather eat my POINTS than drink them......big switch from my usual partying self)

On the other hand, from May thru Labor Day we have multiple Birthdays, Communions, Baptisms, Block Parties, Beach Days, Reunions, and at least one BBQ on the weekend.....sometimes two.

So, we can view this a few ways....

1-Turn down invitations
2-Bring your own food (bring something portable (like a sandwich or fruit), eat in your car if you feel uncomfortable asking your host to cook for you) . Of course you'll want to eat before you get to the party so you're not starving.
3-Deal with it best you can. You have the tools, now use them.

After a few "Sorry we can't make it"s you will probably fall off the guest list (not good). How about if you bring a salad or side dish? (at least you'll have something you can eat) and bring your own beverage (I usually pack a few diet drinks and store in my car in a cooler in case there are only sugary drinks available). Can you imagine going to a BBQ where there is no diet soda or bottled water? Weird I know, but it does happen.

I think the best option is "Deal with it". If you've been to these folks' before, you kinda have an idea of what they're going to serve at their parties.

Here's a list of approximate POINTS Values for typical summer foods. If you go to a BBQ or Beach Party with no plan, you will probably use up all of your FLEX points AND WEEKLY POINTS ALLOWANCE (and probably some more).

Know the POINTS VALUE of foods before arriving at the party (these values are from the WW website. Your points may vary).

Hamburger on a bun, plain, 9 POINTS
Hot Dog on a roll, plain, 8 POINTS
Potato Salad, 1/2 c, 4-7 POINTS
Potato Chips, 14, 4 POINTS
Baked Beans, 1/2 c, 2-5 POINTS
Steak, 3 oz, 4-7 POINTS
Italian Sausage, 1 link, 6 POINTS
Apple Pie, slice, 7-10 POINTS
Corn on the Cob w/butter, 1 ear, 3 POINTS
Martini 3 POINTS
Sour Apple Martini 5 POINTS
Bud Light 2 POINTS

So....do the best you can with what you have and remember, one day will not make or break your diet. Make good choices, and make sure you get back on plan as soon as you leave the gathering (no stops at the McD's Drive Thru because "I blew it today, how much can an Big Mac hurt me.....I'll start fresh tomorrow").

Be prepared, reduce party stress, know the POINTS values of foods before going to the party and have a great summer !!

Let's Get Moving !!

I have yet to find a diet/plan/WOE etc that doesn't require exercise for success. Sure, you can diet alone for a while but, eventually you're gonna have to start moving to continue to lose weight

For the longest time I was anti-exercise. I couldn't be bothered. I was too tired. I was too busy. I had too many excuses. Truth is, exercise was difficult for me. As the pounds started to come off I started walking.....a few days a week for about a mile.

For about a month I continued my 1.2 mile route around the neighborhood. Then, a friend said "You should round it off to 2 miles." Geeze.....Don't ya just hate people who mean well?

Well, I increased my route to 2 miles shortly after. Currently I walk anywhere from 2.25-3.00 miles 5 days a week. Some times I squeeze in 2 walks in one day.

You need to get moving too !!. If you don't exercise at all, start off with a 15 minute walk 3 times a week. Do that for a week or so. When you're comfortable with that try a 20 minute walk. The following week 25 minutes. When you're up to 30 minutes you should be sweating. If not, increase your pace. Eventually add a 4th day......maybe a 5th.

If you are a Weight Watcher with a MONTHLY PASS you are able to use a great tool online called eTools. On eTools you can track your foods and exercise. You don't need to know how FAR you've walked, just how LONG (minutes). Enter the amount of minutes of exercise and eTools will let you know how many points you've earned. These"Activity Points" can be swapped for extra food during the day they are earned. Sorry, you can't bank them.

So........what are you waiting for? Meet me at the track !!

A great site for mapping out your route, calculating how far your walk, and keeping a running monthly total of totally distanced walked is MapMyWalk

OR...

If you're into video games, get yourself a Wii and Wii Fit.....you will certainly get a workout !! My favorite activity is "Free Step". You can adjust the time and pace. Currently I am doing 2000 steps in 20 minutes with equal amounts of arm exercises with 3 pound weights (gotta get rid of those flabby arms).

Enjoy your workout !!

Hungry Girl is my Friend :)

Gosh, I have so many cookbooks.....I could open my own "We Trade 'Em" book store. LOL !!

Hungry Girl's "Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World" is by far my favorite !! I purchased the book for $10 at COSTCO.

If you visit Hungry Girl you can see photos of all the recipes and POINTS Values (love, love, LOVE this).

Subscribe to HG's Newsletter here Newsletter

Leave a comment to let me know which recipes you've tried and what you think.

There are so many recipes I can't wait to try. So far I've had the "Lord of the onion rings" (almost as good as sex, LOL) and "fettuccine hungry girlfredo" (loved the sauce, didnt like the noodles)


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My Weight Watchers Success.....so far

My Weight Watchers Journey (this time around) began on January 9, 2008.

I tipped the scale at a horrid 247 pounds, and 5 months later I'm at 194.

Weight Watchers has two plans.....FLEX and CORE. I do FLEX, so that's what I'll be blogging about.

Here's how it works. Every day I am allowed a certain number of points. Your Daily Points Allowance is determined by your height, weight, sex (M or F, not a "yes, of course" answer LOL), age and activity level.

Every food has a POINTS® value. You can purchase a POINTS® Calculator at Weight Watchers Center. I have one that fits into my purse....I carry it everywhere. As long as you know the Calories, Fat, & Fiber, you can figure out the POINTS®. Plan your meals and snacks, stay within your points, and follow the other WW rules (drink water, exercise, use healthy oils, eat your required dairy, veggies & fruits) and you will be a success.

Oh....and a BONUS 35 points a week for extras. I try not to use too many of these unless there's a party to attend.

Let me start by saying I have been following this program intensely since I started. There have been only a few occasions where I lost my mind and conveniently forgot I was a Weight Watcher. I keep track of my foods daily and exercise at least 5 days a week.

It's been a lot of work, but I'm worth it !!

Here's the week-by-week

01/09/08: 247.0.
01/16/08: 238.0.
01/23/08: 235.8.
01/30/08: 233.2.
02/06/08: 230.4.
02/13/08: 227.4.
02/21/08: 224.4 .
02/27/08: 222.4.
03/05/08: 219.2.
03/12/08: 216.4.
03/19/08: 216.0.
03/26/08: 212.8.
04/02/08: 210.8.
04/09/08: 208.8.
04/16/08: 207.2.
04/23/08: vacation.
04/30/08: 206.8.
05/07/08: 205.4.
05/14/08: 204.0.
05/21/08: 200.2 .
05/28/08: 201.2.
06/04/08: 199.0.
06/11/08: 196.6.
06/18/08: 194.6.
06/25/08: 194.6.
07/02/08: vacation.
07/09/08: 193.0.
07/17/08: 192.8.
07/23/08: 190.2.
07/30/08: 189.8.
08/06/08: 190.0.
08/13/08: 184.4.
08/20/08: 188.4. scale lied on 9/13
08/27/08: 187.6.
09/03/08: 188.0.




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Welcome To My Blog

Totally new to this, and not even sure where to start.

A little about me........

My name is Regina (call me Reg, please), 43, happily married mom of 2... DS9, DD6. For the most part, I am a SAHM. I work 2 days outside of the home to help make ends meet and to keep up with my shopping addiction (COACH and SKETCHERS, at the moment)

I love the Beach, NASCAR (Go Jeff !!), and hanging out with friends.

I've lived in NY all my life.