Yummy Nummy Pasta Dish

My journey with Weight Watchers has been full of some ups and downs, but I notice this time around I don't beat myself up over the downs. I just get motivated to hop right back into place. I have been trying so many new recipes lately and there are some that are fabulous and some that are not so much. This is so far the families all time favorite.



Italian Sausage and pepper pasta
Serves 5 (serving sized 1 1/2 cup)

What you Need:
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 lbs turkey italian sausage link
1/2 cup julienned sweet red, yellow and green pepper
1 Tablespoon dried basil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

Directions:
Cook Pasta. In large nonstick skillet, brown sausage over medium heat,drain. Cut sausage into 1/4in. slices. In the same skillet saute peppers, basil, garlic, oregano, thyme, caraway seeds and sliced sausage in oil until peppers are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes. Cook and stir until heated through. Drain pasta;add to skillet and mix well.
~thanks to everyday light meals for this recipe

WW Points~~7pts per serving

Nutrition:
Calories 327
Fat 12g
Chol 49mg
Sod 845mg
Carb 33g
fiber 3g
protein 21g

Life just seems so unfair sometimes. I sit and look around and wonder why it is that some people can eat whatever they want and it never affects them, but someone like me just looks at a piece of chocolate cake and I gain 15 pounds. I know this isn't true but sometimes it feels like it. I have a very supportive group of people around me, which is extremely important to your weight loss journey. If you are someone who feels alone, just know that I am right here with you along with millions of other people. Feel free to comment me and I can help be your support. SUPPORT is a key factor in your success with weightloss. Here is a recipe for some of that comfort food, but a healthier version :)




***STUFFED JALAPENO POPPERS***
Serves 8

What you need:
12 large jalapeno chili peppers
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 cup nonfat cream cheese -- at room temperature
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese -- grated
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs -- plain
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425º.
Line baking sheet with foil; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
In small nonstick skillet, toast reserved jalapeno seeds and cumin seeds over medium
-low heat, stirring constantly, 2-5 minutes, until fragrant and golden; transfer to
small bowl. Add cream and cheddar cheeses to toasted seeds; with fork, mash mixture
together until well blended.
Stuff each pepper half with an equal amount of cheese mixture; set aside.
On small plate, combine bread crumbs and oregano. dip filled side of each pepper
into bread crumb mixture; set on prepared baking sheet, crumb-side up. Bake 10
minutes, until lightly browned; serve immediately.
~~Thanks to Angelfire.com for this recipe

WW points~~ 2 pts per serving

Nutrition:
70 Calories
4g Total Fat
5g Protein;
3g Carbohydrate
12mg Cholesterol
157mg Sodium

IIIIMMMM BAAACK

Life took some seriously rough and hard turns for me, but now I am back and raring to go. I just wanted to update everyone on my progress. Last week at my weight watchers meeting I hit my 5% goal. Yiippeee. Now I am pushing hard for my 10% goal. Exercise has become a vital part of my life, but I just recently hurt my neck and back so now i am unable to do any exercise. I never thought I would say this but I am actually missing it, craving it. So heres to a new start.



***SUMMER BERRY PIE***
Serves 10

What You Need:
Filling
7 or more cups mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant or regular Tapioca
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Topping
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons oatmeal
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

1 unbaked refrigerated pie crust

Directions:
Wash the berries, draining excess water in a colander. In an eight-cup container, mix sugar, tapioca and lemon zest, then stir in lemon juice. Add fruit to complete the eight cups and stir gently. Set aside to macerate for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally from the bottom.
Blend the topping ingredients with a fork in a small bowl and set aside.
To assemble, prepare pie crust as directed in a deep-dish pie pan. Add filling. Spread topping evenly over the filling. Bake 55 minutes at 400F, covering loosely with foil if the crust or streusel begins to brown too much. Transfer to a rack and cool at least three hours to set. Refrigerate.
~~Thanks to Kitchenparade.com for this nummy recipe

WW Points~~5pts per serving

Nutrition:
258Cal
2g Protein
8g Tot Fat
3g Sat Fat
46g Carb
5g Fiber
93mg Sodium
7mg Cholesterol

Lunch

I don't know about you guys, but the hardest meal of the day for me is lunch. Most of the time I will have whatever is left over from the night before, but that gets pretty boring so I am on a search for really good yummy lunch ideas. I have found a couple to start with, but I am definately going to be on the lookout for more ideas.

***COTTAGE CHEESE AND MORE SALAD***
Makes 6 servings

What you need:
1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese, drained
1 9-ounce can crushed pineapple (juice pack), drained
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup nonfat mayonnaise
6 lettuce leaves

Directions:
Chop half of the yellow or green pepper. Cut the remaining half into thin strips;
set aside. In a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, pineapple, carrot, and
chopped pepper. Add mayonnaise or salad dressing; stir to mix well. Cover and
chill till serving time. Serve immediately or cover and chill. Serve on lettuce
leaves. Garnish with the pepper strips.
~~Thanks to DWLZ.com for this recipe

WW PTS~~~2 pts per serving

Nutrition:
98 Calories
1 g Total Fat
0 g Saturated Fat
3 mg Cholesterol
438 mg Sodium
13 g Total Carbohydrate
1 g Dietary Fiber
10 g Protein

OF course do not forget about the Oroweat Sandwich thins and the Thomas Bagel thins. These are the perfect choice when you want that sandwich. I have a tendency to make a sandwich and salad sometimes too.

Desserts are great

Desserts are yummy, but there are times when I could eat dessert all day and nothing healthy. Sometimes finding the right choice is harder than i would have expected. So I decided to put a couple of yummy desserts up for you to enjoy and possible love.

***LOWFAT STRAWBERRY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE***
Makes 8 servings

What you need:
8 oz Cool Whip Free
8 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
9 inch reduced fat Graham Cracker Crust
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
12-14 strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise

Directions:
In a large bowl, whip cream cheese, vanilla extract and sugar for a few minutes until fluffy. Add Cool Whip and whip until smooth. Spoon mixture into pie crust and chill for a few hours, until firm. Arrange strawberries on top and serve
~Thanks to skinnytaste.com for this recipe

WW PTS~~5 pts per serving

Nutrition:
Calories 233.5
Fat 9.6g
Protein 3.1g
Carb 29.9g
Fiber 1.5g


***LITE N LAYERED SUMMER SALAD***
Makes 18 servings

What you need:
40 low-fat graham crackers (3 cups crumbs)
1 cup nonfat yogurt
16 oz. fat free cream cheese
¹/3 cup sugar
1 ½ cups frozen strawberries
3 ½ cups fat free Cool Whip
6 cups sugar free strawberry Jello (1 large, 1 small package)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs and yogurt together, and spread over the bottom of the pan. Bake crust for 15-20 minutes until crisp. Prepare Jello according to directions, add strawberries and place in refrigerator until it starts to set. Mix cream cheese, sugar and ½ cup Cool Whip. Start to layer the salad. On top of the crust, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly. Once the Jello starts to set, place it over the cream cheese mixture. Return to the refrigerator and allow Jello to set completely. Top with remaining Cool Whip and garnish as desired -- fruit, sprinkles, etc.
~Thanks to healthdiscovery.net for this recipe

WW PTS~~2 pts per serving

Nutrition:
Calories 108
Fat .4g
Carbohydrate 18g
Sat. Fat. .1g
Sodium 255mg
Protein 5g
Dietary Fiber .5g

BBQ tonight

I have two bbqs to go to this week. One is tonight and the other is Sunday. I have a very big habit of losing myself at them. I love bbqing and I love sitting back, relaxing and chowing down. So I decided to bring a veggie tray tonight to the bbq. They are going to be serving chicken which is fine with me, but I know there will be the evertempting chips, which is why I am for sure bringing the veggie tray trying to curb the carb cravings. Here is a list of some alcoholic beverages you can bring to those summer bbqs that wont totally cost you.


***RUM AND COKE*** (1.5 pts for one)
Just mix 1oz. rum with some diet coke



***VODKA AND SODA*** (1.5 pts for one)
Mix 1oz. vodka with a type of soda




***MOJITO***
Makes 1 serving

What you need:
1.5 oz Bacardi Rum
12 fresh spearmint leaves
1/2 lime
7 oz sprite zero or club soda
2 tbsp. Splenda

Directions:
In a cool tall glass, muddle the mint, Splenda and lime juice. Add crushed ice. Add rum, soda and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint.
~thanks to skinnytaste.com for this amazingly great recipe

WW points~~ 2 pts per serving




***SPARKLING SANGRIA***
Makes 8 servings (serving size 1 cup)

What you need:
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1 cup fresh bluberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup quartered small fresh strawberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh nectarine
1/3 cup brandy
1 cup apricot nectar, chilled
1 (750 milliliter) bottle cava, chilled
mint sprigs (optional)

Directions:
1. combine first 6 ingredients in a large pitcher, chill at least 2 hours. Stir in 1 cup nectar and wine. Serve immediately. Garnish with Mint sprigs if desired

WW points~~3 points per serving

Nutrition:
calories 153
fat .5g
protein 0g
carb 17g
fiber 2.7g
chol 0mg

Weigh in Yesterday

Well yesterday was my weigh in day and I have to say I am pretty impressed with how well I have taken to Weight Watchers and their program. I especially love the support you get when attending the meetings. So the weigh in yesterday was......drum roll...... down 2 more pounds. For a total loss of 10 lbs in 5 weeks, pretty good in my opinion and I keep truckin on.

Here is a 3 pt Frittata

***PEPPER AND BASIL FRITTATA***
Makes 6 servings

What you need:
1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups cauliflowe florets
1/2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into half moons
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 cup roasted red pepper strips
3/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/2 cup chopped basil
2 cups egg substitute


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees
2. heat pan over medium heat. add half the olive oil then add cauliflower and zucchini. Saute the veggies for 5 minutes. Add garlica and season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook until veggies are tender about another 5 minutes. Add red pepper strips to the pan and stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium-high heat.
3. Whisk the 3/4 cup of cheese, basil, and egg substitute. Season the mix with salt and pepper. Stir egg mix into pan with veggies, continue to cook until eggs begin to solidify. When there are large curds but still wet flatten lightly with spatula and let cook for 1 more minute. Transfer pan into oven
4. Bake frittata for about 8 minutes. until the eggs are set.


***ROMAINE SIDE SALAD***
Makes 6 servings

What you need:
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons parmigiano-reggiano cheese
3 cups Romaine Lettuce roughly chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix romaine lettuce with olive oil and cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste

Total WW points for the frittata and salad~~~3 pts per serving
Nutrition:
Calories 135
Fat 5.8g
Protein 14g
Carb 7g
Chol 10mg
Fiber 2g
Sodium 443mg

Deviled Eggs

Why is it the most favorite food items seem to be the most unhealthy. I have found a great recipe for Deviiled eggs. Again this is a great thing to bring to those summer bbqs. I am going to try to continue bringing recipes for the season. This way all the fruits and veggies used will be in season making them much cheaper.

***DEVILED EGGS***
Makes 12 servings

What you need:
8 eggs -- cooked
8 ounces plain nonfat yogurt
1 Tablespoon sweet pickle relish -- drained
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard -- country style
1/8 teaspoon salt
white pepper
paprika

Directions:
1. Slice eggs in half lengthwise, and carefully remove yolks from 8 egg halves;
mash yolks in a bowl. Discard remaining 8 yolk halves.
2. Finely chop 4 egg white halves, and add to the mashed yolks. Set aside remaining 12 egg white halves.
3. Spoon yogurt onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels; spread to 1/2-inch
thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes.
4. Scrape into yolk mixture, using a rubber spatula. Add relish and next 3 ingredients, and stir well.
5. Spoon about 1 tablespoon yolk mixture into each egg white half. Cover and chill 1
hour.
Sprinkle with paprika.

WW points~~ 1pt per serving ( serving is one half egg filled)

Nutrition:
57 Calories
3g Total Fat
5g Protein;
2g Carbohydrate
125mg Cholesterol
100mg Sodium

Great summer time meals

I love the spring and summer seasons. Even though I am not a big fan of chicken or beef, I love BBQs. I think it is more the smell than anything. I know going to a bbq can sabotage your weight loss journey but it doesn't have to. Here is a great recipe you can make or even take the ingredients to a bbq, plus I am also going to have a great summery dessert recipe that wont overtake your diet.

***GRILLED CHICKEN WITH AVACADO AND CORN SALSA***
Makes 4 servings

What you need:
3 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (6 oz )boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 ears corn
1/4 cup water
1 (8 oz)ripe avacado, peeled and diced

Directions:
1. Combine 2 TBSP of lime juice, 2 TBSP cilantro, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper in large ziplock bag; add chicken. seal bad and turn the bag to coat chicken let sit in fridge for 20 min.
2. To prepare salsa, combine corn and water in a microwavable dish, cover and microwave on high unitl tender-crisp about 3 min. When cool to touch cut corn off cob. Combine kernels with avacado and remaining 1 1/2 TBSP lime juice, 2 TBSP cilantro, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp cilantro.
3. Grill the chicken about 10 to 12 minutes. Then serve with the salsa

WW pts~~ 6 pts per serving

Nutrition:
Cal 295
Fat 11g
Chol 94mg
Sod 378mg
Carb 14g
Fiber 4g
Protein 37g


***FRESH RASPBERRY SAUCE***
Makes 2 cups (serving size is about 1/4 cup)

What you need:
4 cups rasperries, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon framboise (raspberry brandy;optional)
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
Put 2 cups of raspberries and sugar in a food processor; process until pureed. Press mix through a fine sieve over a med bowl, discard all the solids. stir in remaining 2 cups of raspberries, framboise,if desired, and lemon juice. Cover and chill.

This would be a great sauce to put over some low fat angel food cake or a lower calorie pound cake.

WW pts~~ 1pt. per 1/4 cup serving

Nutrtion:
Calories 61
Fat .4g
Protein .7g
Carb 14g
Fiber 1g

Banana Muffins are great

I have been having a sweet craving, which is so weird because I am more of a salty type of person. I think its all mental, you know you can't have sweets so now we want them really bad. I was on the search of something quick easy and cheap that I could make....I found it. Banana muffins not only do they taste delicious, but they satisfy my sweet tooth.

***BANANA MUFFINS***
Makes 12 muffins

What you need:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 applesauce
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin tin or you can use paper liners
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
In separate bowl beat banana, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in applesauce
Stir in flour mix
Pour batter into muffin cup, about 3/4 way full.
Bake for 15 to 20 min, or until toothpick comes out clean.
If you use paper liners, the muffin will stick to the liner until they are cool

Note: I used 1 cup of wheat flour instead of the regular and wheat. So that works just as well

WW points~~1 pt for 1 muffin

Nutrition:
Cal 80
Fat .6g
Chol 17.7g
Sod 203.9mg
Carb 17.3g
Fiber 1g
Protein 1.9g

Here are mine:::

Weigh In Yesterday

So yesterday was another weigh in day, and I surprised myself. I was sure I was going to gain, you know how you just get that feeling that you gained. Well I didn't Yay! I lost 1.8 lbs. which is really good because i actually gained exactly that last week, but as my leader said you can't group those together because it is ten times harder to lose than it is to gain. I absolutely agree with her.

Here is a yummy 7 point recipe, great for lunches or dinners

***MOO SHU CHICKEN WRAPS***
Makes 4 Servings

What you need:
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
4 flour tortillas
1 (8 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Directions:
Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet.
Add the coleslaw mix and cook for about 2-3 minutes (just until slightly softened but still crunchy).
Add the chicken pieces and cook to heat through for another 1 or 2 minutes.
Stir in the soy sauce and hoisin sauce.
Remove from the heat.
Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.
Microwave the tortillas on high for about 45-60 seconds (until softened).
Place 1/4 of the chicken and cabbage mixture on a tortilla.
Fold it up in the tortilla.
~~Thanks to recipes.net for this yummy recipe

WW points~~ 7 pts per serving



Nutrition:
WW points: 7
Calories: 304
Total fat: 14.1 g
Cholesterol: 52 mg
Sodium: 634 mg
Total carbs: 22.4 g
Dietary fiber: 2.5 g
Protein: 21.6 g

Sloppy Joes

So I sit here and wonder what kinds of recipes I should be posting. I personally am not a fan of seafood and I really am not a big meat eater. So I will be sure to try and include items I like and don't like. I am sure there are alot of you out there who would love some great healthy pocket friendly seafood recipes. I decided to do Sloppy Joes today. Now I have also come to the realization that no matter how hard you try eating healthier is just more expensive. So I am trying very hard to get the pocket friendly recipes I can. Now there may be sometimes I decide to do one that is not pocket friendly but just sounds really tasty.

ENJOY!!!

SLOPPY JOES
serves 4

What you need:
2 Large Garlic Cloves
1 Small Yellow Onion
1 Small Green Pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
Nonstick Cooking Spray
Salt and Pepper
12 ounces of Ground Turkey
3/4 cup reduced sugar Ketchup (regular ketchup is ok, but you will need to add one
point per serving)
2/3 cup water
2 Tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
4 light hamburger buns like Ezekial 4:9 or ( I suggest using Oroweat Sandwhich Thins)

Directions:
1. Heat large pan over med. to high heat
2. Combine garlic, onion, and green pepper in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
3. When the pan is hot spray with cooking spray and add chopped veggies then season with salt and pepper, cook until veggies are fragrant and tender about 4 minutes
4. Add turkey stir to break it up season with salt and pepper, continuing to break it up. Once the turkey is cooked all the way through add the ketchup, water, worchestershire sauce and chili powder. Bring mix to a simmer.
5. Toast the buns in toaster. Divide the mix among the buns and serve.

NOTE~~~ I love pickles so I always add some pickles at the end, and they are 0 points extra.

WW points~~~5 pts per serving.
Nutrition Info:
Calories 297
Fat 2.4g
Protein 29g
Carb 42g
Chol 41 mg
Fiber 7g
Sod 461mg

And a side that would go great with this is
ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH BALSAMIC BROWNED BUTTER
Yields 4 servings ( about 5 spears per serving)

What you need:
20 spears ( about 1 lb) trimmed
cooking spray
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, Arrange asparagus in single layer on baking sheat. Coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bake for about 12 minutes or until tender
meanwhile melt butter in small saucepan and cook for 3 min on med heat, until lightly brown, shake pan occasionally. remove from heat and stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Drizzle over the asparagus. Toss to coat well.

WW points~~1 point per serving

Nutrition Facts
Calories 45
fat 3g
protein 1.9g
carb 3.9g
fiber 1.7g
Chol 8g
Sod 134mg

Pineapple Cake

Well I was right I gained at my weigh in but i was pleasantly surprised that I didn't gain as much as I thought I would. I only gained 1.8lbs and my leader was great about it. She told me there were many people who gained and now i just need to chalk this up as a bad week and get back on track. Happy to say I am back on track right now YAY!!


Here is a nummy Pineapple cake recipe perfect for those upcoming summer days
Makes 16 servings

What You Need:
1 Box Angel Food Cake
1 20oz can of Crushed Pineapples
Lite Cool Whip

Directions:
Combine angel food cake with the can of pineapples (do not drain). Mix and cook according to angel food cake directions. Top with Cool Whip.

WW Points per serving 2 pts per serving

So very Sorry for the delay

I have been on vacation for awhile, so I am very sorry for the neglecting of the penny pinching blog. I do have weigh in today, but I am not excited to go. I had two weeks of not doing very well, I didn't go to weigh in last week because of memorial day. So tomorrow I will have an update on the weight in, Which I am sure is going to be a gain unfortunately, I think I am going to stop the food diary right now, but I am replacing it with some weight watchers recipes. I am definately going to start trying out some new ones, and as I try them I will I will take some pictures and post them too.

Here is a great 5 point recipe

BAKED BEEF ZITI
Serves 8

What you need:
12 oz uncooked ziti
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/3 pound(s) raw lean ground beef
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:





Baked Beef Ziti
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POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 50 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate


If you thought you couldn't indulge in your fattening favorites and still lose weight, you'll be thrilled to know that baked ziti is not a thing of the past.




Ingredients

12 oz uncooked ziti
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/3 pound(s) raw lean ground beef
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.


Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving
~~thanks to Weight Watchers for this fabulous recipe


WW POINTS 5 pts per serving

Dropping my points from 38 to 35 really doesn't seem like that much, but in the weight watchers world it is huge. lOL I have found this out. I am still doing ok on WW and on my points, I just need to be more concious of what I am eating and how much they count for. All I can say is thank goodness I didn't eat much yesterday because I ended up eating Taco bell for dinner, but amazingly I had just the right amount of points leftover....Yay

FOOD DIARY MAY 26 2010

Breakfast: Oatmeal 3pts
Coffee 1.5pts
Turkey bacon 3 pieces 2pts

Snack: Bagel thin with cream cheese, light 2pts

Lunch: Progresso light chicken rotini soup 2.5pts

Snack: small bag of baked lays 3pts

Dinner: 2 Fresco Tacos 6.5pts
Nachos Supreme 10pts---didn't realize these were so much until I came home and looked it up....

Weight Watchers Points used....33.5/35


Here is another great idea for your Memorial Day BBQ and this is only 2pts

**PEACH AND BLUBERRY COBBLER**
Serves 8

What you need:
nonstick cooking spray
4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of granulated Splenda
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon of Bisquick heart smart baking mix
1 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup skim milk
2 Tablespoons sugar in the raw

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, Spray 7 by 11 glass baking dish with spray, set aside
2. mix together peaches, blueberries, 1/4 cup splenda and 1 tablespoon of bisquick. pour fruit mix into baking dish
3. Combine remaining splenda, bisquick, ginger, cinnamon and milk. Stir until mix forms soft dough. Drop spoonfuls of dough evenly oever fruit mix. Sprinkle raw sugar over dough.
4. Bake unitl fruit is tender and biscuits toppin is golden brown about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 min. before serving.
~Thanks to Roccos Eat this cookbook for this fab recipe

Weight Watcher points per serving: 2 pts

Nutrition
Calories 96
Fat 1g
Protein 2g
Carb 22g
Chol 0mg
Fiber 2g
SOd 158mg

Great Day

The days are going by so quickly, but I can't wait for summer to start. I have an outdoor activity packed summer planned for the kids. I know if they are outdoors running around having fun, so will I.

FOOD DIARY MAY 25 2010

Breakfast: Oatmeal 3pts
Coffee 2pts

Snack: Banana 2pts
Pretzels 1pt

Lunch: Bagel thin with Cream Cheese 3pts
Salad 5pts

Snack: Light Kettlecorn 3pts

Dinner: The husband surprised me with a subway sandwich, not realizing how many points one is.....oh well its the thought that counts
foot long Black forest ham sandwich 14pts

Snack: pretzels 2pts

Total Points: 35 due to the weightloss I also had to drop my points from 38 to 35 so I did perfect yesterday.


Memorial day is coming and that mean bbqing. So for the next couple of days I will post some great healthy recipes that can go with the bbq theme.

This is a great dip for anything from pita wedges to veggies
**RED PEPPER HUMMUS**
Makes 2 cups

What you need:
1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablesppon tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (19 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, quarted

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Serving size is about 1/3 cup

Weight watchers points 1 pt per serving

Nutrition:
Calories 94
Fat 3g
Protein 3.7g
Carb 14.1g
Fiber 3.7g
Chol 0mg
Iron 1.3mg
Sod 290mg
Calc 30mg

Once dip is made store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Drum Roll Please>>>>

So yesterday was my second week on Weight Watchers which also means my second weigh in. I struggled just a bit last week so I was not expecting great numbers at the scale. Weighing in once a week is great, although I tend to cheat and weigh myself every other day. my husband is threatening to throw away our scale. haha. I think maybe he should. I just think being able to see my weight makes me more concious of what I eat and when I eat it. Enough of the jibber jabber, here is my results for the weigh in......last week I was 300.2.......this week 295.8.....that is a 4.4lb loss.

FOOD DIARY MAY 24 2010

Breakfast: Oatmeal 3pts
Coffee with cream .5pts

Snack: Apple 1pt
bagel thin 1pt
cream cheese 1pt

Lunch: 6 inch ham sandwich from subway loaded with veggies and mustard 5pts
Baked lays 3pts

Dinner: Spaghetti 7pts
bagel thin garlic bread 1pt
Salad 2 pts

Snack: pudding 2pts


Here is a fab recipe for the bbq days. Instead of macaroni salad try this

**TUNA PASTA SALAD**
Makes 4 servings

What you need
1 cup small shells
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons light mayo
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can water packed tuna drained and flaked
1 tablespoon of water (optional, use this only if you want a thinner dressing)

Directions
1. Cook shells according to package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add onions to shells and rinse again.
2. Combine mayo, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large serving bowl, stir in tuna. Add the shell mix and water if being used. Let sit for a few minutes

This can be stored in an airtight container for up to a day. Great healthy and easy on the pocketbook.

Weight Watcher points: 4 points per serving (abotut 3/4 cup)

Nutrition:
Calories 175
Fat 1g
Chol 516mg
Sod 20g
Carb 1g
Fiber 12g
Protein 13mg

Monday Weigh in Day

Today is my weight watchers meeting. So tomorrow morning I will have an updated weight..... I didn't do so well this weekend lets hope it doesn't affect me too bad.

FOOD DIARY MAY 23 2010

Breakfast: Oatmeal 3pts
Coffee 1pt

Snack: Small pizza slice 4pts

Lunch: 6 inch blackforest ham sub with veggies and mustard 5pts
Baked lays 3pts

Snack: Apple 1pt

Dinner: Tuna Melt 7pts
Sweet Potato Frys 2pts
Salad 2pts
Snack: Cake Ball 5pts

Total Points: 33points

Great quick and easy brownie

One point Brownie
Makes 1

What you need:
fat free vanilla yogurt (a flavor will work too)
Devils food cake mix or low fat brownie mix

Directions:
In a dixie cup or small microwave safe container mix 2 tablespoons of brownie mix with 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Microwave for 1 minute.

WW points~~ 1pt per serving

Friday is here :)

I love Fridays, they are my favorite day. Not only do we have a weekend off from work and the kids have a weekend off from school I also get to focus and have some me time. Yay for me time. haha. I hope everyone has a great weekend, be sure and do some relaxing.

FOOD DIARY MAY 21 2010
Breakfast: Oatmeal 3pts
coffee 2.5pts

Snack: small cheese sandwich 4pts
pickle 0pts

Lunch: Tortilla casserole 6pts
bagel thin 1pt
light creamcheese 1pt
cake ball 5pts

Dinner: BLT with turkey bacon 4.5pts
extra slices of bacon 1.5
light veggie rice soup 1.5pts
1/2 cake ball 3pts

Total points: 33pts

Yummy desert recipe

LEMON ANGEL FOOD CUPCAKES
Makes 16 cupcakes

What you ned:
2 oz cake flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
LEMON FROSTING
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon low fat milk
1 to 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Put 16 cupcake liners in pan
3. Sift together flour and powdered sugar 3 times
4. Beat egg whites and salt on high until frothy, add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, then add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time beat until stiff peaks form. sprinkle flour mix over mix and fold in, stir in vanilla and rind.
5. put batter in cups bake for 18 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Frosting: beat butter on hight until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beat on low until blended. Add milk and lemon juice. beat unitl fluffy. Add lemon as needed for consistency. Spread 2 tablespoons of frosting on each cupcake.

1 serving is 1 cupcake : 3pts for one serving.

Nutrition:
Calories 144
Fat 2.9g
Protein 1.6g
Carb 28.9g
Fiber 0g
Chol 8mg
Iron 0.3mg
Sodium 58mg
Calc 4mg

Keep on Truckin

Motivation is a hard thing to find. I always seem to burn out on the motivation before I actually burn out on the food. This time around I search for things to motivate me. Right now my motivation is trying to keep up with my family. My husband and kids want to play at the park and ride bikes, I love to do those things too, but I am always tired before them. Thanks to them I can keep up my motivation to change my life.

FOOD DIARY MAY 19, 2010
Breakfast: Coffee 3pts
Oatmeal 3pts

Snack: apple 1pt

Lunch: 2 of these sandwich thin with an egg and hot sauce 7pts
Pickel 0pts

Snack:Graham Cracker 2pts

Dinner: Tortilla Casserole 7pts
peas and carrots 1pt

Snack: Popcorn 3 pts

Total WW points:27 pts

RECIPE

GRILLED CHICKEN PARMIGIANO
Serves 4

What you need:
nonstick spray
4 boneless skinless chicken breast (4 oz each)
Salt and pepper
2 cups of Marinara
1 cup drained plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped ( I have used dried also)
1 cup shredded reduced fat mozzerella
1 1/2 oz or 6 Tablespoons of parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 baking dish
2. heat grill or grill pan on high heat. season chix with salt and pepper to taste. spray chicken with nonstick spray and grill until just cooked through about 1 1/2 min. per side.
3. spread a little less than half marinara on bottom of baking dish. Put chix on top of sauce spoon on remaining sauce, scatter chopped tomatoes over top sprinkle with 1/2 basil, mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano
4. Bake chicken until cheese melts and begins to brown. about 10 to 12 min. when done sprinkle the breadcrumbs and remaining basil on top
~ Thanks to Rocco Dispirito Now eat This cookbook for this awesome recipe

Weight Watchers point for 1 serving: 7 points

Nutrition:
Calories 357
Fat 10 g
Protein 39 g
Carbohydrates 20 g
Cholesterol 91 mg
Fiber 3 g
Sodium 767 mg

AND AWAY WE GO

I think the hardest part of losing weight is just trying to change up your lifestyle. I have become so accustomed to eating what I want when I want. For instance, I never used to eat breakfast, now I eat it everyday. Coffee I drink now is regular coffee with splenda, before I would drink a latte every morning. Oh well its all for a great cause, if this means I get to have a longer healthier life. I am game.

FOOD DIARY TUESDAY MAY 18,2010

Breakfast: coffee 2pts
oatmeal 3pts

Snack: Bagel thin 1pt
cream cheese 2pts

Lunch: leftover Spaghetti 5pts
salad 2pts
sandwich thin for bread 1pt

snack: graham cracker 2pts
popcorn 2 pts

Dinner: subway ham sandwich 12 pts
baked chips 3 pts

Then I broke down, I ate dinner waaay to early I was so hungry so I went to Taco Bell and got the fresco taco and shared a small nacho with my husband. total of 6 pts.

Total WW points: 41 pts. I am allowed 38 so I used 3 of my 35 extra points.


Here is a great drink for those warm spring days

STRAWBERRY AGUA FRESCA
Serves 8 cups

What you need:
4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
6 cups hulled strawberries
1/4 lime juice

Directions:
Combine water and sugar, stir until sugar is dissovled. Blend strawberries until smooth. Mix sugar mix, strawberry puree and lime juice. Stir well
Makes about 8 cups. Serving size is 1 1/3 cup

Weight watchers point per serving: 1

Nutrition:
Calories 71
Fat 0.4 g
Protein 0.8 g
Carb 17.8 g
Fiber 2.3 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Iron 0.5 mg
Sodium 4 mg
Calcium 21 mg

MY OFFICIAL WEIGH IN

Hey everyone!!

Last night was my first official weigh in on Weight Watchers and it was ok. I wish it could have been more, but we all need to start somewhere.
I lost 3.6 lbs. which now puts me at 300.2. YAY! I am just going to keep trucking along. Right now I am working towards a 15 lb goal, and once that is done, then I move onto another 15 which will put me at 30 lbs. I know this time I am going to be successful, I can feel it, something in me has changed. I am tired of being the fat one that feels out of place everywhere I go. This is my change, Hopefully yall are making some great changes too.

FOOD DIARY MAY 17 2010

Breakfast: oatmeal 3pts
coffee 3pts

Snack: Bagel thin 1 pt
light cream cheese 2 pt

Lunch: Taco soup 4 pts
sandwich thin 1 pt

Snack: Apple with peanut butter 3pts

Dinner: Spaghetti with sauce that had mushrooms and broccoli 6 pts
Salad with lite raspberry vinagerette 1 pt
bread 6 pts......cheesy bread so it was really bad...lol

Total points for today: 30 pts.....now this is bad because I actually have 38 pts to eat, so I will just do better tomorrow.


Here is a new recipe for Fries

SWEET POTATO FRIES
Serves 4

What you need:
2 medium sweet potatoes (scrubbed)
salt
cooking spray
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves(dried works just as good for me)
black pepper
sweet paprika
cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Slice potatoes lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut those slices into 1/4 inch wide sticks, sprinkle with salt and let sit for 20 minutes
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, put a wire rack on a baking sheet.
3. Pat down the potatoes to take out any extra moisture spray them with coking spray. Sprinkle with seasonings to taste, spread them out on wire rack.
4. Bake until fries are golden brown and tender. 35 to 45 minutes, Serve immediately.

WW points: 1 point for 1 serving

NUTRITION:
Calories 58
Fat 0.1 g
Protein 1 g
Carbohydrates 14 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Fiber 2 g
Sodium 327 mg

Yesterday was a pretty successful day for me, I exercised for 20 minutes, which in turn made me feel like I had more energy. I love that feeling. I also did a pretty good job of watching what I ate. I think my weigh in days are going to be changing to, I have to decide which weight watchers meetings I want to attend and then I will change my weigh in days according to that.

FOOD DIARY May 7,2010

Breakfast: Oatmeal and coffee

Lunch: 1 cup of taco soup and a salad with fat free catalina

snack: cracker snack

Dinner: Tortilla casserole with salad

Snack: fat free, sugar free chocolate pudding

Exercise: 20 minute dance routine


Yummy Dinner recipe and only 5pts for 1 cup

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli rice casserole
makes about 12 cups

What you need:
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
4 cups instant white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 bag frozen chopped broccoli
16 oz Light 2% Velveeta Cheese (1/2 big block)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook broccoli on stove or steam in microwave. Boil chicken broth, add rice, remove from heat covered. Let stand 5 minutes or until broth is completely absorbed. While rice is standing, chop velveeta into blocks so melting is easier. Combine shredded chicken, velveeta and cream of mushroom soup. Add cooked broccoli and rice and mix thoroughly. Transfer to casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes

WW points--5pts per serving....serving size is 1 cup

Note~ For a little bit cheaper version use regular rice and just remember for reg. rice you need 2 cups of liquid for one cup of rice. even better would be to use brown rice.

Pushing through the pounds

Starting over always gives me a fresh feeling. I feel as though I am on top of the world knowing that nothing or nobody can hold me down. I have decided to take the leap and join weight watchers, again!! This time I will not quit, I will not quit, I absolutely will not quit. So from this point forward I will have all weight watchers friendly foods and now in my food diary I will count points with it.

FOOD DIARY May 6,2010
Breakfast: coffee--2pts

Lunch:subway blackforest ham sandwich--14pts

Snack:light kettlecorn--2pts

Dinner:Taco Soup with salad--6pts

Snack:light popcorn--2pts

Total pts for the day: 26
I need to work on eating more points than that since I am allowed 36

Great Snack Idea

BAKED SWEET POTATO CHIPS
Makes 4 servings

What you need:
1 large sweet potatoes, peeled
- Non-fat Olive Oil Cooking Spray
- 1/8 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
Thinly slice potatoes in a food processor or by hand; they should be no more than 1/8-inch thick. The thinner the better (it gives you more chips for the same amount of Weight Watchers Points!!!)
Arrange slices on baking sheets so they don’t overlap. Spray with a bit more oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake chips until they begin to lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve.

WW points~ 1pt for 1 serving

Phew!!! The move is over and life is slowly starting to get back to normal. I decided I am starting over. Today is day 4 for me. I will still have weigh in days I am counting from sunday to today. Taking two weeks off of watching what I eat will probably take a big toll on me. I will weigh in Friday and see where I am at. This week is the start to my new life.

FOOD DIARY May 4, 2010

Breakfast: oatmeal and coffee

Lunch: sandwich--lettuce, mustard, light mayo, cheese, and chicken lunchmeat all on a sandwich thin

Dinner: 3/4 cup of spaghetti with sauce, salad and sandwich thins made into garlic bread


Lunch and Dinner soup

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
Makes 12 servings

What you need:
•1/2 oz Butter Buds Powder Mix.
•16 oz Kraft Velveeta Light Reduced-Fat Pasteruized Processed Cheese Product.
•1 cup chopped onions
•4 cups water
•4 cups fat-free chicken broth
•1TBSP Mrs. dash garlic and herb
•5 servings of garden blend vegatables
•1 - 16 oz bag of Broccoli cauliflower Garden blend
•1 - 32 oz bag of chopped broccoli

Directions:
1.Chop all veggies
2.Bring all ingredients except velveeta to a boil.
3.Then simmer 1 to 1 & 1/2 hrs until mushy.
4.Mash down veggies (or puree in blender) and put back into stock.
5.Add Velveeta (cubed) stirring until melted.

WW POINTS- 1 cup is 2pts or 1 1/2 cup is 4 pts


EXERCISE TIP OF THE DAY
Start out small especially if you are new to exercising. Make a goal to work out at least 20 minutes a day for 3 days this week. By Saturday you should have 60 minutes of workout. This is a great start.

Weigh in Day 22

I am so disappointed this week, I keep telling myself I am not going to get discouraged. Things in life get tossed your way and you just have to deal with them. Since moving is coming up I have not done so well between exercising and eating right. I am telling myself come Monday I am working my tail off to make a big difference, I will be moved so then I can concentrate on working out and eating right. Here is the weigh in for me

Weight in last week 304.5 today.......304, I only lost .5 of a pound again the disappointment sets in.

FOOD DIARY:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with lite fruit cocktail

Lunch: leftover tortilla casserole

Dinner: bbq boca burgers with red potatos cooked in the oven


Exercise tip of the day: start small, even if it is only 5 mins. at a time. shoot for a total of 30 minutes of exercise per day for 3 days, but you don't have to do it all at once.


Recipe of the day

**Mixed Grill Vegetables**

What you need:
2 piece(s) corn on the cob, shucked and split in half
1/4 pound(s) uncooked string beans, trimmed
1/2 pound(s) baby carrots
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well coated. Place a large piece of aluminum foil (about 24 X 18-inches) on a flat surface. Spoon vegetables onto foil; wrap foil around vegetables to form a seal. (Or spoon vegetables into a pan, cover and cook on grill.)
Grill 4 to 6 inches from heat until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Day 21

Tomorrow is weigh in day so don't forget. How many of you decided to have a dance party yesterday? It felt so good to be able to let loose, not only did I get exercise, but I also let off alot of steam. I already know thiss weekend is going to be a very hard one for me. It is moving week and whenever you have moving, there is no time for cooking dinners so I am going to be eating out, but I will try very hard to pick places that are going to be easy for me to eat healthy.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 21 2010

Breakfast: honey bunches of oats cereal with of course the coffee( I put two splendas and a little fat free half and half in my coffee)

Lunch: Pita pit veggie pita on wheat ( this was my farewell lunch with my husband, where we are moving I wont be able to meet him anymore for lunch)

Snack: Orange

Dinner: Tuna casserole and salad

Here is a great idea for weekend lunches

**CHEDDAR AND BROCCOLI STUFFED POTATO**
Serves 1

Large baked potato
1/2 cup cooked broccoli florets
1 oz low-fat shredded cheddar
1 cup vegetable soup
~thanks to weightwatchers.com for this lunch idea

WW Points--5 pts

Day 20

I can't wait until I am done moving. I packed away all my workout videos, so I have not been working out. I have been getting some exercise by packing up the house, but nothing compared to working out with my videos. I am itching to work out too. I guess thats good. So I decided I am going to have a dance party today ( I love dance Parties) maybe that will temporarily cure my itch.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 20 2010

Breakfast: peach flavored oatmeal and of course coffee

Lunch: cottage cheese with lite fruit cocktail and some reduced fat triscuits I also was dying for another coffee so I splurged and got a medium nonfat sugarfree coconut iced latte

Dinner: the revised version of the tortilla bake with some rice

snack: sugar free fat free individual pudding pie

Peanut butter cookies are my favorite so here is a healthier version and they taste great

FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Makes 24 cookies

What you need:
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together until well-blended.
3. Roll the peanut butter mixture into tablespoon-sized balls.
4. Bake for 12 minutes (if you want chewy cookies) or 15 minutes (if you want crisp cookies).
~Thanks recipe.net

WW points-- 2 pts for one serving
Calories: 101
Calories from fat: 52
Total fat: 5.8g
Cholesterol: 17mg
Total carbs: 10.5g
Fiber: 0.7g
Protein: 3.2g

Day 19

I am so very sorry this post is coming out so late today, I am right in the middle of packing up my house and ran out of boxes. Then the hunt was on, I never found any so I actually had to go buy boxes. I say better late than never though right?

FOOD DIARY APRIL 19 2010

Breakfast: Cheerios with some good coffee

Lunch: met the hubby for lunch at chipolte I got the chicken salad

Dinner: 1 cup spaghetti noodles with sauce, salad and 2 pieces of baguette bread.


How about a yummy lunch recipe

CHICKEN SALAD PITAS
Makes 6 servings

What you need:
1-1/2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 medium carrot, julienned
1/2 c. julienned cucumber
1/4 c. sliced radishes
1/4 c. sliced ripe olives
1/4 c. part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 c. fat-free Italian salad dressing
5 pits breads (6-in.), halved
Lettuce leaves

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Add dressing and toss to coat. Line pita breads with lettuce leaves. Stiff about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture into each half
~thanks to recipecircus.com

WW points - 5 pts per serving

One serving (2 halves) equals: 276 calories…4 gm fat (1 gm saturated)…39 mg cholesterol…674 mg sodium…38 gm carbohydrate…2 gm fiber…20 gm protein

Day 18

Sorry to everyone for not doing a blogpost yesterday, I was out of town all day, which is never good when you are trying to lose weight. I ran into some very big difficulties while out, but I made the best of my situation. So my food diary will consist of only food I ate out, because we were literally in the car for 12 hours :( very long day.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 18 2010

Breakfast: coffee and one breakfast burrito from mcdonalds (the coffee was home brewed)

Lunch: they hit up Jack in the box, so I had the southwest pita small size with fries and diet coke,(it is so helpful to have the fat calories listed next to the items, makes my choice easier)

Dinner: blackforest ham foot long sandwich from subway, loaded with veggies and lite mayo and mustard.

That was my food for my 12 hour trip. needless to say I am going to be working my tush off this week to try and lose some of the jack in the box I had.

Here is a great dinner recipe:

TRIPLE PEPPER FETTUCINE

What you need:
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic
, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup nonfat chicken broth
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
12 ounces fettuccine, cooked and drained

Directions:

Cook peppers and garlic in margarine or butter over medium heat until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes; remove from skillet. Blend chicken broth and mustard in same skillet. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in peppers until heated through. Serve over hot fettuccine
~thanks to recipegoldmine.com for this recipe

WW pts~ 4 pts per serving( I am not sure how many this serves, but my guess would be about 4
Per serving: 213 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (19% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 8mg Cholesterol; 300mg Sodium Food

Day 15 and Weigh in Day

Here it is Friday, weigh in day. I am finally back on track I think, Easter threw me for a loop, but now the easter candy is gone and my healthy eating habits are slowly kicking back in.

WEIGH IN: Last week 306 This week.......304.5 that means I lost 1.5 lbs this week. YES!!! I hope all of your weigh ins go as well, and just remember, don't get to discouraged. What we are doing is very hard and there will always be set backs, but as long as we get back on track everytime we will all be OK.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 15, 2010

Breakfast: Oatmeal, and coffee ;) Of course

Lunch: 6 inch sub from subway,(veggie sub) with baked lays chips,and a drink for only $5

Dinner: Tuna Casserole and salad

Yesterday was a very busy day for me, so I didn't eat as much plus the lunch and dinner filled me up

I don't know about you but I love banana bread, it makes a great dessert, snack or breakfast( this may not be the most frugal recipe, but sometimes you have to splurge a little)

BANANA BREAD RECIPE
Makes about 16 slices

What you need:
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon table salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325F.

Mix the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes, then mix in the bananas, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.

(Caution: Incoming unorthodox shortcut.) Dump the dry ingredients onto the batter without mixing in. With a spoon, lightly combine them right on top but still without incorporating into the wet batter. Now use the mixer to combine the dry ingredients and wet batter but just until barely combined. (Too much mixing will create small holes in the bread when it bakes.)

Turn the batter into a well-greased bread pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve!
~ Thanks to kitchenparade.com for this delish recipe

WW points ~ 3 pts for one slice
NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Slice: 162 Cal (11% from Fat); 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 33g Carb; 2g Fiber; 191mg Sodium; 31mg Cholesterol

DAY 14

Tomorrow is weigh in day and I had a great day yesterday. Yay!!! I posted on the fanpage about the smoothie I had last night for a snack and wowie it was great. The best part was I made it and shared it with the husband, and even he (who does not like healthy food) loved it. I guess this might turn into a once a week thing if not more. You should really try there is so much you can do with it.


FOOD DIARY APRIL 14 2010

Breakfast: Mapled brown sugar oatmeal and coffee

Lunch: Pita Pit garden pita ( lunch with the hubby)

Snack: graham crackers

Dinner: bbq, I had boca burger though with baked red potatos and green beans

Snack: Strawberry/banana smoothie


Chimichangas anyone?

CHIMICHANGA
makes 8 (serving size is 2)

What you need:
8 ounces ground 90% lean turkey or beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup chunky salsa
1 teaspoon Jo's chili seasoning
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup no-fat sour cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475º F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil-flavored cooking spray. In a large skillet sprayed with olive oil-flavored cooking spray, brown meat and onion. Stir in garlic, 1/2 cup salsa (I used more salsa in the meat mixture), and Jo's chili seasoning. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture into center of each tortilla. Lightly spray tops with butter-flavored cooking spray. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

For each serving, place a chimichanga on a serving plate, spoon 2 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon sour cream over top
~recipe is from angelfire.com

WW pts = 6pts per serving (serving size is 2 chimis)

Per serving: 276 Cal, 8g Fat, 2g Fiber

Day 13

Two more days until weigh in, I am actually kind of excited for weigh in this week. We shall see how it goes. One thing I have noticed is when I eat dinner at about 530/6pm I do get hungry later, so I just make sure I have something for a snack like sf ff pudding, or fruit, or light popcorn. Now when I eat dinner later like around 7 or 8, I end up not feeling so great in the morning. I think that is partly because my food needs more time to digest before I go to bed. I try to eat earlier every night, plus it gives me an opportunity to work off some of my food

FOOD DIARY APRIL 14 2010

Breakfast: blueberry flavored oatmeal and coffee ( I can't live without my coffee)

Lunch: another left over piece of tortilla bake ( I had three pieces left, so that is my lunch for the next three days

Snack: 2 large graham crackers

Dinner: Taco soup with fat free sourcream and a little bit of pepperjack cheese on top


Here is a great healthy cheap pancake recipe
CINNAMON APPLESAUCE PANCAKES
makes 12 pancakes

What you need:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients, then add remaining ingredients and beat together.
2. Pour the batter onto a hot, lightly oiled griddle or skillet.
3. Cook until pancakes have a bubbly surface and slightly dry edges (2-3 minutes).
4. Turn pancakes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes (until golden brown).
~ Thanks to recipes.net for this recipe

WW points- 2 per pancake (without syrup)
Nutritional information for one pancake: 93 calories, 0.2g fat, 0.7g fiber

These would be great to make ahead of time and then freeze so you can have them on the mornings you are busy

Day 12

Here starts another brand new day. Yesterday I did pretty well with watching what i am eating, but I am sad to say i did not have time to work out, I am packing up my house I have promised myself for sure today will be a workout day, and I am not going to do the dog walking kind, its gonna be the shake my butt off kind. I thought of another great way to lose weight on the cheap. make yourself a mix of 45 minutes of songs, play it and dance, run, shake move for the whole time, great calorie burning and it would be fun. Especially if you have kids,they would love to dance with you.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 12 2010

Breakfast: Cheerios and coffee

Lunch: a left over portion of the tortilla casserole and a banana

Snack: Carrots with some honey mustard to dip it in

Dinner: Spaghetti (measured out 1 cup of noodles) salad and bread

I love have spaghetti because it cheap. If you measure out the noodles and fill the sauce with yummy veggies, it is very filling. I always love to have salad with it that way if I am still really hungry I can have more of that. The other thing is I do play mind tricks on myself especially with spaghetti. One cup just looks so small on a big plate, I always put my spaghetti on a smaller plate, and it just seems so much more full.

Here is a great Sweet and Sour recipe,

SWEET AND SOUR
Makes 4 servings

What you need:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 5.5 oz (about half of the 11.5 oz jar) Kikkoman Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 8 oz pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve 1/4 cup juice)
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
- 16 oz bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables

Directions:
Cut the raw chicken breast into bite sized pieces. Spray your crock-pot with cooking spray. Add chicken, garlic powder and onion powder; stir. Stir in sweet and sour sauce, pineapple chunks, brown sugar and the 1/4 cup of pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add frozen vegetables during the last 30 minutes of cooking and cook on high.
~thanks to laaloosh.com for this recipe

WW Points- 6 pts per serving

Nutrition info:
Calories 329.1
Total Fat 2.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.4 g
Cholesterol 65.7 mg
Sodium 289.4 mg
Potassium 724.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 48.4 g
Dietary Fiber 6.7 g
Sugars 13.1 g
Protein 31.8 g

Day 11

I have to send a big shout out thank you to Jennifer, the one who made some revisions to the tortilla casserole. OMG I made it for dinner last night. LOVED IT!!! I don't think I will be making the original version for a while, it was very nummy. So today starts the hardcore workouts for me. No I dont have a gym membership because lets face it, they are ridiculously expensive, so instead I have bought some workout dvds. The one I really like it the dancing with the stars. My goal is to work out for 40 minutes today, doing two different types of videos, and I am going to do them at different times a day. Then tomorrow I am planning on walking the dog for 45 minutes. So there you have it starting today I will be working out 6 times a week, I am saying it here because you all are my accountability.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 11 2010

Breakfast/lunch: woke up late and then didnt eat until later was a quiznos sub, the honey bourbon chicken, this is their healthiest sub and it actually had really great flavor

Dinner: Revised Tortilla Casserole (can't explain how nummy this was and it was only cost about $10 to make, but I still have a ton of tortillas and cheese, so if you take out those next time it will only cost about $4.50 because I already have the cheese and tortillas)

Snack: Healthy pop kettle corn



Here is a great lunch Idea
makes 1 serving

TURKEY CLUB
What You need:
2 slices light bread/sandwich thins would be awesome to use for this too
2 slices turkey bacon
2 oz. (about 4 - 6 slices) 98% fat-free turkey breast
2 slices tomato
2 leaves romaine lettuce
2 tsp. fat-free mayonnaise/ I use light not fat free


Directions:

Toast your bread. Cut bacon strips in half.

Over medium heat, cook bacon strips in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray until crispy, about 5 minutes.

Spread mayo onto one piece of bread, and then top with the turkey slices, tomato, lettuce, and bacon. Finish it all off with the other piece of bread.
~found this recipe on hungrygirl.com

WW pts: 4 per serving
Serving Size: 1 sandwich
Calories: 222
Fat: 6.75g
Sodium: 1,214mg
Carbs: 23.5g
Fiber: 5.5g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 21.5g

Weekends

Weekends are the hardest times for me, I spend the weekend with the family, but since I am the only one actively trying to lose weight, I almost feel as if a sabotage is taking over. I know they don't do it on purpose, but when you are the only fat person in a family of skinnies, it does make it hard. I will honestly say Fridays are a day I do not stress over what I am eating, I figure I deserve to have one night a week to be able to veg with the fam. It actually works out very well for me, I have an easier time watching what I eat throughout the week knowing on friday I can have that piece of pizza or have the candy with the movie. So I won't be posting my food intake for Fridays, but the rest of the weeks I will

FOOD DIARY APRIL 10 2010

Breakfast: Dutch bros. medium iced nonfat sugar free coconut latte

Lunch: small lemon poppyseed muffin ( I am at school from 9am to 1pm, so I was only able to grab a quick snack)

Dinner: There was a bday party at chuck e cheese,and I am very proud to say I did not eat the pizza, I bought myself a salad and had one trip to the salad bar with F.Free Catalina dressing.

My saturdays are very busy and shortlived because of school.

So I have been searching for some great desert ideas, and this one I have not tried, but sounds good. By looking at the ingredients the price will be very minimal to make

JUNIOR MINT BROWNIES
makes 16

What you need:

Cooking spray
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine
32 (about 3 ounces) creamy, small-size mints in pure chocolate (such as Junior Mints)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of an 8 inch square baking pan
with cooking spray. Combine butter and mints in a 2 cup glass measure;
microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until soft. Stir until smooth, and set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife.
Combine flour, soda, and salt in a bowl. Combine sugar, cocoa, egg, and egg white
in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add mint
mixture; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until
a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely on a wire rack.
**Two large (1.5 ounce) mints or 6 miniature chocolate-covered
peppermint patties (such as York) may be substituted for 32 junior mints.
~Thanks to DWLZ.com for this yummy recipe

WW PTS: 3 per serving
PER SERVING: 121 Calories, 2.1 g Protein, 0.2 g Total Fiber, 3.9 g Total Fat,
19.5 g Carbohydrate, 81 mg Sodium, 14 mg Cholesterol

WEIGH IN

So I know this weigh in day is going to suck, between the easter candy and the fact that I have been finding it very hard to work out on a daily basis....Grrrr. anyways here goes nothing....

Weight last week: 307 todays weight: 306

Woohoo I lost 1 lb, now I am also disappointed in this result, I was hoping for a bigger weight loss,but I will take what I can get. I attribute this to that damn easter candy, which btw I have finally stopped snacking on. If anyone else wants to share their weigh in today please feel free, either on the facebook page or comment this blog, lets keep eachother motivated.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 8 2010:

Breakfast: Peach flavored oatmeal, coffee, and sandwich thins toaster

Lunch: Panera sanwich

Snack: Graham crackers

Dinner: gardenburger with sandwich thin as bun, sliced red potatos sauteed.


So one of my Fabulous blog readers/facebook fans took the TORTILLA CASSEROLE to a new level. I am going to share this recipe with you today

Yummy this sounds delish. I am going to be trying it out this week. let me know what you guys think

REVISED TORTILLA CASSEROLE
2 can fat free refried beans
2 can whole kernel corn
1 can sliced mushrooms
2 can diced tomatoes with chilis
12 6" corn tortillas ... See More
1 bag of Fat Free Cheddar Cheese
Salsa
Fat Free Sour Cream
White Rice - we made extras to have later

Since we decided not to use any meat, we doubled up on the veggies that we used. This allowed the casserole to fill up more. Preheat the oven to 350. Begin cooking rice early as this will likely take the longest to cook. Mix beans, corn, mushrooms & tomatoes together in a large pot or skillet until warm; this will be the filling. Lay 6 Tortillas in a large baking dish, covering the bottom. Spread your filling over top of the tortillas and lay the remaining 6 tortillas, covering the top of the filling. Evenly spread cheese over the tortillas. Cook in oven on 350 for apx 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top.

To serve:
Lay some rice in the bottom of your bowl or plate then dish out the casserole and place on top of rice. Add a dollop of sour cream over top of the meal with salsa to your liking

Day 8

Day 8 is here, tomorrow is another Friday weigh in day. I have to say I am a little nervous. This is very good too, when I was in weight watchers I would get the butterflys in my stomach before every weigh in. The accountability was there, when I stopped going to the meeting something just happened, and i no longer cared about the days I would weigh in. Yay!!! I am glad to say you guys are giving me that accountability back. You are all more than welcome to share your weight loss/gain or any other issues, recipes, exercises. Maybe we can start having a group thing on Fridays for a weigh in day. Then maybe you guys can have the same accountability as I do.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 7, 2010

Breakfast: Oatmeal and coffe lol the norm

Lunch: Leftover Potato casserole which was very good, almost as good as the original day I made it.

Snack: orange

Dinner: Tortilla Bake with rice


I did pretty good yesterday witht he easter candy staring me in the face. I have new thing I have decided. Fridays are the day I can cheat with candy and stuff, that has always worked well for me.

EXERCISE: walked for 3/4 mile ~ I didnt have much time for exercising yesterday, but I was able to carve out a little time for some activity.

TIP: TOo busy to workout? Why not go on a 10 min walk on your lunch break at work, everyone can carve out three 10 min periods in a day add them up and you worked out for 30 minutes total YAY!!!

Here is a great affordable snack/breakfast idea:

Healthy Shake
1 serving

What you need:
1 cup skim milk
2 tbl ff sugar free pudding mix any flavor
1 tbl coolwhip
1 tsp vanilla
8 ice cubes

Directions:
Put all in blender and process till smooth and thick.

For the WW lovers this is a 2pts

~I have tried cheesecake, chocolate,and vanilla pudding mix. My next one to try is banana. If you try this post a comment and let us know what you thought of it, or you can post on the facebook page too

Day 7

7 days into this and I already feel the love and support of so many people. This is good especially for someone like me. I always keep my word, but for some reason in weight loss it seems to be so much harder. I will keep my word to others, but not to myself. I think it stems from a lack of confidence. Weigh in is Friday, and I am really hoping I can have a weight loss. Although I am not going to lie that Easter candy is kickin me in the butt. I have made a promise to myself that today I am not eating any candy. It is all in the freezer now.

Funny story, my dog is my walking partner, and even though we just started walking she loves it. SO yesterday I had a ton of errands to run and didn't have time for a walk. She whined all day until someone brought her outside to play and run off some energy. Now I know that is normal for a dog, but mine is 10yrs old and lazy :)
She is now my driving stone to go out and exercise everyday Yay for the puppy.

FOOD DIARY APRIL 6 2010

Breakfast: Blueberry flavored oatmeal (if you can't tell I love the oatmeal)

Lunch: Went with hubby to lunch at Chipolte, so I know it was not the healthiest meal, but I had the chicken bowl

Dinner: Spaghetti, salad, bread

Snack: Easter Candy

Like I said not exactly the best day of eating, but dang sometimes I just need to indulge myself.

Here is another great recipe

This time I am going to put up a breakfast recipe

FRITTATA
Makes 4 servings

What you need:
3 large eggs

3 egg whites

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese and the salt. Preheat broiler with rack set 6" from heat. In large flameproof non stick skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over low heat, add egg mixture and cook without stirring for 10-12 minutes, until bottom is set and top is slightly loose. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Place pan under broiler until top is just set, about I minute. Invert onto a serving platter and cut into 4 wedges.
~Thanks to angelfire.com for this yummy recipe

WW 3pts
100 Calories, 8 g Protein, 7 g Fat, 1 g Carbohydrate, 408 mg Sodium, 161 mg Cholesterol, 0 g Dietary Fiber

Day 6

Here we are on tuesday and I have to be honest, it is a very big struggle to not want to go crazy on that easter candy, but I have it tucked away in the freezer and I know in a couple of days I will forget about it.

FOOD DIARY FOR APRIL 5 2010

Breakfast: Banana Oatmeal
Coffee with Cream and sweet and low

Lunch: Salad with some cut up cheese, turkey, and hard boiled egg, raspberry vinagerette dressing

snack: orange

Dinner: potato casserole, and green beans

Snack: Light kettle corn (love popcorn)

Exercise: Walked for 1 1/2 miles


Here is another very yummy, but healthy and cheap recipe:

SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE
makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 pkg shell macaroni (8 oz)
1 envelope Sloppy joe mix (French's 1 1/2 oz)
1/2 lb ground white meat skinless turkey, cooked and drained
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 (16 oz) carton 1%low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup cheese (reduced fat is best)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni per package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, prepare seasoning mix with turkey, tomato paste and tomato sauce,
cottage cheese and one cup water. In a 2 1/2 qt casserole, that has been sprayed
with a non-fat cooking spray, layer half the macaroni and half the meat sauce; repeat.
Top with grated cheese.
Bake, uncovered, 40-50 minutes, or until bubbling

WW pts.= 6

PER SERVING: 290 Calories, 27 g Protein, 2.1 Fat, 40 g Carbohydrate,
723 mg Sodium, 26 mg Cholesterol

OOH NOOOO Easter Candy

Alright so Easter came and went, but now I am left with tons of Easter candy :( Now I am not a huge candy eater, but I do love to go on candy binges. I am also not a believer in buying the candy, just to turn around and throw it away. Here is one suggestion I can make for you. take all of the easter candy you have and put in a ziploc freezer bag, throw it in the freezer. I find this helps me alot because I don't want to sit and wait for the candy to thaw, so instead if I am dying for some chocolate or something sweet, I will try to find something quicker. If you know this will just not be possible then yes, you will need to throw out the candy. Todays I am not going to post a food diary because I am not going to lie, I had a great time yesterday and I indulged in whatever I wanted. We had ham, turkey, potatos, gravy, salad, and rolls. Now did I eat them all no. Truth be told I actually ate mostly salad, but that is just because i am not a huge meat eater anyways. The one thing I went overboard on was the candy for sure. I say its ok though, I don't want to say NO WAY when holidays come because then I am depriving myself which in turn I believe sets me up to fail. I enjoy all of my holidays, but I just make sure the next morning I get right back on track by eating my normal foods, like this morning I am going to have coffee and banana flavored oatmeal. My families Easter candy is put away and I am ready for a walk this afternoon with my dog. Life is good. Thanks for all the support I have gotten. This is a very hard journey for me, but I know I can do it. You all can do it too. So heres to a fabulous monday and a fabulous week, (I guess we will see how fabulous come friday huh?)

Day 4 and Weigh in Day

So I was very excited and nervous for today. I woke up and felt like crap, now to all the ladies out there think of the worst possible day of the month you can weigh yourself and yep that is today for me. I have found over the years of my ups and downs there is once a month when I weigh myself that usually the bloating cause anywhere from a 2 to 5lb weight gain. This sucks:( so here we are on this dreaded day, but I am still going to weigh in, These results are not my real results due to the massive bloatedness, but I am still going to do it.

Weigh in today.....last week I was 305. Today I am 307.... Now I am very upset about this gain, but like I said I am chalking alot of it up to the crappy mother nature, or body nature I guess you should say.

Here is my food diary for yesterday:

Breakfast: Oatmaeal

Lunch: Pita pit's veggie pita

Snack: graham crackers and an orange

Dinner: Tortilla casserole with rice


I actually got time to also work out yesterday......

I walked 1 1/2 miles...now I know that doesn't sound like much, but for me it was a perfect start

Here is the recipe for the Tortilla Casserole which is fabulous by the way

TORTILLA CASSEROLE
WW Pts~5.5pts servings ~8

1 lb lean beef
1 can dark kidney beans
1 28 oz can cut/diced tomatos
1 can green chilis
1 pkg. taco seasoning
12 6" corn tortillas
1 cup cheddar

Preheat oven to 350
Brown beef, mix in beans, tomatos, chilis and taco seasoning
simmer for 5 minutes
spray 9 by 13 dish
cut tortillas in half
place half of the tortillas on bottom of pan, then place half the beef mix
next place rest of tortillas, then rest of mixture, then cover with cheese
Cook for 25 min.

Day 3

So here we are on day 3 and I am feeling pretty good, we are in the process of moving. Packing takes up alot of my time, then on top of that we found out our lease for the place we are in isn't up when we thought, so this means double the rent for May. Grrrr. Oh well what can I do. I made the tuna casserole yesterday for dinner and it was a hit for my family. I was shocked even my son ate it :) That means it is definately good.

Food Diary:

Breakfast: Cheerios - I measured it out with a measuring cup
Coffee with a little cream and sweet and low

Lunch: Salad with chipolte cheddar, turkey lunchmeat, Fat free catalina dressing
also had a side of left over red potatos

Snack: Orange

Dinner: Tuna Casserole (using the recipe from yesterday)
Green beans
three pieces of baguette bread

Snack: Strawberry shortcake ( homemade shortcakes, made with jiffy mix)

The shortcakes I made were actually smaller than recommended so they were the perfect snack.

Tomorrow is my first weigh in for this blog. To tell you the truth I am extremely nervous. We will see how I do tomorrow.

Here is another great healthy cheap recipe

POTATO CASSEROLE
Serving Size: 1 cup

This is a recipe I learned while on Weight Watchers. It is not only filling and low in points, but also pretty cheap to make.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 small onion ($.30 - sometimes to save money I will buy a large onion and just cut it in half)
1 cup cheddar cheese ($4.00 for 2lb brick of cheese)
2 tbsp margarine ($.70 for a box of margarine)
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 (32 oz) pkg of southern-style hash browns (thawed)( $1.99 for one bag)
16 oz container of fat-free sour cream ($1.50)
1 10z can of cream of mushroom soup ($.50)
Pam cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

Spray a baking dish with Pam. Combine all the ingredients and
place in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

***prices will vary depending on where you live and shop, these prices are based off my shopping, but I always buy sale items and off brand unless name brand is on sale for cheaper)

I don't have the nutrition facts for this one, but I know the WW points are 3 for 1 cup serving, and this serves about 8.

Day 2

Here we are on Day 2 and i must admit I ran into a little problem yesterday. Taco Bell is one of my weakness. So yesterday I got done with school and got a call to bring home Taco bell...aaahhhh nooooo. That was all I was thinking, but I did it anyways. I ended up getting two of their fresco tacos and must say they were mighty good, and at $.89 a pop they don't break the bank. Now I will not make this a habit, but I know that if I get those dreaded Taco Bell cravings I can go and get the fresco tacos without totally ruining myself :)

My menu for yesterday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal~ I am a creature of habit~ ($.19 for one packet)
Coffee with sweet & low and a little bit of cream

Lunch: 2 Taco Bell Fresco crunchy Tacos ($1,78)

Snack: 1 banana ($.40)

Dinner: Spaghetti,bread, salad.($.74 noodles, $1.29 sauce, $1.29 bread, $2.99 salad, $1.98 dressing This dinner was roughly $5.02 for a family of four)
-now when I have spaghetti I take the time to dish out my noodles in a measuring cup, I just measure out the serving size. That is all the Spaghetti I have, then we have baguette bread so I don't eat as many and they are small, the salad I had was with a light Raspberry walnut vinagerette. All this together was perfect for dinner.

My total cost for the day was: $7.39

Now this number is when I break everything down by price. For the record I spend about $100 every two weeks on groceries, I am very huge bargain shopper, but we always have fresh fruit, vegetables, and snacks in our house. I have just found ways to eat healthier on a strict budget.

Here is a cheap Healthy and great tasting Tuna Casserole recipe,
TUNA CASSEROLE

What you need:
1 can Tuna in water, drained
1 cup Macaroni, uncooked
1 Onion, chopped
1 can Peas, drained (baby peas if possible)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup Skim milk
6 tbsp. cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
In a casserole dish, stir together the tuna, macaroni, onion, peas, mushroom soup,

and milk. Make sure the macaroni is covered by the sauce. Sprinkle with the cheddar

cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

**One thing you can do to drop the calories and fat is substitute reduced fat cream of mushroom soup for the regular and reduced fat cheddar for reg. cheddar**
~ For the weight watcher lovers this is 6 pts per serving

Calories 329.2
Total Fat 9.2 g
Saturated Fat 3.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Cholesterol 24.9 mg
Sodium 929.6 mg
Potassium 478.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 40.1 g
Dietary Fiber 4.3 g
Sugars 3.3 g
Protein 23.7

Day 1

So here it starts. I will give you the details of what I ate yesterday and what I did for exercise.

Breakfast: 1 packet of flavored oatmeal
~ $1.49 for a box of 8 (19cents per packet)

Lunch: Salad with cut up lunchmeat, cheese, fat free croutons, and reduced fat Raspberry Vinagerette
~$1.98 for bottle of dressing, $1.98 pkg lunchmeat, $1.48 croutons, $3.80 for 2lbs cheese,$2.99 2lbs salad.(Total is $12.23, but keep in mind this will be enough to feed me for a whole week if not longer, so it is roughly $1.75 per serving)

Snack: 2 large graham crackers
~$1.58 for entire box of graham crackers

Dinner: Enchilada Casserole with Rice
~$3.14 xtra lean ground beef, $1.79 big can enchilada sauce, $.98 can of olives, $1.98 50ct corn tortilla, $.38 Taco seasoning, $3.80 2lbs cheese, $1.23 1lb bag rice. (Grand total of $12.70, but I only used 8 of the 50 tortillas, 1 1/2 cups of cheese and 2 cups of rice so it is roughly $7.91 for a dinner for a family of 4)

As far as exercise, I didn't do any, but partly this is because I spent alot of the day packing up my house getting ready to move.

You know they say that just simple things like house cleaing is considered exercise. If you don't normally exercise start out small by doing things like walking for small periods of time, if you do it enough you will watch your stamina steadily increase.

Grand total price for the day $11.55 now this is the total of what I ate not the total of what I would have spent.

Depending on where you live prices will vary, the best places to shop to save is a Winco if you have one near you, but most importantly price check before you leave the house.

Be sure to check out the deals tab I have, whenever I have find great deals I will post them there.