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WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

Current Weight----- 287 lbs

5% Goal-----273 lbs
10% Goal----258 lbs

Goal Weight-----145 lbs


Friday, June 25, 2010

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.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

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

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

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

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

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

Friday, June 18, 2010

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

Thursday, June 17, 2010

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

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

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:::

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

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

Friday, June 11, 2010

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

Thursday, June 10, 2010

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

Monday, June 7, 2010

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