Recent Recipes

One of my favorite things to do is meal plan (weirdo).  I love choosing new recipes to make and plan the shopping list.  Since I am on Weight Watchers, this is a time consuming process.  I have to scour the internet for suggestions and blogs that contain Weight Watcher-friendly meals.

Here are some recent meals that I have made along with the links.

Pork Chops with Hoisin-Molasses Barbecue Sauce

Yum!  Very easy as a weeknight meal.

Bubble Up Enchilada Casserole

EmilyBites has a Bubble Up Pizza Casserole that is on my meal list for the upcoming week.  We really loved this.

Bacon, Onion, and Brown Lentil Skillet

Jason raved about this, which was surprising.  He doesn't strike me as being a lentil lover.  See the bread in that picture above?  That is homemade based on this blog entry.  It is the easiest recipe ever and produces a dense, flavorful bread.  I used 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 2 cups of white flour, 1 cup of old fashioned oats and a bit of molasses.  Amazing!

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This soup is so good that I have made it several times.  The lemon really makes the soup taste fresh.  I again served this with homemade bread.

Cornmeal and Spice-Crusted Scallops

I wish these had been more crunchy on the outside, but they were still very good!

Ropa Vieja

I loved that this recipe made a lot. Jason ate most of the leftovers for lunch.

Three-Cheese Baked Penne

The addition of goat cheese to this pasta made it so tangy and creamy.  Yum!

Jamaican-Spiced Chicken Thighs

These were good, but I wish they had been spicier.  We love spicy things in my house.  Also, the rice was made with a sazon seasoning packet mixed in, hence the orange color.

Hamburger Stroganoff

This was such a low Point meal, it surprised me.  I had enough Points left to splurge on some salad dressing.  I usually eat my salad plain.

Garlic-Rubbed Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

This was a special meal.  My kids were at my in-laws' house this weekend so I made a dinner that Jason and I could enjoy without hearing "I don't like that".  Yummmmm!  It was delicious. Flank steak at my grocery store was spendy so I used a flat iron steak instead.

If you make any of these recipes, please let me know what you think!

I Made It - Holiday Edition

This post is also a catch up from over the holidays.  Just like last year, I did a ton of homemade gifts and treats.  Enjoy!

Lego Table

As I mentioned in another post about Christmas, I made a Lego table for the kids for Christmas.  I have seen the Ikea Hack post all over Pinterest and thought I would try my hand at an easy craft.

This table cost under $40 total.  The table was $8 (Ikea Lack), the 4 Lego plates were $23.96 and the glue I used was $4.69.  Total cost was $36.65.  The assembly couldn't have been easier.  The table legs just screwed in, no tools necessary.  The plates were glued on with an epoxy glue.  To be honest, I didn't even measure.  I eyeballed where the plates should go, put the epoxy on, let it sit for the instructed 5 minutes and pressed down.  Easiest project ever.

Felt Christmas Tree

This project was also very easy.  I had seen these felt Christmas trees at Target and decided to make something similar.  I bought the felt and the double-sided tape at my local fabric store.  The bonus was that they were having a 30% off sale so in total, I want to say I spent less than $10 for this project, and the boys can use it for several years.

I freehand drew the tree using a white crayon and simply cut it out.  I made ball, bell, heart and star ornaments.  I also drew those with a white crayon and cut them out.  Using double-sided tape, it all got hung up on the wall. The tape was light enough that the ornaments could be moved around many times.  The boys really enjoyed "decorating" their own tree.

Ribbed Socks

I made several knitted gifts this year for Christmas.  These are just the ones I hadn't posted about yet.  This was a last minute gift for my mother-in-law.  I had the yarn and she raves about the other socks I made her so I made another pair.  Again, she loved them.  

Pattern Credit

Yarn Credit:  Hazel Knits Artisan Sock yarn in Splish Splash

Sweater

My mom requested a sweater for Christmas so I found a pattern I liked at my local yarn shop and then picked out the yarn.  I ordered the yarn online since I could get acrylic for a very good price.  It's hard to knit up a sweater and it ends up costing $80 just in yarn costs plus the many, many hours of work.  I was able to purchase the yarn needed on KnitPicks for $30. Score!

The yarn is more of a plum color.  It was hard to photograph.  It's a very simple v-neck pullover with a split bottom.  That way, it fits nicely over the hips. It turns out that my mom loved it!

Pattern Credit

Yarn Credit:  KnitPicks Brava Worsted in Mullberry

Bow Hat

You guys, I think this makes 8 of these hats that I have knitted.  If anyone else asks, the answer is NO!

This hat was for my sister.  She asked and she is an exception to the "NO" rule.  She requested the hat in black so here it is!  I used something other than my standard black yarn.  I used black, but in something a little nicer since it was a gift.  The yarn itself is so soft!

Pattern Credit

Yarn Credit:  Malabrigo Rios in Black

Fisher Cable Hat

I couldn't leave my brother-in-law out so I knitted him a hat as well.  The yarn was more navy than black like the picture shows.  

Pattern Credit

Yarn Credit:  Imperial Yarn Erin Worsted in Navy

Chocolate Pie

For Christmas Eve, I offered to bring dessert.  I love baking and hadn't done a lot of baking over the holidays.  My Aunt makes the best chocolate pie every Thanksgiving and she was so gracious and gave me the recipe.  It's actually a recipe from a really old Hershey's cookbook for Banana Chocolate Cream pie.  I don't have the recipe handy, but this one is pretty close.

My Aunt's trick is when the crust comes out of the oven, sprinkle some chocolate chips in the bottom of the pan, let them melt and spread with a pastry brush.  This keeps the crust from getting soggy.

I topped the pie with some sweetened whipped cream mixed with a touch of peppermint extract.  It really made it taste festive!

Christmas Appetizers

Every year when celebrating over at my Aunt's house, we have something called a grazing table.  No formal Christmas dinner, just a bunch of snack type foods and treats.  My contributions this year were goat cheese stuffed dates and sausage balls.  

I didn't use a recipe for the dates.  I just pitted them, halved them and put a bit of herbed goat cheese in the middle.  Very simple and very tasty!

The sausage balls were also very easy.  You use a pound of hot sausage (I used Jimmy Dean), 12 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, and 3 cups of Bisquick.  You mix all that together (this was not very easy or fun - I just used my hands) and form into golf ball sized balls.  Bake in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes.

I assembled and rolled these the night before so all I had to do was bake them off.  Such a good idea!

Christmas Cookies

I was on vacation from work the week of Christmas and we had no plans.  The only plans the boys and I had were crafts, baking and playing games.  I did make one batch of cookies and they are always my favorite:  Peanut Butter Blossoms

I had the boys unwrap the Hershey kisses and when I checked on them, a few had bites taken out of them.  LOL.

Recipe credit

There are a few things that I am sure I am omitting.  Like the beaded pipe cleaners that my kids did.  Or the peppermint ornaments we made.  Or the no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies that Jason requested.  

I have done a few more knitted items since Christmas, so that post is sure to come soon!

Recipe Round Up

As always, I have been cooking a lot lately.  Here are some yummy recipes that are all Weight Watchers friendly. I have put the Points Plus values in parentheses if you follow the Plan.

Asian Turkey Meatballs with Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce (7 Points Plus)

I made garlic Udon noodles and blistered green beans to go along with the meatballs.  Yummy!

Healthy Baked Fish Sticks with Lemon Caper Sauce (5 Points Plus)

Corn on the cob and a side of sauteed spinach.  Delicious!

Angel Hair Pasta with Scallops and Tomatoes (9 Points Plus)

I am trying really hard to incorporate more fish into our diet and the above counts right?  My kids won't touch seafood but I keep trying.

Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts and Feta Cheese (3 Points Plus)

I always have chicken thighs on hand so it is nice to just have to buy two ingredients to make this dinner.  You can also see that we eat green beans a lot.  I found a new way to make them and Jason and I are hooked:  In a pan over medium high heat, add olive oil.  Add beans and saute until cooked through.  I always add salt and pepper and garlic as well.

Turkey Burgers with Zucchini (4 Points Plus)

Don't forget to add extra Points Plus for the bun.  The oven fries in the picture are from here.  Very tasty!

Tortellini Soup (8 Points Plus)

I made the boys some sausages with the soup so it wouldn't be vegetarian (my husband just about dies at the thought of no meat) and I made myself a bagel thin cheese sandwich.

Pork Chops with Mint Pesto

I have a ton of mint in my garden that I needed to use up.  I whipped up the mint pesto from this link.

I can't recall what I calculated for the pesto to be honest.  It was very good though!

Honey-Teriyaki Salmon (7 Points Plus)

I have never cooked salmon at home because, well, we don't really like it.  But again, in an effort to branch out and try more fish, I made this recipe.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Isn't that picture crazy?  It is very colorful thanks to my purple cauliflower mash and my roasted pineapple (I mixed a little brown sugar and cinnamon and roasted in the oven for about 15 minutes).  

Coconut Chicken Strips (13 Points Plus if you include the rice)

I love cilantro so I will jump at the chance to include it whenever I can.

Crock Pot Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup (6 Points Plus)

Yummmmmmm!  I made cornbread and a veggie to round out this meal.

I have made a couple of other meals lately that have been pretty good too, but I don't have pictures.

I hope everyone has an awesome 4th of  July!

WW - WWFM

Weight Watchers, What Works for Me.  That is what the acronym in the title line means.

I am currently on week a million (okay not really) of Weight Watchers and doing really well.  I am down a total of 36.6 pounds and although my losses have slowed down, I am still trucking along.  I figure a loss is a loss, no matter how small.  Most weeks I only lose about a pound and sometimes even less.  I have a long way to go but these tips really have helped me stay on track.  I am not going to lie, sometimes I veer off course.  But I always go back on Plan after a mistake.  If I don't, I am going to end up where I was before, 36 pounds heavier.

Here are some things that have worked for me.  Maybe some of these tips will help others.

* Don't feel bad about being boring:  There are many days where I eat the exact same thing for breakfast and lunch.  You know what?  That's okay.  I like these things (bowl of Kashi Go Lean, wrap sandwich, Greek yogurt) and rarely get bored with them.  It's okay, I like being boring and I am not going to feel bad about it.  If you like something, eat it!  Who cares if you ate the exact same meal yesterday.

* Make dinner interesting:  This seems like a strange tip after my comment about being boring.  I love to cook and find new recipes.  I find if I am inspired and interested about dinner, I am way more satisfied about how I have eaten that day.

* Make room for splurges:  There are certain things that I look forward to everyday.  My morning coffee is the first thing, and something sweet after dinner while I am knitting is the second.  I always save some Points for both of these splurges.  My morning coffee is 4 Points Plus because I use flavored creamer.  It makes me happy and gives me a good "boost" for my day.  My dessert always happens.  Always.  I usually save 2 or 3 Points for an ice cream bar, my 3 Point mug cake or a homemade healthy muffin.

* Keep going:  It sounds obvious but even if you aren't losing how you would like, just keep going.  A loss is a loss no matter how small.  Most weeks I only lose .6-.8 pounds but I just keep going.  If I keep going, my goal will be here sooner than later.

* Be accountable:  I manage a check in on the message board that I frequent.  If I don't make a weekly post, I feel guilty. That check in keeps me accountable for staying on track with my eating so I can be an inspiration to others.  I also post a lot on Instagram and follow other IGers who are following Weight Watchers.  Watching them lose and cook healthier meals keeps me accountable since some of them follow me.

What works for you? How do you stay on track on those hard days or weeks?

Randoms and Catch Up

This will probably be really long.  I have a lot to update on!

* My Dad was here for a visit the first week of May.  It had been two years since I had seen him and it was a very nice visit.  It was hard finding fun things to do that he had never experienced before but we managed!  We went to the zoo (although he had been there before), the Oregon coast with a trip to Ft. Stevens and Tillamook, Hood River with just us adults for wine, good food and the fruit loop.  We also went to the Ridgefield Wildlife area and out to Sauvie Island for a picnic lunch one day.  Here are some random pictures.  Please note my Dad hates having his picture taken which is why you will see zero with him.

* My lab work all came back normal which is great!  It doesn't solve the issue of why I feel off these days but hopefully with added vitamins and probiotics I will start feeling better.

* I am down 37 pounds on Weight Watchers!  The weight loss has been pretty slow these days but I have cut way back on my Flex Points usage to hopefully jump start my loss again.  If that doesn't work, I am going to start the Wendie Plan (Google it if you are curious).  

Here are some of the yummy recipes I have made lately:

Angel hair pasta with scallops and tomatoes and blistered green beans

Pineapple whip - identical to the Dole whip you would get at Disney.  Amazing!

Coconut chicken strips, cilantro lime rice and roasted broccoli

Summer vegetables with chicken sausage and potatoes

Pork with mint pesto, quinoa and roasted cauliflower

* I planted quite the herb garden this year and am finding ways to use them up.  I have cilantro, parsley, thyme and mint coming out of the wazoo!  My rosemary is under control for now.  I have made countless pitchers of mint iced tea, mint pesto, mint chocolate chip muffins, salads with fresh herbs, marinades with fresh herbs, and the list goes on.  My favorite is probably the cilantro.  I could bathe in cilantro.

* My veggies are coming along too.  I have 4 tomato plants, potatoes growing in a trash can (really), carrots, bush beans and broccoli.  Most are from seed so they won't be ready for several more weeks but it's fun to watch them grow.

* Jack has his last day of school on Thursday with his graduation on Tuesday.  My goodness, my kids are growing so fast.  Next year, Jack will be in pre-kindergarten and Cal in pre-preschool.  They will go to the same school for a few hours a couple times a week.

* On that note, Jack is starting speech therapy on Monday.  At his 4 year well child checkup the pediatrician mentioned that he was hard to understand.  I can understand 100% of what he says but others can't.  I scheduled an appointment with the school district for an evaluation and it turns out he has a bit of a delay.  He talks up a storm but he has a hard time pronouncing his F's, V's and some other letters.  He also has a bit of a front lisp that needs to be corrected.  I am hoping his therapy will help and by kindergarten, he won't have any issues.

* Cal is doing great!  Talking up a storm, getting quite the 2 year old attitude and growing like crazy.  We had a little bit of a scare last week when he had a virus.  He often gets random fevers with no other symptoms.  We have learned to mostly keep him medicated and not worry unless he starts developing other symptoms.  Last week he was on day 5 of a fever so I decided to bring him in to the pediatrician.  After looking him over, she found he had another bout of tonsilitis.  What was worrisome is that he wasn't moving his neck.  He had a lump in his neck and so she sent us to the Children's Hospital.  She was concerned that he had something called retropharyngeal abcess.  Thank goodness he was fine and didn't have the abcess which would have needed surgery.  Talk about a scary few hours though.  Yikes!  

That is about it for now.  I hope to do a Weight Watchers dedicated post soon with my tips and tricks this time around.  

Recipe Catch Up

Here are a few things I have cooked lately.  If it's posted in the blog, that means it was good so no individual reviews are needed : )

Baked Cod

I don't have a recipe for this.  I am trying to do more "from the hip" cooking without recipes.  I seasoned the fish with salt, pepper and a little dill and broiled.  The quinoa is seasoned with onion, garlic, salt pepper and thyme.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

We loved this recipe.  The only strange thing about it was to grind up your own chicken.  It would probably be easier, but more expensive, just to buy ground chicken.

Cheeseburger Soup

Sounds weird, tasted good!  We especially like the baked croutons.

Chile-Brined Roasted Pork Loin

I have made this before and it made it's reappearance last night.

The mashed potatoes are actually cauliflower. Just cook your cauliflower, and put it in a food processor when done.  Puree with salt, pepper, milk and butter just like mashed potatoes.  Amazingly good!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Bake

I wish my kids were more adventurous eaters because I think they would really enjoy recipes like this.

I mean who wouldn't like ham, chicken, pasta and cheese?

Jambalaya

I had some shrimp in the freezer and some chicken sausage in the fridge and thought, "Hmmmm, jamabalaya uses both of those" so this recipe was born.

I omitted the butter to make it more Weight Watchers friendly.  I also added more tomato and used white onion instead of the green.

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

I love how these are portioned for serving size.  Perfect!

Easy Macaroni Casserole

Casseroles with tons of leftovers are a hit in my house.  Lunch for the next few days?  Yes please.

Pepper Steak

I hate to admit this, but I forgot to add the pepper to this.  It was still really good though!

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

I have made this before and it made another appearance.  You can really add any vegetable if you don't like broccoli. 

Hodge Podge meal

This is what you eat when the rest of your family is eating pizza and it just doesn't sound good (WHO AM I?!?!?!).

The quinoa and chicken were leftover from the night before.  I topped them with fresh cilantro.  I had a butternut squash in the fridge so I cubed it and roasted it in the oven.  Dinner in under 20 minutes.  Score!

Deep Dish Sloppy Joe Casserole

Jason hates sloppy joes.  He think they are too sweet (weirdo).  I loved this and he will just have to deal with it if I make it again.

Spaghetti

It was spaghetti night in our house the other night.  I wanted to make something other than just plain marinara sauce so I cooked up some ground beef and added my usual spice mixture:  Onions, fresh garlic, basil, Italian seasoning and some red pepper flakes.

Those green beans are making it into many of our meals lately.  They are so easy and so much better than canned.

Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chicken

Asian cooking with very few ingredients.  Winner!

Turkey Meatball Subs

This took a bit of prep but it was worth it!  I put mozzarella on the top of my boys' sandwiches.  I just had the called for Parmesan.

Enjoy!  If you make any of these, please comment and tell me what you thought.