This creamy mushroom chicken recipe is a great spin on your typical Chicken Marsala. It is packed with rich, creamy mushroom-y flavor without all the calories and points+ that are in a traditional Marsala dish. The secret to the nutty mushroom flavor is using Cremini Mushrooms as they are richer than your average button mushrooms.  It is the perfect meal to make on a weeknight when time is limited. Serve it up with Jicama Hash browns and steam broccoli for one delicious dinner that everyone will be asking you when you will be making it again.

CREMINI MUSHROOM CHICKEN (print it!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Wedges
• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Sprinkle chicken breasts with sea salt and black pepper.  “Fry” in the oil until lightly browned on each side, about 5 minutes each.  Remove to a plate, keep warm.

2.  Add remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the pan along with the mushrooms, green onions and garlic.  Cook until mushrooms soften, about 3-4 minutes.

4.  Add chicken broth, Laughing Cow and Italian seasoning, cooking until the cheese melts, about 1 minute.

5.  Return chicken to pan, cover and cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes longer. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings, 1 chicken breast and 1/4 of the mushroom mix, 4 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving calculated at caloriecount.com

This is one of my favorite recipes from the archives to cook up when I am not sure what to make for dinner.  It is excellent with Jicama Hash browns, on top of egg noodles or just eaten straight up.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mom’s out there ~ you all deserved to be recognized for all the things you do and more!  I will be back tomorrow with our Weekly Menu and this week’s goals.

Night all!

There are a few recipes that are so completely delicious that they make their debut on our dining table often.  I have made these Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells for years with several variations including making them vegetarian and vegan.  They are easy to make and packed with tons of cheesy goodness. Serve them up with a 3 points+ Alexia Garlic Baguette and a nice salad for a complete dinner that your entire family will love. They taste even better the next day and freeze well too!

CHEESY CHICKEN STUFFED PASTA SHELLS (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 12 shells uncooked jumbo shells
• 1 1/2 cups marinara
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups fat free ricotta cheese
• 4 oz chicken breast, cooked, skinless, diced – Make it yourself or use rotisserie chicken
• 16 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 4-5 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp black pepper and sea salt
• 1 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2) Cook manicotti shells in salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Set aside.

3) Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over bottom of pan and set aside.

4) For filling, in a large bowl, stir together egg whites, ricotta cheese, chicken, spinach, garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil and Italian seasoning. Stir in 1/4 cup each of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

5) To assemble, spoon cheese mixture into manicotti shells and place filled shells in a single layer in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake about 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings, 2 stuffed shells for 7 points+

* Make it VEGETARIAN by using chickenless chicken and/or omitting the chicken.

** Make it VEGAN by omitting the chicken, using Veggie Shreds Mozzarella and clicking HERE for recipes for “mock” Ricotta or using tofu for the ricotta.

Nutritional information per 2 stuffed shelled serving calculated at caloriecount.com

Make up your filling while you boil your noodles according to the box directions.

Spray a 9×13 pan with your olive oil mister (nonstick spray) and spread a small layer of your marinara sauce ~ 1/2-3/4 cup. Stuff your shells and place them in the pan.  Then,top with remaining sauce and remaining cheeses.

Bake at 350 for ~ 30 minutes.

This was one of the first recipes I added to my site during my first year blogging.  Bringing it up from the archives reminds me that I NEED to make it for us again soon.

Last chance to enter my Get Fit Giveaway ~ The winner will be drawn tomorrow night.

Night all!

Happy Monday all!  It was so fun to read all the things you all are going to do this week to be healthy and it was also really cool that some of us have the same goals!  I am so proud of me for starting my day and week off by sticking with goal #1.

Getting up at 5 AM and hopping on the treadmill for a 30 minute walk run!  It felt great and helped me get closer to goal #2 by drinking 32 oz of water before breakfast….double success!

Post workout I powered up with one delicious 2 points+ Simply Filling breakfast eaten on the train.

Banana ~ berries!

Plus, a perfectly hard boiled egg for staying power.

Lunch today was something I have been eyeing at the Café.

Grilled Teriyaki Pineapple Sandwich with Shaved Jicama, tomato, lettuce and pepper jack cheese….I ordered mine on top of a Thin Bun to save on points+. (9 points+)

If you skipped the cheese, this would’ve been a Simply Filling Sandwich plus 1 WPA.

Instead of fries they made me an Asian side salad (2 points+) ~ you would count WPA for the dressing and sunflower seeds on Simply Filling.

All served up with a giant pickle.

I had 2 mini’s for dessert ~ I earned them today (2 points+)

I knew I was stopping at the store on the way home so I made sure I ate my train snacks.

Watermelon & a 1 points+ String Cheese (if the cheese was FF it would be a 100% Simply Filling Snack).

When I walked in the door, The Husband couldn’t wait to give me his Dating Anniversary Card since today is officially “Our 8th Birthday” LOL.

In totally random events…he came across this check number in his series 2416 as he was paying his bills and wrote it out just for me ~ so crazy, but, so cool at the same time!

Dinner tonight took minutes to make and it was so light, healthy & flavorful.  We made up this Cooking Light Recipe for Avocado Chicken Salad.

All you do is take 2 cups of chopped chicken (I used rotisserie), 1 chopped avocado and 1 cup pico de gallo with hot sauce or salsa.

Then, drizzle with lime juice (I doubled it), olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

Toss ~ I added dashes of hot sauce for extra heat.

Scoop ~ a serving is 1 cup!!!

Add cilantro, then, take it out because The Husband said it looked dorky

Served with 24 crunchy homemade tortilla chips that are topped with sea salt and drizzled with a little lime juice. 

Crunch away ~ my ENTIRE plate was 9 points+ and completely light, healthy and refreshing.  The Husband LOVED It and proceeded to eat the other 3 servings LOL.

Simply Filling would count WPA towards the chips & avocado (6 WPA).

STATS so far today on my BM from Midnight until 8 PM:

• Calories Burned: 2,734 (Activity points earned: 3)
• Calories consumed: 25 WPA (I still have to add my food to track my calories in)
• Steps Taken: 14,799
• Sleep Efficiency last night: 91%, hours slept 7 hrs, 5 mins

If you followed my day using Simply Filling, you would’ve eaten everything here, checked off all your good health guidelines and used 10 WPA.  I highlighted the WPA because then you can pick and choose what is worth it to use and what you’d save on (like the sunflower seeds or chocolate).

Night all!

Happy Wednesday all!  Thank you all for sharing your FAVORITE BREADS.  As much as I know I am going to miss my Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread, I am really excited to try all the different types you all listed.

I am also glad that I FINALLY woke up this morning with normal (not STARVING) hunger levels.  I still stuck with my Protein Packed Breakfast.

The Husband said my Sausage Egg-Wich looked like Alien eyes with the sausage cut in half LOL.

SO SAD that this is my LAST 2 slices of Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain…..BUT, thanks to all of you, I have a bunch of new ideas to try out. 

2 Slices TJ’s FF Multi-Grain Bread, “Fried” Egg, MS Veggie Sausage (7 points+)

Breakfast kept me full for 6 hours and helped me power through my 3.4 mile lunch time walk.  As some of you know, I LOVE using my FREE Cardio Trainer App on my phone to track my miles whether I am walking or running.

There is a NEW FEATURE, I am IN LOVE with ~ Each day, it tells me a FOOD equivalent for how many calories I burned.  Today I burned 6 tomatoes and yesterday 4 bananas ~ so FUN!

I couldn’t wait to dive into my Butternut Squash Soup for lunch (4 points+) ~ I NEVER get tired of it, but, I DID put the last container in the freezer so I’d eat something different tomorrow

The last serving of our Veggie Tray Veggies with 2 Tbsp Lite Ranch (3 points+).

I brought a yogurt and Sea Salt N Vinegar Almonds ~ the almonds totally won over as the addition to my lunch (1/2 oz = 2 points+).

I can usually resist most HOLIDAY candy because I can plan for it and have candy any time throughout the year.  I do NOT need to have it because it is in a cute little wrapper.

BUT, I DO pick the things I can only get once a year and secretly LOVE like…..

Marshmallow Eggs!

3 points+ for the entire thing!

It’s BIG and totally marshmallow-y good.  The BEST part is that they only come in a pack of 6 so there isn’t a bunch of temptation lying around.  Or as one of my favorite readers always tells me ~ that’s only 18 WPA if you want them all lol

I decided to have my afternoon snack before heading out to the train so I wouldn’t be STARVING by the time I walked in the door.

Banana plus a Trader Joe’s Lite String Cheese (1 points+)

Dinner tonight was fast, fresh and healthy.  It literally took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

We made up Teriyaki Chicken & Veggie Bowls.  I marinated the chicken last night in Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki then, grilled it while I stir-fried the veggies.

I started with 1/2 cup of Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice ~ it is in the freezer section and takes only 3 minutes to cook! (3 points+)

Layer on the Asian Veggie Mix that I stir fried for 5 minutes then finished with a little teriyaki.

I finished with 3 oz Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Breast Tenders drizzled with Teriyaki.  Oh and I totally dotted everything with Sriracha Hot Sauce.

My entire Healthy Teriyaki Chicken and Veggie bowl was only 6 points+!

While The Husband worked on the dishes, I put our dinner together for tomorrow night.

Slow Cooker Chili! 

It’s all set ~ I just have to put the crockpot on tomorrow and let it simmer on low all day.

Recipe coming up tomorrow.  I am wondering if we will eat it as chili with all the fixin’s or make chili cheese nachos.

Off to read my mags and watch The Bounty Hunter with The Husband. ONLY 2 more days.

Night all!

Happy Wednesday all!  Thanks for sharing your Laughing Cow ideas.  I had NO IDEA that they now have Cinnamon and Buffalo flavored Laughing Cow Cheeses.  I seriously NEED to find them now.

This morning I couldn’t decide what sounded good for breakfast.  I actually packed a banana and hard boiled egg plus another Fage 0% Yogurt with granola and fruit like yesterday.

As I walked to work from the train in the rain, I decided I NEEDED something warm LOL.

Not just anything, but, my one of my FAVORITE dishes that is custom made at our café.

Veggie Egg White Omelet without cheese with 2 slices of bacon on the side (6 points+)

Topped with a bunch of homemade fresh green salsa.  The grilled veggies add a delicious smoky flavor.

Mid morning, I snacked on a banana and Trader Joe’s Lite String Cheese (1 points+).

I had meetings ALL DAY today so I didn’t have a chance to get out for a walk.  It is days like today that make me “glad” that I walk to/from the train and am working on ALWAYS taking the stairs.

Lunch was the rest of the Penne with Sausage, Veggies & Spicy Queso Fredo.  It is just as tasty the next day (7 points+).

I actually packed a side salad to go with my lunch, but, when I sat down and thought about what I really wanted, it was more of these Tia Sweet BBQ Chips.

So, I went with it ~ sometimes you just need that salty crunch. (4 points+)

Remember the Sea Salt & Vinegar Almonds?! I opened another can and had 1/2 an ounce with an apple for my afternoon snack (2 points+)

When I walked in the door The Husband surprised me with Dum Dums and Jolly Ranchers!!! Remember how I said I wanted to get some yesterday….he saw that and went out just to get me some today ~ LOVE!

He also whipped up one FANTASTIC delicious dinner with his spin on my 20 Minute Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Salads.

We both LOVE BBQ anything, Buffalo Chicken, “Southern Fried Chicken” and Ranch.  This salad takes all of these piled high with a bunch of crisp vegetables to make one amazing crunchy, sweet, spicy, cool ranch salad you would never guess is healthy. 

What more can I say other than you NEED to try this!

BBQ BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups organic romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup organic mixed greens
• 1/4 cup red cabbage
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1/4 cup orange or red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/4 cup cucumber, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 2 Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken Breast tenders (3 points+ each)
• 2 Tbsp Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 1 Tbsp BBQ Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Bolthouse Ranch Dressing (2 points+ for 2 Tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp Black Pepper Sliced Almonds, optional (1 points+)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Cook chicken tenders according to the packaged instructions.

2.  Toss romaine, mixed greens and cabbage together.  Top salad mix with celery, bell pepper, cucumber and tomato slices.

3.  Toss cooked chicken tenders in the Frank’s Hot Sauce, then place on top of salad.  Drizzle with BBQ sauce, ranch and sprinkle with almonds if using.

**NOTE: Make this VEGETARIN by using Chickenless Tenders, breaded or fried tofu.

Makes 1 HUGE @$$ Crispy BBQ Buffalo Chicken Salad, 9 points+

Nutritional information for the ENTIRE salad calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP

The “secret” is totally in THE SAUCES!  I LOVE Bolthouse Ranch ~ it’s one of the few bottled dressings that doesn’t taste like bottled.  The ranch blends perfectly with the sweet BBQ sauce and helps to cool off Frank’s Hot Sauce.

While the chicken cooks, build your salad.

Toss the chicken tenders in the Frank’s Hot Sauce then drizzle the entire salad with BBQ sauce.

Sprinkle with almonds & croutons (tossed on at the last minute).

Drizzle with ranch and dig into this completely healthy CRISPY, BBQ Buffalo Chicken Salad.

Dessert ~ 2 Dum Dums ~ Root Beer & Fruit Punch (1 points+).

Night all!

Happy Monday all!  I was off running ~ “literally” this morning when I left the house with only 8 minutes before the train arrived.  Actually I am pretty sure running from the bedroom to the kitchen to the living room and out the door didn’t really let The Husband sleep in ~ oops LOL…..

I managed to park and run to the train stop just as it was pulling in.

NOTE TO SELF ~ tell my brain the train is arriving 10 minutes BEFORE it does so then I am never late, right? ha!

Even though I pretty much had no time, I still managed to throw a few things in my bag for my ride for breakfast.

Mixed Berries ~ I am IN LOVE with these organic berries we got at Costco ~ they are firm!

Plus an Egg-Wich (5 points+)

When I hopped off the train I created a little “competition” and “challenged” myself to walk as fast as I could to beat The Guys (my walking buddies) who took the shortcut route.

I did it ~ Girls Rule! I walked my 1.3+ miles in 17 minutes passing them before they got to the front door!

Work is really crazy busy still, but, we all still found time for our Holiday Party ~ Mexican Food that was catered!

I had 6 chips with salsa to start x’s 2 (4 points+).

We were all served up plates of Tacos ~ I think they know me too well already LOL.

Chicken Taco (5 points+) ~ my favorite!

Pork Taco (5 points+)

With Rice & Beans on the side (5 points+ for what I ate)

I had actually planned on passing up dessert but one of my co-workers delivered this Red Velvet Cupcake.  I thought of trying to take it home to The Husband but didn’t think it would make the train ride.  It was totally worth it (5 points+)

Since we already had our salad mix made up from last night, dinner only took about 10 minutes to make.

I have pretty much decide BACON, cheese and sunflower seeds totally go with grapes on top of salads ~ this combination made our salads creamy, crunchy, smoky, sweet and not like any “diet” salad you will ever eat!

SUPER EASY CHICKEN SALAD WITH BACON & GRAPES (print it!)

In the mix:

• Organic Mixed Greens & Organic Romaine
• Organic Shredded Carrots, Red Cabbage & Organic Broccoli Slaw
• Snap Peas, cucumber, mini bell peppers, GRAPES
• 1 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds (1 points+)
• 1/2 oz low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded (1 points+)
• 2 slices Trader Joe’s Bacon, crumbled (2 points+)
• 2 oz cooked chicken breast, (2 points+)

Drizzled with 2 Tbsp BoltHouse Yogurt Ranch (2 points+) ~ it tastes pretty close to homemade ranch!

• Total Daily Points+: 37 (not bad for a holiday party day & I feel good about using my WPA!)
• Total Activity points+: 3 for my power walks

Q’s

I cannot wait for The Biggest Loser Finale tomorrow night ~ who are you rooting for???

I am torn but I think I want Ramon to win or Antoine, but, not John

Night all!

Happy Wednesday all!  I really wanted to have someone whip up a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup for me this week since I am trying to get over this cold.  I am sort of a soup snob.  I LOVE homemade soups and rarely eat canned soup even when I am sick.  It is so easy to make hearty chicken noodle soup that tastes like it has been cooking for hours in just 3 simple steps.

This recipe works well if you have leftover chicken to use up, chicken in the freezer (it can go straight in the pan) or you could even take a short cut and use a rotisserie chicken.  The fresh herbs and lemon juice really brighten the flavor, while the fire roasted tomatoes bring a smoky richness and homemade soup taste.  I used a few sprigs of fresh herbs I had in the garden, however, you can use dried herbs if that is all you have on hand.

This soup is packed with veggie goodness and delicious by itself, however, I bet it would be even better if someone would come over and make me homemade crusty sour dough bread LOL.

I will be explaining my Recipage Recipe Organizer soon (it’s so cool!), but, for now, if you would like to print, email, send it to your phone, facebook or tweet this recipe, CLICK HERE.

HEARTY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 sprig  rosemary, thyme and oregano or 1/2 tsp each dried
• 1 bay leave, fresh or dried
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 4 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted, Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, optional
• 4 oz whole wheat egg noodles
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley to garnish, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Combine chicken broth through bay leave in a large soup pan over high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  If using fresh herb sprigs, remove and discard sprigs and bay leave. 

2.  Remove chicken breast, shred and set aside.  Add carrots through parmesan and return to a boil.  Cook for 10 minutes, until carrots are softened slightly.  Add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes.

3.  Return chicken to pan and season to taste with black pepper.  Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley before serving.

Makes 6 servings, 1 1/2 cups each, 5 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving, based on 6 servings

Thanks for all the congrats on my new job!  I LOVE that you all are so supportive and I can’t wait to share my new adventures in Sactown with you all.  I will be back tomorrow with a normal daily if I stop eating something other than soup and fruit, but, for now, I am off to drink my Echinacea Tea with honey and catch some z’s.

Night all.

Hi, I’m Shannon from Shannonskitchencreations.com and Danica asked me to be one of her guest posters this week! I was thrilled to be able to share with you a little about me and my site. I am a SAHM of 3 small children and I have been working hard to get back that pre-baby body from 7 years ago. I am a weight watcher’s lifetime member, but I have never been able to get back to that “Golden” number! I started my site originally to just document some of my favorite sinful recipes, but after having my third baby in January I decided to add healthier recipes to my blog. I create down home comfort foods done in a lighter way. I love fried chicken, pizza and ice cream. So you will find lots of those recipes with weight watchers points. I have lost 40 lbs so far with 20 more to go! I also love to review and giveaway healthy foods. Up next is 5 bags of Food Should Taste Good Chips! I just recently started a second mommy fashion blog called whatshotmommy.com! Here I share video tutorials and bargains on how go from frumpy to fabulous! Check it out!

The recipe I chose to feature in this post is one that has been sitting in my recipe box for over a year. I get Food Network magazine and love tearing out recipes that sound and look delicious. I am a huge fan of Buffalo wings. I love the spicy kick mixed with the creaminess of the blue cheese dressing. However, in restaurants they are deep fried and very high in points!! So when I took out this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese I knew the nutritional info was going to be scary….IT WAS!!!!

Each serving had 868 calories, 48.2 grams of fat, 1465 mg of sodium, 79.6 grams of carbs, 3.9 grams of fiber and 28.9 grams of protein! 1 cup was 23 points + each!!! Ouch!!!

So I decided to modify the recipe with some healthy alternatives. I swapped out the half and half for 1 % milk, used low fat cheese and sour cream and opted for whole wheat pasta. I was able to shave a whopping 15 points off per serving, so 1 cup is only 8 points +!! This was spicy, creamy, cheesy and just down right awesome!!! Enjoy and make sure to visit and like me at Shannon’s Kitchen Creations on Facebook for new recipes and giveaways and at What’s Hot Mommy for all my makeup, skincare and fashion accessories ideas and giveaways!!!

Light Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

 Adapted from Food Network

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken, cooked
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce)
• 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 1/4  cups 1 % milk
• 1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheese blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack and mozzarella
• 1/3 cup light sour cream
• 1/4 cup light blue cheese dressing
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 7 baked tortilla chips crushed

INGREDIENTS

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

2.  Meanwhile, melt 1 1/2  tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/4 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

3.  Melt 1 1/2  tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the milk, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

4.  Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

6.  Top with blue cheese dressing, crushed tortilla chips, and parsley. Bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings, 8 points + each

Nutritional information, 1/6 of casserole – 8 points +

297 calories, 10.6 grams of fat, 94 mg of sodium, 32.3 grams of carbs, 1.2 grams fiber, 17 grams protein

Thanks Shannon for sharing your story, success and one recipe I already know we HAVE to try!  I LOVE the idea of putting crushed tortilla chips on top of my mac n cheese along with buffalo chicken ~ YUM!  Your recipes are fantastic and you are truly an inspiration!

Danica

Happy Friday Eve all!  I am going to have to “GEEK” Out on you all tonight just a little.  Have you all seen the Progress Reports BETA on your WW Online tracker yet??  It IS SO cool because I am a visual person and it honestly gives you so much information about the week and the month (each layout is different!)

The COOLEST part about this ~ it doesn’t matter if you are tracking on your cool new Weight Watchers BETA App or online ~ it sync’s it up to BOTH. 

Total motivation to TRACK IT ALL just so you can get fun charts and graphs to let you know how you are REALLY USING your points+!  It’s also a great way to see where you can improve.

OK ~ GEEK out session done!  Go check it out and you will see exactly what I mean!

This morning I think my brain was still broken….I didn’t make a pre-workout snack, didn’t pass go or collect $200.  When I got to the office I was STARVING….after rummaging my desk, I found a pack of Low-Fat Cinnamon Grahams that I figured I could stomach and still workout. (2 points+)

I am pretty proud of myself because I honestly did NOT want to workout today at all.  It is days like this that I think I push myself to MOST

* 21 minutes on the treadmill including a maxed out hill (20 cross ramp, 20 resistance)

* 13 minute 3 minute jog/1 minute walk intervals on the treadmill

* Crunches and oblique crunches to fatigue

* 25 push-ups

* Lots of stretching

THE END!

I definitely earned my post workout snack ~ 1/2 cup Tracey’s Trail Mix (3 points+)

Maple Veggie Sausage (2 points+) ~ I had to tell my mouth my stomach said it didn’t need two of these.

Apple Bites!

I decided I didn’t want my lunch today because I was CRAVING a BIG GREEN SALAD!  I figure anytime I am craving veggies over carbs ~ GO WITH IT!

I should be more specific ~ I WANTED The Pasta Shop Salad Bar! I LOVE them and made sure I sampled almost every salad they had.

Fresh citrus, apple, grape arugula salad

Lemon Broccoli Salad with peanuts

The BEST green beans and mushroom salad I’ve ever had ~ it tasted like sweet balsamic with fresh herbs.

Honey Balsamic Mushrooms, Onions and Red Peppers….I pondered going back and buying an entire container of just these!

More of those amazing roasted carrots & butternut squash.  I am totally going to ask the chef one day how they get their veggies so caramelized….it’s AMAZING!

Cheesy Polenta Cubes

I put everything on top of a bed of mixed greens & carrots.  My protein was an egg underneath the bread).  I didn’t need dressing. (12 points+ estimate)

I rewarded myself for not buying ANY of their delicious looking desserts buy buying a small piece of Sea Salted Burnt Caramel Chocolate.

Definitely not as good as the Pete’s squares, but, not too bad either.

I put Shannon’s Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crock pot this morning.  My only changes were to add corn, onion and garlic.  I doubled the vegetables and this soup filled my entire 3 quart crockpot.

Topped with tomatoes, 1 Tbsp LF Sharp Cheddar, 1/8 AVOCADO and cilantro. (6 points+)

The Husband “scoops” his soup…I like the crumble mine over the top so I have a little crunch in every bite. (4 points+)

I actually bought banana bread bananas at my local grocery store (they are half price and ripe) just so I could make my Brown Sugar Banana Nut Muffins for The Husband.

I was multi-tasking while baking these muffins chatting with Zesty Cook about a super cool project we are doing for Friends for Weight Loss when I realized I didn’t have enough baking powder.

Thanks to Zesty for SAVING me and letting me know what I could substitute for baking powder.

Here is HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN BAKING POWDER

1 tsp “baking powder” = 1/2 tsp cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp baking soda

Worked like a charm and ~ puffy muffins and you’d never know I didn’t use the real deal!

Ummm, I can NEVER make these without eating one HOT right out of the pan (5 points+)

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Shannon shows us how to make some serious protein packed Stuffed Zucchini!

GIVEAWAY!!

* Tonight is your last chance to WIN A WINE TASTING KIT ~ Winner selected tomorrow!

Q’s

Ok ~ I have to know since it’s all the hype…..Are you watching the Royal Wedding?  If so, how EARLY are you getting up?! Fess up

I actually have a few friends getting up at 4 and 5 am to watch.  Some friends are even hosting breakfasts and tea parties, but, it wasn’t enough to get me out of bed.  Since I am a morning person, I did tell my them I’d text them if I was up

ONE MORE DAY ~ Night all!

Happy Monday All! Wow, I guess you all do want to know how my brain works and why I changed my Weight Watcher Meeting Day as mentioned on yesterday’s post.  For what it’s worth, here was my logic:

* Weighing in on Sunday makes it “challenging” because I try to eat light and low sodium 1-2 days before weigh in.  We usually go out on Friday and/or Saturday nights which can sometimes mess with my weigh in results.

*  If I weigh in on Friday morning and we DO go out on Friday and/or Saturday, I have an entire week to be good and not have it show on the scale.  I usually do great at making my meals/staying on track during the week so I can enjoy our weekends without wondering if it will affect my weigh-in.

* Ironically, I think it might encourage me to do better on weekends because I don’t like using all my WPA up at the beginning of the week.

* I usually have to miss at least one WI meeting a month where I do a fly by weigh in so we can head to the antique show.

* If we travel for the weekend, I can weigh in BEFORE we go instead of just skipping the meeting.

* I LOVE my Sunday group and will miss them, but, sometimes it’s fun and gives you renewed motivation to visit different meetings.

* I LOVE My Sunday Leader, but, she also teaches the early morning Friday Meeting!

I am sure there are probably more reasons I could list because I had quite the conversation in my head for about a month while I pondered.  It’s all about trial and error and finding what works best for you.  I am hoping this is My SOLUTION!  I will definitely keep you all posted on how it goes.

The Husband was nice and brought me a Venti Iced Dirty Latte (Nonfat, Decaf, Latte with 1 pump Mocha) to start my day! (4 points+)

He also brought donuts home, but, I didn’t have any.  Instead, I whipped up a delicious Protein Pancake.

Click HERE for the Recipe ~ Topped with 1/2 a banana, 1 tsp of Whipped Butter, 1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup and a sprinkle of Organic Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (10 Points+)

Breakfast kept me full all morning long ~ no snacks required.  I think being super busy at work does that to you too.

I couldn’t wait to dig into lunch.  I whipped up this AWESOME Cooking Light recipe for Chicken and White Bean Soup that was recommended by one of my super cool readers.

CLICK HERE for the Recipe.

Any recipe that starts off with crisping up 2 slices of bacon is a WINNER in my book

Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and set aside.

I used chicken breast over chicken thighs because it is what I had on hand.  Add the chicken to the bacon grease and cook for about 6 minutes.

While the chicken cook, I prepped all the remaining ingredients.

Mushrooms, garlic and onion.

Diced tomatoes, dried oregano (it’s what I had vs fresh) and crushed red peppers (ummm, because I add them to everything).

Parsley.

I sort of didn’t read the recipe all the way through since I was supposed to remove the chicken before adding in the mushroom mix.  Eh, I went with it and cooked it as though I was following the recipe

As much as I love fresh tomatoes, I actually think that canned diced tomatoes might give this soup even more flavor.

Add back the bacon, plus 2 cups of broth and water.

Add 2/3 cup of Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta and cook for 8 minutes.

Add your beans (I used pinto because it’s what I had on hand) and cook for 2 additional minutes.

Remove from heat and add parsley plus a splash of vinegar.

Divide into 4 bowls, top with parmesan and crush red pepper flakes if desired.  The entire recipe made about 8 cups.  Each serving is 8 points+.

Crusty French bread for dipping.  I had a slice for 2 points+.

My belly was full but my mouth wanted something sweet so I snacked on one dried pear.  As odd as it sounds, it definitely hit the spot.

I snacked on some banana chips and watermelon chunks.

Dinner tonight was actually picked out by The Husband when he was glancing through my Weight Watcher magazine.  He is funny because he always says he never looks at my magazines, but, then will come and show me a picture or tell me a story LOL.

Weight Watchers Best-Ever Cheese Steak Sandwiches

They are actually really simple to make and only 8 points+ each.

TIP!!! I absolutely agree that having your pan SUPER HOT makes all the difference in the world when you are trying to “create” a nice crust on your steak. 

The only seasoning I used on my steak was Emeril’s Original Essence.  HIs Essence Spice Mix is versatile and can be used on so many things to bring out the “natural” flavor.

NOTE ~ The BIG steak is for this recipe and the other two were cooked up for The Husband as “snacks” as requested.

I seared each side in 2 tsp canola oil for 5 minutes and then place the steaks in the oven on low to finish cooking.  My coal was Medium to Medium Well as The Husband doesn’t like his steak any other way.

Don’t worry, even though it looks burned, it doesn’t taste burned.

Add 1 tsp canola oil along with  your mushrooms, onions and garlic to the same pan you seared your steaks in so they absorb all the bits of flavor.

Cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

Add in the sliced steak.

Plus a little less than 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.  I reserved about 2 tbsp to add to the top of the sandwich.

This was the HARDEST PART ~ take out the soft part of the bread and throw it away ~ who does that?!  I reluctantly did….

Add Cheese Steak Mix and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  The Husband actually came into the kitchen at this point and was like ~ that’s MY SANDWICH, right?! LOL.

Cut into 4 slices and serve.

MMMMMMM!! We both LOVED this and I am not even a huge cheese steak fan.  It honestly tastes just like a good well seasoned steak, mushroom and onion sandwich with hints of cheesey richness for only 8 points+.

For our sides, I made a Quick Tomato Basil Caprese Salad

In the food processor add and puree:

~ 1 cup basil leaves

~ 1 lemon, juiced

~ 1 garlic clove

~ 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

~ Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Pour over

~ 1 Pint organic cherry tomatoes, halved

~ 1 container fresh mozzarella balls

Makes 9 servings, 1/3 cup each, 2 points+ per serving

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Shannon shares a super easy recipe for 6 points+ Buffalo Chicken Pizza! Click HERE for the recipe!

GIVEAWAYS!!

* Win a Case of Chobani ~ Click Here

* Win an ENTIRE YEAR of ORGANIC VALLEY GROCERIES ~ Click HERE!

Q’S

Do you attend meetings? If so, what do you love most about your meeting?  Do you pick a certain day of the week to weigh-in? 

Night all!