During cold winter mornings, I LOVE making up a big batch of Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats. Steel Cut Oats are My FAVORITE type of oat because they are completely unrefined and they have such a chewy texture that almost “pops” in your mouth.  I am pretty sure once you try REAL Steel Cut Oats (NOT the Quick Cooking Kind), it will be hard for you to go back to regular or instant oatmeal. 

This recipe is so easy to make ~ feel free to mix and match with any of your favorite fruit combinations (apples/raisins, pumpkin, cranberry/orange).  Simply put everything in the slow cooker and you wake to a big pot of super creamy, fruity, steel cut oats.

Did I mention that this recipe is made up of 100% Power Foods and fits into the Simply Filling Plan too?!

CROCKPOT STEEL CUT OATS WITH PEACHES & BLUEBERRIES

(print it!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups steel cut oats (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds, optional
• 8 cups water
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• 1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Salt, optional
• 1 lb frozen peaches
• 1-2 cups frozen blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray or use a crock pot liner.  DO NOT SKIP this step you will be scrubbing for days.

2.  Combine all the ingredients in your crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

3.  Remove cinnamon sticks.  Serve with your favorite toppings.  I LOVE making this into a dessert and using brown sugar, whipped butter and coconut.

Makes 10 cups, 4 points+ per cup, add points+ for any toppers

Nutritional information per serving calculated at caloriecount.com

I didn’t really do any step by steps for this recipe.  I fill my crock pot to the brim and all the fruit rises at it cooks over night.

Once you mix it all up, it looks like delicious oats with firm fruit.  It freezes AWESOME too, just be sure to portion into 1 cup containers.  A little water might be needed when heating.

I made a BIG 6 points+ bowl of comfort ~ topped with 1/2 Tbsp Whipped Butter, 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar and a sprinkle of unsweetened organic coconut.

MELTED brown sugar + whipped butter = CARAMEL ~ this tastes just like BLUEBERRY PEACH COBBLER in every bite if you don’t mix it up!

Just another one of my FAVORITE recipes from the archives.  I have a feeling I am making this soon since The Husband asked why he didn’t get any of THAT oatmeal this morning when he saw my typing up this post

I am still working away so I will catch up with you all tomorrow with my daily eats!

Night all!

It’s almost Super Bowl Time and several of you have asked me for some Weight Watcher Points Plus Friendly Recipes.  I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite blogger recipes and to browse my recipe section to give you all a bunch of ideas you could make or take to your Super Bowl Party!  I picked out everything from Grab & Go Appetizers to healthy salads, Main Dishes, grilling options, Slow Cookin’ and, of course, dessert!

The best part about these recipes ~ they are all points+/calorie friendly, easy to make and deeeeliciooouuus!!!!

TWO things I highly recommend that EVERY Weight Watcher have at their parties in addition to any of the treats below are BIG POWER FOODS TRAYS!! 

These two options give you something you can go back to over and over again!

VEGETABLE TRAY ~ Mix Fat Free Greek Yogurt with Ranch for a quick dip

FRUIT TRAY ~ Use your FAVORITE flavored Chobani Greek Yogurt for dip!

COCKTAILS!!

• All you NEED are these Summer Berry Pomtini’s ~ with or without alcohol, 3 points+
• Alternate 1 glass of water for each beer you drink to stretch your points+!

GRAB ~ N ~ GO

• Pizza Puffs, 1 points+ each!
• Taco Salad Cups, 1 points+ each!
• Pesto & Sun Dried Tomato Cream Cheese/Pesto Spread, 1 Point+ for 2 Tbsp
• Janetha’s Healthy Stuffed Mushrooms ~ 5 MUSHROOMS for only 2 Points+
• Low-Fat Lasagna Cups, 2 points+
• Spicy Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, 1 Point+ each
• Meatball Sliders, 3 points+ each!
• H-O-T Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites, 3 points+
• The REAL DEAL, Baked Buffalo Wings, 2 points+
• Gina’s Skinny Baked Jalapeno Poppers, 1 Points+ each
• Marisa’ Breaded Cheese Stuffed Zucchini, 2 HALVES for 3 points+
• Better than Shrimp Cocktail ~ Shrimp Scampi, 6 shrimp for 3 points+
• TJ’s Mini Pizza Pockets, 10 for only 7 Points+
• Holly’s Garbanzo Guacamole 2 Points+ per 1/4 cup
• Susan’s Simple Salsa, 0 points+
• Spicy Bean Dip, 2 points+
• Party Bean Dip with Baked Tortilla Chips, 4 Points+
• Crispy Chipotle Potato Skins, 5 points+

HEALTHY SALADS

• Build a Better Salad ~ 4 Super Easy Ideas!
• Crunchy Feta, Bacon & Pecan Salad, 4 points+
• A Healthier Potato Salad, 3 points+ per 1/2 cup
• Creamy Dill Macaroni Salad, 4 points+
• VEGAN Pasta Salad, 5 points+
• Harvest Grain Salad, 4 points+
• Sunomono, 1 Point+ per 1/4 cup
• Elise’s Very Berry Salad with 1 Tbsp dressing, 4 points + (count additional for AVOCADO & Goat Cheese)

MAKE IT A MEAL

• Build your own 7-Layer Dip, Personalized, 8 points+ each
• Lazy Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce, 6 Points+
• Biz’s Buffalo Chicken Chili, 6 points+
• Bubble Up Pizza Casserole, 10 Points+
• Sweet Potato BLTA Nachos, 11 points+
• Not-Cho Average Nachos!, 11 Points+ for an entire plate!
• Veggie-Terrains Cheese-less VEGAN Flat Bread Pizzas, Points+ depend on which you make, but, all are low.

SLOW COOKIN’

• Janetha’s Crockpot Taco Soup, 7 Points+
• Zesty Cook’s BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders with Asian Slaw, 8 points+ each
• Quick & Easy Slow Cooker Baked Beans, 4 points+
• Slow Cooked Chipotle Beer Baked Beans, 4 points+

EASY DESSERTS!

• Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies, 1 points+
• Allie’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars, 4 points+
• Easy Rocky Road Squares, 3 points+
• Just for fun ~ A RAINBOW CAKE OR CUPCAKES!  Make using the colors of your favorite team

Don’t forget, you can always COOK with BEER & drink it too!

RECIPES ~ QUICK TIP

If you click any of the recipe names above, it will take you to the recipe to Print it! or to the post if I have not added it to my recipes tab.  If you want to get the step-by-step for the recipe, then, click the Full Post on the recipe page as noted in yellow in the picture below.

What is your FAVORITE “Treat to Eat” On Super Bowl Sunday? 

Let’s all build one awesome list we can use to give each other ideas to be successful this “Football Season”!

Catch ya’all later!

I am a big fan of CHEESY BREAKFAST casseroles, especially quiches.  This recipe puts a healthy spin on a a classic Broccoli Quiche by using low fat cheeses, buttermilk (for a rich creamy buttery flavor) and whole wheat flour.  I LOVE having the crust mixed IN the quiche because it makes it dense, creamy, cheesy and crunchy with the FRESH broccoli.

My inspiration for this recipe comes from my Weight Watcher’s Slow Cook It cookbook.  I modified their Broccoli Frittata Bite recipe to make it into a crockpot broccoli and cheese quiche.

The key to making this recipe a success in the slow cooker is to remember ONE RULE ~ when it comes to eggs, cook them slow and low.  High heat tends to burn the outsides before the inside has a chance to cook.

Feel free to mix this up with any vegetable you love, just make sure you use fresh or if you use frozen, unthaw and pat dry to remove the water.

Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER BROCCOLI CHEESE QUICHE (print it!)

INSTRUCTIONS

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 10 oz FRESH broccoli, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups 1% buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tsp of your favorite Hot Sauce, optional
• 1 cup low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
• Crockpot liners (recommended if your eggs tend to stick) or nonstick cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Spray a large 3-4 quart crock pot dish with nonstick spray or line with a crock pot liner and spray with nonstick spray.

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and very soft, about 15 minutes.  Add broccoli and cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors are blended, about 2-3 minutes.

3.  Whisk buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl.  Whisk in flour, baking soda, sea salt, black pepper and hot sauce just until blended.  Stir in broccoli mixture and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese until combined.

4.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker; sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese over the top.  Cover and cook until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 6-8 hours on low.   Crock pots do vary on temperatures so be sure to adjust the time according to your crock pot settings.

 NOTE: Using the HIGH setting does not work with this recipe as it cooks unevenly (burned on the edges and soggy in the middle)

5.  Transfer stoneware to rack and let quiche cool slightly, about 15 minutes.  Slice a butter knife around the edges to loosen.  Cut into 10 slices.  Serve warm.

Makes 10 servings, 3 points+ each or 8 servings, 4 points+ each

Nutritional information 1/8th of the recipe calculated at caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP

INGREDIENT NOTE:  As part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker program, I received a carton of Eggland’s Best Eggs to taste test.   I figured this quiche recipe would be a perfect way to “test them out”.

I am not sure that I buy into the whole adding things to your eggs, especially when your eggs are not organic.  However, if you are going to add things, why not have them be good things for you like Vitamins and Omega-3’s   I do like that they treat their chickens humanely, they are vegetarian fed with no hormones added.

I did smile when I saw that they stamped EB on each egg ~ funny, my eggs are branded.

Start off by heating your olive oil over medium heat and adding your onions to caramelize.  I LOVE caramelizing onions because it really brings out their sweetness.

After your onions are soft and caramelized, add your broccoli for a few minutes to mix the flavors.

While you veggies cook, whip up the egg part.  The Eggland’s Best eggs look like normal eggs and they taste like regular eggs too 

Add your buttermilk.

Whisk in your whole wheat flour, pepper and pink sea salt.

Plus some heat!  I LOVE pretty much every egg dish with a little hot sauce.

Stir your veggie mixture into your egg mixture.

Stir in 3/4 cup of your low-fat cheese.  I used low fat Monterey jack because it is what I had on hand.

Pour your mixture into your prepared crockpot and top with your remaining quarter cup cheese.

Cook it slow & low for 6-8 hours or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly, slice a butter knife around the edges, cut and serve.

You can get really creative with this recipe by mixing it up and using different vegetables or flavored cheeses each time.  You can put this in the crock pot before bed  and wake up to a delicious breakfast that took not time at all to prepare.    Another option is to put it on a Sunday morning and enjoy it for dinner.

This is another favorite recipe from my archives that I think I just may have to make for breakfasts this week!  I am off to spend the day with my Sis and Mom getting pedicures, having lunch and going to the movies for the grand finale of my birthday week.  If I am not back tonight, I will catch up with you all tomorrow with The Husband’s first Weight Watchers Meeting and my weekly menu!

Happy Weekend!

Ever since our Day Trip to Savannah, Georgia to visit Mrs. Wilkes, The Husband and I have wanted to recreate some of the delicious Southern Foods we fell in LOVE with there.  The first thing we decided to try was her creamy, smoky, black eyed peas.  I am sure it was the BACON and the BACON grease that made her Black Eyed Peas amazing.  I decided to “healthify” the Black Eyed Peas I was making by using a smoked ham hock and letting them slow cook all day long to absorb that sweet, hickory bacon flavor. 

I thought about adding in some BACON as the end for a finishing touch, but, when it came down to it, the Black Eyed Peas had so much flavor, you didn’t need it.  I know, I am surprised I actually passed up on adding bacon to something too LOL.

These beans make the perfect Southern Side Dish next to Healthy “Fried” Chicken or make them a meal and  serve them up with steamed Collard greens.

SLOW COOKER BLACK EYED PEAS (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb black eyed peas
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 ham hock or shank
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Cover beans with 6-8 cups of water and soak over night or quick soak.  To quick soak, cover beans with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and remove from heat.  Allow to sit for 2 hours.  Drain and rinse. 

2.  Spray a large stock pot with nonstick spray and heat over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic.  Sauté for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

3.  Add getable mixture, ham hock, bay leaf, beans, water and bouillon to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until beans are tender.

4.  Remove ham hock.  If you would like to include the ham off the bone, dice into pieces and return to ham to the slow cooker.  Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and dashes of hot sauce.  Scoop beans into a large bowl and add desired amount of “broth”.  Dig in and enjoy!

Makes 12, 1/2 cup servings, 3 points+ each with the diced ham from the ham hock

Nutritional information per 1/2 cup serving with the diced ham from the ham hock

Nutritional information per 1/2 cup serving without the diced ham from the ham hock

STEP – BY – STEP

Soak your beans over night or quick soak as described above. Drain an rinse.

Sauté the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in nonstick over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

The “secret” ingredient for getting that rich, sweet, smoky bacon flavor without the bacon!

Layer up everything in the crock pot.  Veggies, ham shank…..

Beans, bay leaf and bouillon.

Add water, cover and cook in your slow cooker/crock pot on low for 7-8 hours or until beans are tender.

Remove ham hock. If you would like to include the ham off the bone, dice into pieces and return to ham to the slow cooker. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and dashes of hot sauce. Scoop beans into a large bowl and add desired amount of “broth”.

Dig in and enjoy!

I wanted to make sure I shared this recipe as I mentioned on Sunday.  You can use any leftovers to make “Black Eyed Pea” Burgers and/or make one fantastic veggie dip by mashing some up.

Keeping up with our 100% tracking challenge, here is how yesterday went down:

• B ~ 1 hard boiled egg (2), 1 1/2 cup fruit salad ~ banana, grapes, melon, pineapple (0)
• S ~ Grande FF Decaf Latte (3)
• L ~ Turkey Burger (4), 100% Whole Wheat Thin Bun (3), lettuce, tomato, onion, 1 Tbsp “secret sauce” (1),  Spicy Peanut Asian Slaw (1)
• S ~ 1/4 cup trail mix (5)
• D ~ salad with 1 Tbsp ranch on the side (3), 1 c pasta with meat sauce (7), 1 pesto breadstick (5)
• Total ~ 34 Daily Points+

OK ~ Your Turn, what was on your tracker yesterday?

Have a FANTASTIC Friday ~ I will catch up with you later!

This is by far one of my FAVORITE recipes.  How can you not LOVE coming home to tasty baked burritos that are topped with enchilada sauce and stuffed with lean ground turkey breast, brown rice, beans, fire roasted garlic diced tomatoes, zucchini, tortillas and CHEESE!

I wish I could take credit for this FANTASTIC idea, however, this recipe has been adapted from a Weight Watchers Cookbook called Slow Cook It!  I spiced it up a bit, added a little garlic and fire roasted diced tomatoes for their smoky flavor. 

I served mine on a salad so it became a Turkey & Bean Burrito Bake Salad with all the fixin’s ~ the result was AWESOME!  This tastes even better the next day.

Get creative and add your favorite veggies to mix it up.  I imagine this would work fantastic with veggie crumbles, ground beef, chicken, pork, etc.  Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER TURKEY & BEAN BURRITO BAKE (print it here)

Source: Weight Watchers Slow Cook It!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey breast
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (HOMEMADE, Mrs. Dashes Chipolte Lime or Chili Powder)
• 14 ½ oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 10 oz good quality enchilada sauce
• 1/3 c salsa
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (I used Trader Joe’s Organic Frozen Brown Rice)
• 1-2 zucchinis, quartered and chopped
• 15 oz canned kidney, pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 small corn tortillas
• 1 ½ cups shredded low fat sharp cheddar cheese

** I did not add corn, but, I think it would be a FANTASTIC addition.

OPTIONAL TOPPERS:

• Serve on a bed of romaine lettuce
• Tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, AVOCADO, Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt, Additional Salsa

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onion and garlic; cook, cook, breaking turkey apart with wooden spoon, until turkey is no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning and remove from heat.

2. Spray your slow cooking with nonstick cooking spray (I used my 3 quart slow cooker and filled it to the brim.) Combine tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and 1/3 cup salsa in a medium bowl. Spread ½ cup tomato mixture over bottom of the slow cooker. Top with 2 tortillas, tearing on of the tortillas in half so that the tortillas cover tomato mixture. Top evenly with half of turkey mixture, half of rice, and with half of beans and ½ cup cheese. Repeat with 2 tortillas, remaining turkey mixture, rice, and zucchini, 1 cup tomato mixture, remaining beans, and ½ cup cheese. Top with remaining 2 tortillas and spread with remaining tomato mixture.

3. Cover and cook until hot and bubbling at edges, 2 ½ – 3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. Sprinkle burrito bake with remaining ½ cup cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

4. Serve on top of lettuce with all your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings, 1 ½ cups each, 8 points+ per serving

Nutritional information per serving (1 ½ cups burrito bake), excluding toppings:

341 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 956 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber, 28 g protein

I hope you enjoyed this recipe from the archives.  It is total FALL comfort food that requires little to no cooking ~ simply chop a few veggies or serve it straight up and you are good to go.

I will catch up with you all later.  The Husband surprised me with date night tonight and we just got back from seeing 50/50.  It is really good ~ there are some seriously funny parts and sad parts, but, you leave really appreciating all the friends and family you have in your life.

Off to catch some zzzzzz’s! Night all!

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!

Are you all ready for my Cooking with Beer Series?  Yesterday, I had the chance to experiment with New Belgium’s Beers and as a result developed 5 Delicious Recipes to create one FANTASTIC Beer-Becue with all the Fixin’s.

One of my FAVORITE side dishes to any barbecue is baked beans.  But, not the kind you get in a can (no pork and beans either).  I really LOVE good, old fashioned, made from scratch baked beans.

Sometimes I go for the Quick & Easy “Slow” Cooker Baked Beans version and when I have time, I like to  make them completely from scratch like my Molasses Baked Beans. 

I think that the texture of dried beans is better, however, if you don’t have time to soak them night before and you don’t want to “listen” to everyone tell you about them, go for canned.

As much as I LOVE Bacon, I don’t LOVE it in beans because it just gets soggy.  I think beer pairs well with sausage so I picked a Lean Turkey Sausage to get all the smoky flavor without all the added fat.

You will want to use a Dark Beer as it really brings out the richness as the beans and creates a depth of beer flavor in every slightly spicy, sweet, tangy bite.

SLOW COOKER CHIPOTLE BEER BAKED BEANS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound  Lite Kielbasa or Smoked Turkey Sausage, quartered then chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 Bell pepper, diced
• 15 ounce Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Cups Dried Pinto Beans or 2 16 ounce cans, drained and rinsed*
• 2 Chipotle Peppers, minced with 2 Tablespoons Adobo sauce from Chipotle peppers
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Dark Molasses
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons deli mustard
• 2 Bottles New Belgium’s 1554 Enlightened Black Ale
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

* If using dried beans, soak over night in 6 cups of water.  Drain and set aside.. 

1. Heat a large soup pan over medium heat.  Add your Kielbasa sausage and cook until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes, then, set aside.

2.  Using the same pan, add your chopped onion and cook until slightly browned/caramelized, about 3-4 minutes.  If the pan is dry, use additional nonstick spray or a splash of oil.

3.  Remove pan from heat and add sausage into the pepper onion mixture.

4.  Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray or use a crock pot liner.  Add remaining ingredients waiting to season with salt and pepper until after cooking.  The mixture will be thin, but, that is ok as it thickens as it cooks.

6.  Stir to combine and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

7.  If the mixture is too thin, simmer on the stove top over medium heat until the mixture thickens, probably about 30-45 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve straight from the pan and enjoy!

Makes about 14, 1/2 cup servings, 4 points+ each

Nutrition facts per serving, calculated using caloriecount.com

STEP-BY STEP

Heat a large pot over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray.  Add sausage and cook until browned, about, 5-7 minutes.

Remove sausage and add onion/bell pepper to the same pan.  Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and add sausage back to pan.

I prefer using Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes because I like the smoky flavor they have.  You could however use regular Diced Tomatoes.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Including 2 bottles of New Belgium 1554 ~ You want it to be a darker beer for a richer flavor.

Stir to combine and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

If the mixture is too thin, simmer uncovered on the stove top over medium heat until the mixture thickens, probably about 30-45 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

These beans are excellent straight up but would also be a fantastic meal over brown rice with veggies.  Enjoy!

NEW BELGIUM RECIPES UP NEXT

* Chipotle Cheddar BEER Corn Muffins

* Honey Chipotle BBQ BEER Sauce

* Chili Lime BEER Buttered Corn

* Peach BEER-Berry Cobbler

* Plus all the “fixin’s” you need to go on the side for one awesome BEER-Becue!

Stay tuned for more from my Cooking with BEER Series!

Happy Taco Tuesday everyone!! Don’t worry, I am not starting a new taco tradition although I could totally eat tacos like EVERY TUESDAY.  It just so happens that today involved going out for tacos and making some delicious homemade tacos ~ Totally a Taco kind of day!

This morning was the first morning I was rushing around making The Husband’s snack pack, putting dinner in the crockpot, grabbing snacks all while chatting with my Roni about my Guest Post over at Roni’s Weigh.

My hardboiled egg and banana never even had a chance to be photographed as I inhaled it on my way out the door (2 points+)

I was NOT feeling my AM workout at all and pretty much wanted to quit on the Elliptical after 10 minutes.  But, I DIDN’T!! I pushed the cross ramp to 20, the resistance to 10 and pushed myself to go as fast as I could for another 10 minutes.  I finished off my workout with 10 minutes on the Bike while I caught up with my Words With Friends!

I couldn’t wait to dig into my post workout snack….I used the “fancy” work tools to smash 1 whole low-fat cinnamon graham cracker.  (reserving about a tablespoon of the crumbs).

Topped with 1/2 cup TJ’s 0% Greek Yogurt…..

Drizzled with 2 tsp TJ’s Lemon Curd and the reserved graham crackers.  LOVE!  The Graham Crackers totally made this even better….as in licking the bowl GOOD! (5 points+)

I ended up having my afternoon snack (sans the fruit) early because we didn’t end up heading out for lunch until almost 2 pm. (1 points+)

Lunch was totally worth waiting for!!! I finally ate at my first restaurant in Berkeley ~ Tacubaya!  I LOVE the layout of the restaurant….it’s totally casual and fun.

I resisted buying any of these but I totally see a trip in my future because I LOVE all things spicy!!

So many choices, so little room in my stomach!  I LOVE that they use organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible…

2 things worth coming back for that I didn’t get to try

1.  BREAKFAST!!!

2.  Siesta Special ~ 2 tacos and a beer

My Co-worker ordered this delicious looking soup and a fish taco.

“Frijoles con Todo- whole pintos in a seasoned broth with tomatoes, onions, chile, avocado and queso Oaxaca, served with tortillas”

“Taco de Pescado- battered & fried snapper with arbol chile aioli, shredded cabbage and cilantro.”

SIDE NOTE ~ their pickled veggies are AMAZING!  I could eat a ton!

I was actually really proud of myself because I stuck to my healthy theme with only ONE taco and a BIG Organic Salad!

“Taco de Pollo- crispy taco filled with shredded organic chicken, cheese, cucumber-tomato salsa and cilantro.” 

Next time, I am totally trying out all their hot sauces ~ maybe one for each bite!

“Ensalada de Primavera- mixed greens, shredded cabbage, carrots, red onion and avocado tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds.”

Deliciousness!  I estimated 5 points+ for my taco and 6 points+ for my salad.

I LOVE MY CROCKPOT because I can come home and have dinner pretty much ready with very little prep work.  I tried making up a new version of Shredded Beef Tacos using BEER with salsa this morning and the result was AWESOME!

I can say that because usually I am the one making sounds about how good the food is, but, this time, The Husband did too  

SLOW COOKER SOUTHWESTERN STEAK TACOS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb Flank, Sirloin or Round Steak
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 lime, juice
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1 1/4 cup BEER ~ good quality ~ one you like drinking, I used Pacifica
• 2/3 cup salsa

TOPPINGS
• 10 Corn Tortillas
• 2/3 cup Finely Shredded Low-Fat Sharp Cheese
• 1 Avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• Lettuce, Cilantro, Salsa, Sour Cream, Lime Wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray.  Season steak with sea salt and black pepper.  Combine the lime juice, orange juice, 1 cup beer and 1/3 cup of salsa.  Pour over beef and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.

2.  Remove beef and shredded.  Place in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.  Add remaining 1/3 cup salsa with 1/4 cup Beer or juice from the slow cooker.  Heat just until warmed.

3.  Serve over corn tortillas with all your favorite toppings.

Makes 10 servings, about 1/4 cup per taco, points+ each (meat only, count points+ for tortillas and toppings) 

Nutritional information per serving, based on 10 servings, using caloriecount.com

Did I mention that these were AMAZING?!  They only took me about 15 minutes to make start to finish…definitely dinner in a hurry! 

I had TWO TACOS FOR TACO TUESDAY

* 2 Chili Lime Corn Tortillas (4 points+) ~ these tortillas are worth it to me!

* 1/2 cup Spicy Shredded Beef (6 points+)

* 2 Tbsp salsa fresca (0 points+)

* 2 Tbsp Finely Shredded LF Sharp Cheddar Cheese (1 points+)

* Lettuce, tomato, cilantro and 1/8 AVOCADO (1 Points+)

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Kristen at The Slender Kitchen shares her recipe for 3 Points+ Macaroni & Cheese Cups!

Q’s

Just because it’s fun…..complete this sentence ~ I LOVE my Crock Pot Because……

I am off to dish up a big bowl of watermelon and relax with The Husband!

Night all!

Happy Biggest Loser day all!  Although somehow since I am now watching “Chopped” I feel like I should change that intro   Thanks for all the comments on the new Annie’s Digs ~ I can honestly say I am LOVING the new building and as crazy as this sounds ~ I LOVE the train and walking to work!  It’s awesome that I can actually work or read or just plain Words with Friends instead of driving in traffic. Ummm, yes and I totally said “Chugga Chugga Choo Choo” a few times today LOL……

I am trying to remember how I got around in college with carrying so little!  Today I learned the hard way that carrying 3 bags was just way too much work.  Thanks for sharing all your ideas when I asked on Facebook and Twitter.

I “geeked” out tonight and bought this really cool all-in-one back pack (in black, not red) that I think will hold my work stuff, my workout clothes, my lunch, my water bottle and my wallet (probably the kitchen sink too!)  I guess I travel like I cook ~ tossing everything in there

This morning I still managed to whip up a delicious breakfast at 5 am.  I made an Egg-Wich

* 2 Slice Trader Joe’s Fat-Free Multi-Grain Bread (3 points+)

* 1 “Fried” Egg (2 points+)

* Sea Salt and Black Pepper

I rounded it out with 3 slices of Trader Joe’s Peppered Turkey Bacon (1 point+) and a nectarine I saved for snack later.

One of the COOLEST things we get to do is workout at any point during the day.  My co-worker and I “broke in” our new gym with a mid morning workout.  I spent 25 minutes of the Elliptical while watching Dr. Oz.

Post workout snack.

I actually lugged my lunch to work together but decided it would be one less thing to carry tomorrow if I had leftovers from yesterday’s fiesta.

I made a BIG salad with TONS of pico de gallo!

* 2 cups Tossed Salad

* 1/2 cup pinto beans – 3 points+

* 1/2 cup spanish rice – 3 points+

* 3/4 cup pico de gallo

* Tortilla Strips ~ I went back for more so Id say I had the equivalent of 12 chips (4 points+)

Mid afternoon I really wanted chocolate but I resisted it and decided to have my nectarine from breakfast with a lite string cheese (1 points+)

I actually put dinner in the crockpot before I left this morning so I wouldn’t have to “cook” dinner when I got home.  I had visions that I could re-create one of my favorite Cooking Light recipes for Simple Roasted Pork Loin in the crockpot.

SIMPLE SLOW COOKED PORK LOIN RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs center cut lean pork loin
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 15.5 oz Low Sugar Apricot Preserves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray or line with a plastic liner.  Season pork loin with sea salt and black pepper.  Place in the crockpot.

2.  Combine the chicken broth through the crushed red pepper flakes and pour over the pork.

3.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 10-12 hours.  Remove pork, shred and drizzle with about 1/4 cup of the sauce. Discard the rest.

Makes 12, four ounce servings, 4 points+ each

When I went to the Foodbuzz Fest last year, I received a coupon from Alexia to try their new Chipotle Fries.  Tonight was the perfect opportunity.

I definitely think the “secret ingredient” is the Chipotle!

4 Points+ a serving.

This is what 3 ounces looks like pre-cooked.

Still a nice size serving ~ Delicious ~ sweet, spicy and I could probably eat the whole bag if I made it….good thing I cooked just one serving.

I was actually bummed that the pork wasn’t sweet glazed ~ it was more “roast” like.  I topped it with a little BBQ sauce and that was the perfect addition.  I might make it into carnitas tacos tomorrow night by adding salsa! (4 ounces plus sauce = 5 points+)

All together with a side of swiss chard.

After dinner I convinced The Husband to go with me on a shopping spree by promising him Starbucks!  I got a tall nonfat decat latte with caramel drizzled just on top (to make it like a marshmallow) ~ 3 points.  I had 3 Dove Chocolates with it for the perfect dessert (3 points+)

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* Quite possibly one of my FAVORITE pasta recipes ever ~ 7 Points+ Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Shells!

Q’s

What is your FAVORITE drink to order at Starbuck’s?

As you all know I LOVE Dirty Lattes, but, I actually CRAVE their caramel sauce ~ I LOVE it and probably would drink it from the bottle if I worked there.  Next up from there ~ a Chai Tea Latte!

Night all!

Happy Sunday everyone!  Thanks for all the comments on my weigh in this week on Facebook and Twitter.  I am always glad to have a loss ~ anything down is good, but, sometimes, you just think it should be more.  Thanks for helping me realize it all adds up in the end and any loss, even a .2 lb loss is a good loss!

After my meeting, I grabbed a Venti Iced Dirty Latte to sip on while I cooked breakfast. (4 point+)

I have been wanting to make these Jennie-O Taco Muffin Cups ever since I saw them on the Biggest Loser last week.  In fact, I went out and bought everything to make them the next day LOL.  They are actually pretty easy to make.

Preheat your oven to 400.

Brown up a package of Jennie-O Lean Turkey Sausage.  Did you all know these are only 1 point+ each? I was surprised by that in a good way.

Spray your muffin pan with nonstick spray and add in your tortillas.  I used 3 corn tortillas cut into 8 wedges, with 2 wedges per muffin tin.

Slice your cooked sausages in half and add 1 sausage to each muffin cup.

Top with 1 Tbsp of Salsa.  I used Trader Joe’s Serrano Salsa Fresca.

I think that the recipe calls for a bigger muffin tin than what I was using.  The recipe says to use 3 Tbsps Egg Whites, however, I only had room for 2 Tbsps per muffin cup.  I used egg beaters.

I had to bake my cups for 20 minutes to get them browned, cooked through and to where they sprang back to the touch.  (The recipe says 10 minutes.)

Top each muffin with 1 tsp of cheese.

Place pan back in the oven for 1 minute if needed to get it to melt.

MMMMMMM!  Did I mention, you can click HERE to get the recipe?!

I had 2 Muffins for 5 points+ (based on my changes).  I omitted the olives and topped them with cilantro.  They are delicious!!! Even The Husband LOVED them ~ he ate 5 and now wants the rest for breakfast tomorrow LOL.

I bought these Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter and Sage awhile back when I saw them in the Fearless Flyer.

I totally checked the points+ when I was at the store to see if they were worth it.  I was skeptical that 1/3 of the package would fill me up for 6 points+.

So, I decided to BOOST the serving by adding a whole bag of these Carrots Rustica.

I envisioned them getting coated with the sage butter sauce!

I portioned everything out into 3 containers for 6 points+ each.  I definitely would NOT recommend the stove top cooking directions because it got mushy. Next time I would microwave it and mix it all together.  Delicious!

Rounded out with a side of orange slices.

The Husband and I continued our Words with Friends Scrabble battle this afternoon since it was a rainy day.  I “broke” for a snack mid afternoon with some Peanut Butter Goodies ~ 2 for 4 points+.

30 minutes later, I was STILL hungry so I picked a 0 point+ banana to snack on.

I have been wanting to make Shannon’s Slow Cooker Turkey Sausage Lasagna ever since I saw her post the RECIPE on Friends for Weight Loss. I think it was the fact that she used BACON and CHEESE that kept me thinking about it all week.

When I started to put the recipe together, I realized I didn’t have any jarred pasta sauce.  So, I improvised and made Mary’s Turkey Merlot Sauce.

I pretty much followed her recipe except I used 96% lean ground beef, 1/2 lb lean turkey sausage and added some more spices (Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes).  I actually FORGOT the bacon LOL.

New Product FIND!!! I was super excited that Trader Joe’s now has FAT FREE Ricotta.  They usually only carry full fat ricotta so I bought this before I even knew what recipe I’d used it in.

My “cheese” filling included the fat free ricotta, 3/4 cup finely shredded part skim mozzarella, 1/4 cup chopped basil, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic salt and black pepper.

TJ’s No Cook Lasagna Noodles ~ I LOVE these!  You actually can use regular noodles in this recipe since they cook all day in the slow cooker.

Layer it up and cook on low for 5 hours.

WOW!!! 1/6th of the pan for 13 points+ and worth every bite.  I LOVE layers of cheese and noodles and cheese and noodles

Since I didn’t quite follow the recipe, here is the low down of what is in the pot!

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

• 1/2 lb uncooked lean ground turkey sausage (you can do sweet or hot)
• 1 lb 96% lean ground beef
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 clove garlic clove, minced
• 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes with basil
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 cup merlot wine
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Sea salt & Black Pepper to Taste

Lasagna

• 1 3/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese
• 1 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 9  dry lasagna noodles
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

3 point+ Alexia Garlic Bread on the side!

The folks over at Wish Bone know I eat a lot of salads and sent along their newest flavors for me to try.  I started off tonight with the Bruschetta Italian.

Tomato+Basil Italian at only 1 points+ per tablespoon!

I used 1 Tbsp on my simple salad and liked how I could taste the tomato ~ it has a sun dried tomato flavor and is on the sweeter side of Italians.

NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

* New Tip of the Week & Guest Recipe ~ check them out at the bottom of the page!

* This week’s Challenge ~ What MOTIVATES you?

HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK

* BLTA’s

* BBQ Chicken, Scalloped Potatoes & Grilled Romaine Salad

* Cheesy Mini Meatloaves, grilled asparagus

* Honey Lime Shrimp Tacos

DESSERT ~ CEiMB ~ Banana Splits with pineapple brown sugar topping

I really want to try this Cauliflower Pizza Crust but The Husband told me no more funny things with cauliflower

Q’s

What is on your menu this week? Are you trying any new recipes or foods?

Only two new things this week for me, but, that will probably change when I see your menus.  I have a feeling my menu will change as the week goes on since nothing really sounded good when I planned it out.

Night all!