Gnocci Marinara

Another delicious recipie from the WW website...Gnocci Marinara.  YUMMY!!  Everyone liked this one, except Taylor, but she doesn't like anything.  If it's not wrapped with bread or covered in peanut butter, she won't eat it.  Anyway...

If you don't know what Gnocci is, it's an Italian potato "pasta".  It's kind of like a little dumpling and you can find it in the pasta aisle at any grocery store.  My favorite is the mini Gnocci.  It's cute :)

Enjoy!

Gnocci Marninara

16 oz dry gnocchi
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/4 c. basil, chopped, fresh

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese, grated

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions.  Drain and keep warm. 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes.  Press in the garlic with a garlic press, then add the tomoatoes, basil and red pepper.  Cook until the tomatoes have broken down to form a thick sauce, about 20 minutes (I used a 24oz can of chopped tomatoes and it worked great!).  Add the gnocchi; toss to coat.  Serve at once, sprinkled with the cheese.

This recipe makes 4 HUGE servings, and one serving is 4 points on WW. 

* If you don't want to use the gnocchi, try it with pasta.  Something chunky like shells, rotini or radiatore.

Weigh-In #4

This week's verdict:  -2 pounds

Grand total: 15 pounds!

That means I've lost 2 of the 20 pounds I want to lose by Christmas.  Sweet!

I couldn't be happier :)

Bleh!

Okay, so...

Today wasn't my best day.  I didn't eat "badly", I just didn't really eat very well.  For example:  for breakfast I had a bagel thin with cream cheese--pretty good.  Then I had one cinnamon pull-apart and a handful of crackers.  Still okay.  Then a string cheese.  Lunchtime passed and I hadn't eaten--NOT GOOD!  I picked kids up from school and on the way home I stopped and got a Minute Maid Lite (only 5 calories) and a bag of Baked Lays.  Okay choice, but still, nothing substantial.  I got home and had  a bowl of Progresso Soup which is low in points, so that's good, but it was 4:00 in the afternoon.

I had to get to rehearsal at 7:00, but needed to leave at 6:15 to run to the store first, so I left without eating.  At rehearsal I ate a banana, a cup of sugar free pudding and a 100 calorie pack of Cheese-Its.  Still good choices, but basically snacking.  When I got home at almost 10:00 I was hungry so I ate a Lean Cuisine Pizza which was tasty, but an awfully late dinner.

So...it wasn't my best day BUT, I'm proud that I made good food choices and didn't go off the program like I so easily could have.  Tomorrow is a new day and it will be a good one!

3 weeks into my weight loss...

It's interesting...

Since I started WW and started really, REALLY trying to lose weight (for good this time!) I feel different about ME.  I have a terrible self esteem stemming all the way back to when I was a kid, and for once, I feel proud of myself.

I can drive past places like McDonalds, Del Taco, Arctic Circle (all of which are within 5 minutes of my house) and I don't want to stop and get something to eat.  It used to be my favorite thing to do.  If I was out and about, I'd always think in my head, "I'll just stop by Wendy's and get a hamburger".  And now?  I wouldn't dream of stopping!

Yesterday I had rehearsal at 5:30 for the play I am in, and so knowing this I planned ahead.  I went to Subway and got a foot long Veggie sandwich and had half for lunch and saved the other half for dinner.  Everyone else at rehearsal brought pizza or hamburgers, and I was content with my sandwich.  It tasted delicious AND it was only 5 points on WW.

It feels awesome knowing I am taking care of ME and my family.  My kids comment daily about how good dinner has been and that makes me feel like a good mom.  For too long, we were eating out and had terrible eating habits, and now, we are eating healthy.  I don't want my kids to go through what I am, so knowing I am teaching them good eating habits makes me feel like an even better mom!

I feel good!  And that's awesome!

Diet Tip #3

First of all, let me be honest.  This tip is REALLY hard for me.

Diet Tip #3:  weigh ONCE a week!  I tend to want to weigh EVERY day so I can make sure what I am doing is working, but it's not a good idea.  Your weight can fluctuate from day to day.  One day you might be up a pound, and then the next day be down 2.  You can easily get discouraged from the day to day changes, so force yourself (like I do) to only weigh once a week.  If you have to, put the scale away to avoid temptation.

It's best to be consistent and weigh the SAME day, wearing the SAME thing at the SAME time once a week.  For example, I weigh every Sunday at 9am wearing what the Lord gave me!  (TMI right?)  DON'T drink or eat before you weigh and make sure you make a visit to the porcelian throne!

I admit, I have weighed during the week occasionally, but it always frustrates me, so just don't do it!  Leave it to once a week--the pounds lost will be higher which makes it that much more exciting!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm pretty sure everyone already knows this recipe,  but it is such a tasty cookie, I thought I'd add it to my blog.  It's another WW recipe, so I gotta give them credit.

I made these cookies a few nights ago and my family ate them all in about 2 days.  They stay soft & moist if you put them in an airtight container and taste absolutely delicious!  They are SO simple to make, and on WW they are only 2 points per cookie, which means you can easily eat more than ONE!  YAY!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 pkg Spice cake mix (dry) 

1 large can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 bag chocolate chips

Mix spice cake mix with pumpkin and fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by large spoonful on baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. 

How easy is THAT?

I have used a carrot cake mix when I can't find a spice cake mix and they are just as good! They are easy and yummy--I dare you to eat just one!

Weigh In #3

Holy crap, I can't believe this:

Down 5 more pounds!!

I can't believe what a great start I am off to!  It blows my mind how easy this has been.  No, easy isn't the word.  I am in such a "mind-set" right now, I refuse to let anything get in the way of my success which truly makes it something I can do successfully.  Does that make sense?

My clothes are already fitting different and I wanna say I look different in the mirror, but I think it's a bit early for that.  Toal pounds lost so far: 13!  My short term goal is to lose another 20 pounds by the time we go to my brother's for Christmas in Arizona.  I have approximately 8 weeks.

I can do it!!

Weigh-In #2...

And the winner is...ME!

Down 2 more pounds :)

YAY!

Weigh-In #1...

Okay kids, ready for weigh-in #1?  Drum roll please...

Down 6 pounds!

*happy dance*

Slow Cooker Beef & Vegetable Stew

Seriously people, this is probably the BEST stew I have ever had.  And I don't really care for stew.  But ohhhhhhhmigoodness this stew is tasty!

It calls for honey and prunes...yes I said prunes...but trust me, it's delicious.  It's a perfect balance of sweet and savory and I love it!  The best part?  Only 8 points for a 1.5 c serving.  That is huge!  I hope you like it as much as I did!

Slow Cooker Beef & Vegetable Stew

1 c. chopped onion

3 lbs raw, lean beef brisket, cut into bite-size chunks

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 medium sweet potatos, peeled & cut into bite-size chunks

1/2 lbs baby carrots, cut in half

8 small uncooked new potatos cut in quarters

16 pitted prunes

4 Tbs fresh lemon juice

5 Tbs honey, divided

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 large can beef broth

Place onion, beef, garlic, sweet potatos, carrots, new potatos, prunes, 2 Tbs of lemon juice and 3 Tbs of honey in a 5 - 6 quart slow cooker.  Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and broth; stir well.

Cook on low setting for 7 - 8 hours.  About 5 minutes before serving, stir in remaining 2 Tbs of lemon juice and remaining 2 Tbs of honey; cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. 

(Just a side note, before I served this to my family, I spooned out the large prune pieces.  Some of the prunes just cook right in, but I removed what I could so my kids didn't say, "Ewwww!".  They didn't know the prunes were there and loved it.)

This recipe was found on the Weight Watchers website.

Diet Tip #2

Yesterday and today have really been good days!  Yay me!  I've stuck to the WW plan perfectly and I have felt completely satisfied at every meal.  I've gotten a bit peckish between meals, but I tried to make some good decisions as to what I ate and at the end of the day, I feel proud of ME!  *pats self on the back*

Okay, so I have another diet tip.  This one I used last night. 

Diet Tip #2: Measure EVERYTHING!  I used to eyeball my measurements and I'm here to tell you that JUST doesn't work.  For example:  last night for dinner we had spaghetti.  On WW you can have a 1c. of spaghetti and it is 4 points and 1/2 c. of spaghetti sauce is 2 points.  I measured a cup of spaghetti and it was actually a lot more than I thought it would be.  I also measured the spaghetti sauce and it ended up being WAY too much.  Next time I'll just use 1/4 cup.

You can very easily overeat as well as undereat by not measuring your food.  I know it's easier to just estimate, but it only takes a moment to quickly measure your food.  I have a set of measuring cups that I just leave sitting out on the counter so that I don't have to go digging through the drawers in my kitchen.  It's super quick and easy...AND...I know I am eating the right amount!

Good luck!  Cheers!

Diet Tip #1

I will have dozens of tips as I go, I'm sure.  But I wanted to share one I used today. 

Diet Tip #1:  Plan ahead!  Today I was out on some errands, and I knew I was going to get hungry while I was out.  My favorite thing to do when I'm rushing around is grab a sandwich at Arby's and a Jamocha shake.  Ohhhh girls--have you ever tried a Jamocha shake at Arby's?  They are to DIE for! 

BUT WAIT...

That's now how I think anymore so...before I left home I grabbed a Strawberry Special K Bar.  On WW they are only 2 points and they are SO good!  They don't taste like cardboard and they are super sweet.  I feel like I'm having a real treat when I eat one.

AND...Since I did so well and didn't get any kind of food while I was out, I stopped and got me a Diet Dr Pepper!  The perfect compliment to my tasty snack!

So make sure you plan ahead.  Leave some snacks in your purse, in the glove box or by the door so you'll see them when you leave.  Don't sabotoge all of your hard work!

Bacon & Swiss Quiche

The first thing I did when I signed up for Weight Watchers online was look for some recipies.  I am SO non-creative when it comes to cooking when I'm dieting...wait...learning to eat better, so I need inspiration.

I came across this recipe and it is delicious! Even better, one serving is only 3 points!  YAY!  I made it for dinner the other night and my family was dissapointed there wasn't any more.  In fact, I like this quiche so much I made it again this morning for breakfast.  I'll eat just one serving, but then when my kids get home from school, I'll have them finish what's left so I'm not tempted.  See?  Thinking ahead, I am.  Yoda I am becoming.

I hope you enjoy this delectable treat as much as I did!  Bon Apetit!

Bacon & Swiss Quiche

2 sheets phyllo dough    (I just used refrigerated pie crust)
3 large eggs
1/4 c. regular egg substitute
1 c. fat-free evaporated milk
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg   
1/2 c. low-fat hard Swiss cheese, grated
4 oz (3 pieces) cooked bacon

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Lay phyllo dough in pie plate, one piece at a time, coating each layer with cooking spray--dough should cover bottom and sides of dish.  Fold in any overhanging corners.

Sprinke cheese and bacon over phyllo dough.  Pour in egg mixture and place quiche on a baking sheet.  Bake until firl, about 40 - 45 minutes.  Let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting into 8 wedges.

This recipe was found on the Weight Watchers website.

InTroDucTioN...

I have been overweight my ENTIRE life. 

I was a chubby toddler and people would say, "Awww, how cute.  Look at those chubby legs!"  Then I became a plump kid and people would say, "Awww, how cute.  Look at those cheeks!"  Then, I became a fat teenager and people would say, "How did you get so fat?"  Then I became an obese adult and I stopped listening to what people were saying. Not so cute anymore.

I have struggled and struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember.  To be honest, I don't remember one morning when I didn't wake up with the obession of losing weight on my mind.  I can't eat this...I can't eat that...Don't eat between meals...Don't take a second portion...I am constantly punishing myself in my head.  I don't think anyone is more cruel to me than I am.  I am seriously my own worst critic.

I've tried diet after diet and believe me, they DO work.  The problem is I give up and then gain all my weight (and plus some ) back.  I even went so far as to have lap band surgery.  Holy crap, that is a nightmare in itself.  But the point is, I am starting over.  Again.

BUT, all that is behind me now!  I am starting over with a new and improved attitude, and THIS time, I am gonna do it!  Of all the diets I've tried (I've tried a lot!) I like Weight Watchers the best.  I joined Weight Watchers online because I am a busy mom of 4, PLUS I babysit 5 kids every day.  I don't have a lot of extra time.  So...my offical start date was: Sunday, October 10, 2010.  I'm not comfortable enough yet to post my starting weight, so I'll add that later.

So...that's the short version of my story.  I am in this to win it, and I'll keep you posted!