Menu/Grocery List/Recipes

Menu

Saturday, February 5, 2011
Soft Tacos (5 points for 2), Fresh Green Salad (0 points), Chips & Salsa (3 points)

Sunday, February 6, 2011
Home-made Pizza (no cheese) (4 points), Raw Kale Salad (2 points)

Monday, February 7, 2011
Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar, Sweet Onions & Thyme (5 points), Baked Beets (0 points), Couscous (semolina) (1 cup cooked 3 points)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Lentil Salad with Tomatoes, Dill & Basil (2 points), Cajun Sweet Potato Fries (2 points)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Stir-fry Chicken & Broccoli with Red Peppers & Cashews (6 points), Ginger Asparagus (0 points), Rice (2 points)

Thursday, February 10, 2011
Left-overs night (points vary)

Friday, February 11, 2011
Cajun Pepper Steak (5 points), Quick Sesame Broccoli (0 points), Fresh Green Salad (0 points)

Saturday, February 12, 2011
Deli-style Vegetarian no-cheese pizza (10 points), salad (0 points)

Sunday, February 13, 2011
Spiced Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa (5points), Chipotle Chickpea Salad (2 points)

Deli-style no-cheese Vegetarian pizza

Toppings for our home-made BBQ Chicken Pizza

Add caption

Nursing Violet, and assembled pizzas


Close up.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Raw Kale Salad

 Raw Kale Salad (3 points)

Ingredients

·         2 bunches kale, washed, dried and chopped

·         1/2 medium red onion, chopped

·         1 medium apple, seeded and chopped

·         2 teaspoons garlic, minced

·         2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated

·         1 whole, ripe avocado, peeled and chopped

·         2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2 teaspoons Tamari soy sauce or Bragg's Amino Acids

·         1/2 cup cashews, raw, chopped

How to make The Best Raw Kale Salad Ever

Wash, de-stem and chop kale; place in large bowl. Add lemon juice and avocado, and with your hands mix together until the avocado is smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately. 

Soft Tacos

Soft Tacos (5 points for two)
15 oz. lean ground beef
2 c. canned tomato puree
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 flour tortillas (6 inch diameter)
2 c. shredded iceberg lettuce
1 c. fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped

Preheat broiler. Broil beef on broiler rack 4 inches from heat, 2 minutes; discard fat. In large nonstick skillet, crumble beef; stir in tomato puree, chili, garlic and onion powders, sugar and black pepper; mix well. Cook over low heat, 20 minutes, or until beef is cooked through and mixture thickens. Heat tortillas, one at a time, in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, 2 minutes on each side. To serve, place 1/4 cup meat mixture on each hot tortilla. Divide lettuce, tomatoes, bell pepper and onions evenly among tortillas. Fold tortillas over filling to enclose. Makes 6 servings.

Points.

SATURDAY

Fiber Bar = 6 points

Potato Leek Soup = 3 points

Apple Sauce = 0 points

Tortilla Bake = 3 points

Ice Cream = 4 points

No-cheese Deli Pizza = 10 points

Cheeze-Its = 5 points

   TOTAL = 31 points

SUNDAY 

Chips = 3 points

Smart Ones = 7 points

Raw Kale Salad = 3 points 

Dip = 10 points

Home-made BBQ Chicken Pizzas = 3 points x 2= 6 points

Ice Cream = 4 points

   TOTAL =33 points

MONDAY

Broccoli, Cheddar, and Potatoes = 4 points

Kale Salad = 3 points

Chicken = 3 points

Toast w/ spread & jam = 3 points

Ice Cream = 4 points

Soft Tacos (2) = 5 points

Kale Salad = 3 points 

Pinto Beans = 2 points 

   TOTAL = 27 points 

Blar.

I've had a really difficult keeping up on my points the past three days. I have been dying, because of my period. Sometimes, it is incredibly difficult to maintain any sort of a resemblance of a "normal" life when you have debilitating pelvic pain-- made worse by PCOS, and Endo-bleeding. 


Part of the reason for this blog is to also have a safe place to vent frustrations. Having Polycystic ovary syndrome is taxing, it makes losing weight incredibly difficult. I've been doing a lot of research, and I have learned some tools I need to use to help me manage my eating habits a little better come my next period (I am going to devote a blog entry to research at a later date). 


Tomorrow marks the day I get back on track. I'll forgive myself a three day fall from grace (really I just had a difficult time keeping track of my points, but I still cooked every day, drank my water, hula hooped, ect). Anyways, the following recipes don't have pictures, because I sucked the past few days. I promise to get back into the picture taking habit in future entries. 



Potato Leek Soup  (I made this on Wednesday, February 2, 2011)
 
Yields: Approx. 8 (1-cup) servings | 3 healthy units per

Ingredients:

• 4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 6 leeks - use white part only (Cut into 1/2" slices and wash thoroughly to remove any sand)
• 1-2 tsp Oregano and/or Bell's Seasoning
• 1 cup fat-free milk *
• 5 cups (40 oz) fat-free vegetable or chicken broth (low-sodium is best!) **
• Fresh parsley to garnish
  
  * Using whole milk will add 9 calories and 1 g fat per cup of soup. (Add .5 healthy units)
  
  ** If you want a really thick soup, just use 1/2 of the broth. Keep in mind though - this will yield less soup, and probably be 4 healthy units per cup. 

Directions:
Chop and wash the vegetables.

Put the broth in a large saucepan or kettle. Cover and bring to a boil. Carefully add vegetables to the pot. Add Oregano and/or Bell's Seasoning. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until veggies are soft, stirring occasionally. Turn heat off.

(I recommend simmering 1 cup of the potatoes separately, reserving them to add after the pureeing, so soup is a little bit chunkier.)

If you have a hand-blender you can puree the soup right in the pot until all vegetables are smoothly blended. If not, pour the soup into a regular blender and blend until smooth. (I use a potato masher first, and then a regular blender.) After soup is smooth, add back to the pot. If you reserved 1 cup of potatoes, add them now.

Add the milk and reheat soup to a simmer only so that the milk does not burn.

Garnish with fresh parley and serve.

*** I cooked an additional russet potato in a separate small sauce pan, then I mashed it, and added it to the soup to make it a little more creamy.
Yields: Approx. 8 (1-cup) servings

Nutritional Info: (per serving) 186 calories, .4 g. fat, 3 g. fiber (3 points per cup)

Black Bean and Tortilla Bake (Thursday, February 3, 2011)

Recipe Ingredients
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomatoes (I use 1 cup fresh salsa)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tsp. chili powder 
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (16 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
12 soft corn tortillas
8 ounces low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded; reserve 2 tablespoons

Recipe Directions
Preheat oven to 350* F. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, onions, tomato, green onion cumin, and chili powder. Cook on medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in beans, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Layer 4 tortillas, 1/3 cheese, and 1/3 of the bean mixture; repeat 2 more times. Top with reserved 2 tablespoons of cheese. Bake 20 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes uncovered or until bubbly.      (6 points)

Friday. 2/4/2011 we had Lime Chicken, Roasted Red Ranch Potatoes, and some veggies. :)

Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients:
- 12 oz red potatoes, washed and quartered
- 1 packet Ranch Dressing Dry Mix
- non fat, olive oil cooking spray
- 1 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl add potatoes and spray lightly with the cooking spray. Then, add in the Ranch mix and salt, and toss well to coat each potato piece evenly. Spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray and spread out potatoes evenly on sheet. Bake in oven until potatoes are cooked through, and edges start to turn very dark brown, approximately 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1/4 of recipe, approx 1/2 cup
Each serving = 2 Points +

PER SERVING: 78 calories; 1g fat; 18g carbohydrates; 1.75g protein; 1.5g fiber

LIME CHICKEN

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Oven time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

• 1/2 cup honey mustard
• zest from 1 lime
• juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each about 4 ounces)

Stir together first five ingredients and spread atop chicken breasts, covering evenly. Broil chicken until cooked through, 3 – 4 minutes for each side.

  

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per serving: 191 Cal; 27g Protein; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 13g Carb; 0g Fiber; 662mg Sodium; 66mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points

Cashew Chicken Curry

CASHEW CHICKEN CURRY

3 Weight Watcher points

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 – 3 tablespoons curry powder 
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound chicken thighs or breasts, cut in bite-size pieces 
• 29 ounces canned diced tomato
• 1 pound carrots, diced
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup ground cashews
• 1 cup nonfat yogurt
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 8 ounces frozen peas
• 
  
• Melt the butter in a Dutch oven on medium high. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Stir in the next 5 ingredients (curry through salt). Add the meat in batches, cooking each one through. Add the tomato, carrots, mushroom and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Stop here if you’re cooking ahead.) Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through but do not boil, about 5 minutes. Serve over basmati rice.

Monday

Egg-white omelette= 1 point
toast w/spread & jam= 3 points

yogurt= 4 points

Smart Ones pasta= 4 points

Triscuits & salsa= 3 points

Cashew Chicken Curry & jasmine rice= 7 points

ice cream= 2 points

extras= 3 points

pop corn= 1 point

TOTAL= 28 points

Mushroom and Black Bean Crock Pot Chili

Mushroom and Black Bean Crock Pot Chili Recipe

Ingredients:
– 1 pound mushrooms, any variety, sliced
- 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 1/2 cups fat free vegetable broth
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 can corn kernels, drained and rinsed
- 1 large zucchini, chopped
- 8 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed and chopped
- 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup mustard seeds
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tbsp minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions:
Combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Place over high heat and stir until the spices sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, corn, jalapenos, zucchini, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are juicy, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and stir often until the juices evaporate and the vegetables are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add broth, lime juice, tomato paste, salt & pepper and chipotles; mix well.
Place the beans in a 5- to 6-quart crock pot or slow cooker. Pour the hot vegetable mixture over the beans. Turn heat to high. Put the lid on and cook until the beans are creamy, 5 to 8 hours. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro and diced tomatoes right before serving

Entire recipe makes 10 servings
Serving size is 1 1/2 cups
Each serving = 6 Points +

Sunday
sandwich = 4 points
fries = 2 points
orange = 1 point
pudding = 1 point
chili/couscous/sour-cream/cheese: 8 points
ice cream= 4 points
TOTAL= 20 points

Activity Points.

I have found that Weight Watchers Food Lists is an incredibly helpful web-site in my weight-loss journey. It is a quick, and helpful guide in figuring out points in a pinch.

Sunday is my official weight in days (because that's the day I did my first weight in), and as of Sunday I weight 236 pounds! I have lost 10 pounds on my first week of Weight Watchers! Whoot! This week my goal is to focus on integrating Activity Points into my Weight Watchers journey, and a general over-view.

Overview

The Weight Watchers program is popular in part due to its simplicity. Instead of counting calories, members count points, a number calculated through a formula of calories, fat and fiber grams in any given food. Members get a certain number of points each week based on several factors such as height, weight and sex. Additionally, all members get 35 additional weekly points to use as they choose. But perhaps the concept that gives the program its greatest flexibility is the activity points, or APs

What They Are

Activity points are earned by--you guessed it--doing activity. Each activity earns a certain number of points, calculated for each individual based on body weight, length of time spent doing the activity and perceived exertion. For example, a 193-lb. woman following the American College of Sports Medicine's guideline of 30 minutes of moderate cardio five days a week would earn 10 activity points a week--two points for each 30-minute session.

How They're Calculated

The Weight Watchers online calculator allows you to plug in your weight, minutes of exercise, and low-, moderate- or high-level activity to come up with the APs for an activity. But it also includes a large database of activates, into which members can plug in anything from "elliptical cross-trainer" to "walking the dog" and get the number of activity points for the specific activity.

How to Figure Out Weight Watchers Activity Points
If you are on Weight Watcher or considering doing Weight Watchers it is important to know how to calculate the activity points. They are an important way to increase your weight loss as well as make up for extra food that you ate. Learn how to calculate and figure out your weight watchers activity points in a couple steps.

Things You'll Need:

• calculator
• time you worked out
• activity level or heart rate

Instructions

1

The first thing you need to do is determine your level of activity to calculate your weight watchers activity points. To determine your level of activity you can either use your heart rate or a speaking test. If you are using heart rate to calculate your weight watchers activity points then 40-54% of your max heart rate is light, 55-69% is moderate, and 70% or more is intense. If you are using the talking test to calculate your weight watchers activity points then if you can have a full normal conversation, it is light, you can speak but it is slightly difficult is moderate, and difficult to speak is intense. This is extremely important when determining your weight watchers activity points.

2

The next step to determine your weight watchers activity points is have the number of minutes of activity your completed as well as your current weight. You will want to then multiply your current weight by the number of minutes you worked out. For example, if you worked out for 30 minutes and you weight 150 pounds, you would get 4500.

3

Once you have the number from step two you will need to multiple that by the number that corresponds to your activity level (as determined in step 1)to figure out your weight watchers activity points. For light activity,multiple the number by .000232, for moderate activity multiply by .000327, and for intense workouts multiply by 0008077. For example, if you weighed 150 pounds and worked out for 30 minutes at an intense level you would multiply 150*30*0008077. In this example, the person earned 3.6 weight watchers activity points.

How to Use Them

Activity points are added on top of the daily points and the 35 weekly points. Activity points are the last batch of points you'll dip into. If, for example, your daily goal is 24 points, you earn four APs, and you eat 62 points one day (it can be done) you'll first use up your 24 daily points and then your 35 weekly points before dipping into three of your activity points.

Why Use Them

Activity points shouldn't be used simply so you can eat that extra slice of pecan pie every day. While they certainly can be used, on special occasions, to allow for extra food intake, for the most part activity points are there to encourage members to get moving. Any movement is good movement, according to Weight Watchers, and members are encouraged to build up their activity levels over the course of the program. And, if you want a little extra weight loss boost, the program materials say, don't use the activity points you earn. This is a concept, of course, that should be used in moderation--running a marathon and not using any APs could be dangerous.

Evolution of Activity Points

The use of activity points has changed over the years as Weight Watchers has adjusted and revised its program. At one point you could earn as many points as you wanted but only use four each day. Another plan allowed you to use as many as you earned, but only the day you earned them. The current plan, which allows you to save up as many points as you earn throughout the week is certainly the most flexible, yet fits in with the Weight Watchers' goal of encouraging its members to be active.

Veggie Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries.

Ingredients
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
salt (to taste)

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Quarter the potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch thick strips.
3. Spread the potatoes on a lightly oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and cajun seasoning and toss to coat.
4. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Season with salt to taste and serve hot.

WW POINTS per serving: 2

Saturday, January 29, 2011:
Breakfast= 5 points
snack= 2 points
Dinner= 10 points
dessert= 2 points
snack= 1 point

TOTAL= 21 points