TGIF!

Happy Friday, everyone! How are you spending this beautiful Spring day?

Beren and I are taking care of some chores around Castle, getting the place ship-shape so that we can enjoy the rest of our weekend guilt-free. Tonight we're planning to meet some friends at our favorite biker bar; knowing I'll want to have a couple glasses of wine, I'm planning ahead to ensure that I don't go overboard on calories.

I have a bunch of "meat" leftover from Tuesday's Taco Night, am going to put it to go use in this Stuffed Peppers recipe:




Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Servings: 6

3 item(s) bell pepper(s) (medium)
1 small raw onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic clove(s), chopped
1/8 tsp olive oil
14 1/2 oz canned stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cup(s) meatless soy crumbles
1 cup(s) cooked brown rice
3 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp mustard

Sauté onions and garlic in oil until soft.

Meanwhile, cut peppers lengthwise and clean out seeds & membrane.

Add undrained tomatoes, boca crumbles and rice to softened onion mixture. Simmer until well combined. Add ketchup and mustard.

Put pepper shells in a 13x9 and spoon mixture into peppers and cook covered with foil for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 350F or until peppers are soft.


Calories 185.3;
Total Fat 6.4 g;
Total Carbohydrate 25.8 g
Dietary Fiber 7.3
Protein 10.1
PointsPlus™ Value: 3

Have a Fabulous Friday!

Sliding Down!

It was a great morning at the scale today as I finally saw some long-overdue results! 154.2, yippee! Last week at Jenny I had gained (again), bringing me up to 155.6 and after a weekend of serious overindulgence (groan), my scale at home read 158 Monday morning. Yikes! Yet after only three days of WW tracking, interspersing JC food with my own, I lost those pounds, and then some. I am a very happy girl today!

I've been relying on Hungry Girl and the Weight Watchers site for recipes and inspiration, really enjoyed the Broccoful Cheesy-Stuffed Chicken last night and plan to make the Spicy Southern Shrimp Fettuccine tonight. I'll weigh-in with a review later.

In the meantime, have a beauty-full day!

Hot Dish: Taco Tuesday!

Tuesday usually means Pizza Night at the Castle, but Beren's kinda "pizza-ed out" after having it for lunch two days in a row (poor dear!) and I've got a pantry full of BOGO taco mix kits, soo...it's Taco Tuesday instead!

Knowing how high in calories & fat Mexican food can be, I did a quick search for healthy alternatives and, as usual, Hungry Girl provided me with the perfect recipe. That girl never lets me down! Since these tacos are meat-free, myself and my veggie kids will enjoy them but I'll probably provide some ground beef for Beren.


Photo by Hungry Girl

Mega-Meaty Meatless Tacos

PER SERVING (1/2 of recipe, 3 tacos): 284 calories, 8g fat, 896mg sodium, 37.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 17g protein -- PointsPlus® value 7*

Total taco taste... only with a veggie-loaded twist. And CRUNCH. Gotta have the crunch...

Ingredients:
2 cups finely chopped brown mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by Boca or Morningstar Farms)
2 tsp. taco seasoning
6 corn taco shells
6 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
6 tbsp. pico de gallo or chunky salsa
Optional toppings: shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro

Directions:
Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add mushrooms and onion and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened, about 6 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Add soy crumbles to the skillet with the veggies and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Continue to cook and stir until hot, about 2 minutes.

Evenly distribute veggie-crumbles mixture among the taco shells, about 3 tbsp. mixture per shell.

Top each taco with 1 tbsp. cheese, 1 tbsp. pico de gallo or salsa and, if you like, lettuce and cilantro. CHOMP!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Have a Beauty-Full Day!

Back to the Kitchen!

After much thought, and a quick glance at my checkbook balance, I've come to the realization that I need to wean myself away from the Jenny Craig food. As much as I appreciate the convenience, I just can't afford $130-$150 a week anymore. Now that Tax Season is over, my working hours have been decreased and I just don't have as much disposable income as I once did. Also, I'll be honest here, I'm bored to death eating out of boxes! I miss cooking. I miss my own fresh ingredients. I miss eating the same meal I'm feeding my family.

Now, I haven't discussed this with my JC Counselor yet, but what I plan to do is continue "using" Jenny for the weekly consultations/weigh-ins because I know that I need the accountability. I'll buy minimal amounts of food, just a few meals per week to keep on hand for busy days or when Beren's eating something I can't/shouldn't have. Otherwise, I'm on my own. Yikes! I'm a bit nervous but also excited and relieved at the same time.

So, I'm starting this new plan with a bang, can't wait to get back into my kitchen this evening and whip up this yummy dish!



Weight Watcher's Eggplant Parmigiana

PointsPlus™ Value: 3
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 35 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

We slimmed down this fattening favorite. Baking the eggplant gives the dish a crispy texture without the fat that comes from frying.

Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1/3 cup(s) seasoned bread crumbs, Italian-style
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 medium raw eggplant
2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup(s) canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a medium-size bowl; set aside. Remove skin from eggplant and trim off ends; slice eggplant into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Dip eggplant first into egg whites and then into bread crumb mixture. Bake eggplant on a nonstick cookie sheet until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once.

Place a layer of eggplant on bottom of prepared baking dish, then add 1/3 of tomato sauce and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 2 more layers in same order. Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Slice into 4 pieces and serve.

Enjoy, and have a Beauty-Full Day!

What's Wrong with this Picture?

What’s wrong with this picture?

No not that one, this one:



When I recently found this full-page advertisement in a magazine, I just had to tear it out and share with you all to see if you have the same reaction as I did.

Now, first let me say that the recipe looks delicious! Who doesn’t love sausage & peppers, especially over pasta? Yummy comfort food, right? But, do you know just how much this little dish would cost you, nutritionally? Curious, I had to find out. Running the ingredients through my Mastercook Recipe Program, I came up with these results:

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

-------- ------------ --------------------------------
5 links Johnsonville® Italian Mild Sausage Links
1 pound pasta -- Rigatoni shape
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 large sweet red pepper -- chopped
2 tablespoons Italian parsley -- chopped
26 ounces pasta sauce

Cook sausage links according to package directions.
Meanwhile, cook rigatoni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot.
Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds or until golden.
Add red peppers; sauté for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Cut sausage into 1/4-inch coin slices; add to skillet. Stir in pasta sauce; heat through.
Add pasta; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parsley.
Serve immediately. Enjoy immensely. And welcome to Johnsonville®.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Serving Size : 5
Per Serving: 687 Calories; 32g Fat (41.6% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 73g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 60mg Cholesterol; 718mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifGrain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.


And, as if that weren’t bad enough, the manufacturer is encouraging us to have seconds! More specifically, to feed our children a double portion!

Seriously? At a time when childhood obesity rates are skyrocketing, when the television is overrun with shows such as , when Jamie Oliver has to come from across the pond to save our kids, and our First Lady has taken up this issue as her own personal cause, is this really appropriate? Do we seriously want to equate love, especially parental love, with food? Isn’t that the attitude that’s gotten so many of us into this mess in the first place?

Listen, I understand that this is an advertisement, meant to sell a product, and we’re not supposed to take it very seriously. But we know how powerful advertising is, and this full-page picture placed in a popular women’s magazine is surely quite effective. How many busy mothers took a look at this recipe, with the minimal amount of ingredients and relatively low-cost ($1.90 per serving accordinghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif to the website) and ran right out to the supermarket to purchase and prepare this dish in order to please her hungry children? Since the nutritional values are not included on the recipe, nor even on the website, she wouldn’t have known the huge calorie & fat count at first glance, and might not have had the time or tools to do the math as I did. Nor might she have had the extra money or time to make healthier substitutions (whole wheat pasta, fresh tomatoes, veggie or turkey sausage). She’s just going to whip this up and put it on the table, maybe with a side salad and some (groan) frozen garlic bread.

So, what’s the answer, dear readers? To the moms out there who are working full time both outside and inside your homes, how do you ensure that your family is eating healthfully with the limited amount of hours you have to shop & cook the meals? Please, share your thoughts and tips, I’d love to hear them!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

A New Plan

A little bit frustrated at my last weigh-in, my JCC and I discussed this lengthy plateau I'm experiencing, and how to break through it. I also shared with her the fact that due to the end of tax season, my hours at work are shorter, resulting in a smaller paycheck. *sigh* I'm not sure how I can continue to work Jenny Craig foods into my budget for the next x-amount of months until I reach goal weight. Alice suggested that I raise my goal weight just a little bit, making it a more manageable goal, and reminded me that when I reach goal I get a refund from Jenny. Great incentive, right? So, that's what we decided to do. I'm setting my official goal weight at 142, knowing that officially I'm still aiming for 136 or lower. Let's see how this goes.

In the meantime, I've been wearing my pedometer more consistently and visiting my treadmill more regularly, knowing that for me exercise really is the key to weight loss. Diet alone just won't cut it.

How's everyone else doing out there?

Happy Mothers Day

I Miss You, Mom.

Love,

Cheers!

At last, the numbers on the scale are moving in the right direction. My weigh-in yesterday showed a tiny loss, I'm back down to 154.4. I still have a long way to go if I'm going to meet my goal by my birthday, but I'm relieved to see some progress after weeks of nothing.

Jenny introduced a couple of new meals this week, Mesquite Chicken and Beef & Cheese Slider.




I tried both of them, was thrilled with the Mesquite but not-so-much with the Slider. You know I'm not a big fan of beef anyway, would much prefer a Boca burger over the real deal any day. Since JC doesn't offer such things, I'll stick with the Turkey Burger for now.

In other news, I was forced to participate in the most-hated chore of the season: bathing suit shopping. *groan* Other than my beloved pin-up models, is it possible that any woman truly enjoys this task? No matter how accepting you are of your figure, once you get naked in front of those dressing room mirrors, any prior self-confidence you once had slips quickly away. Here's what I've learned: don't bother with the discount stores. The suits are poor quality, cheaply-made and do nothing for your figure. Head straight to a high-end department store, suck it up (along with your tummy) and pay the big bucks for a good bathing suit. I personally love Macy's and if you have a credit card they give you nice little discounts which help immensely. I personally paid about $100 per suit, and painful as it was, I've gotta admit that the end result was worth it. Bo Derek I'm not but I was able to purchase a smaller size than last year (yay!) and walked out with two figure-flattering suits that I'm comfortable wearing to the beach as well as around my own pool. If I get brave enough I may have Beren take a picture for you. *wink*

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend so far, have a beauty-full day!

Hoppy Easter!

I'm Stuck!

I apologize for my disappearance, have been overwhelmed with household projects and busy season at the office. As April 15 looms closer, I find myself seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, knowing that I'll have more free/Me time very soon.

I've been maintaining my weight, stuck at 155-ish, but am ready to recommit to my program, and myself, starting today. I only have 131 days left until my birthday, gotta get serious if I'm going to lose 20 more pounds.

Hope all is well with you all, and thank you for hanging in there with me!

xooxoxoxox

Purging..in a Healthy Way

Daily Om ~ March 18, 2011
Blending Thought and Feeling
Leo Daily Horoscope

A need to explore the range of your abilities can come upon you suddenly today, prompting you to look for opportunities to make use of your intellectual and creative talents. You may feel innovative as you endeavor to imbue your practical projects with an aura of creativity. Similarly, your resourceful and clever mood can drive you to explore methods of using your creative skills in your professional life. You may discover today that the imaginative yet commonsensical ideas that appear in your mind help you to see your world in a more balanced way. This can be a wonderful time to tackle projects that have stymied you, because you may be able to perceive new techniques of achieving your goals.


While lying on the couch sniffling and sneezing for the past couple of days, I caught up on reading, favorite tv shows, and started planning some long-overdue house projects. Inspired by the book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston, I took a good look around the family room and, not happy with what I saw, decided to start purging. Choosing my bookshelves as the first area to tackle might not have been the best idea since the swirling dust contributed to a sneezing fit, but I did it anyway. By the time Beren got home last night, I had two out of three bookshelves cleared off & dusted, two huge stacks of books for donation and the remaining tomes neatly returned to their proper place. I freed up two whole shelves which I'm sure will fill up again eventually, but for now I'm quite content to leave them bare. I now have a bunch of books up for swap on Paperbackswap and another 50 or so set aside for donation to the library. Whew! As much as I adore my collection, so many of my books were no longer needed or loved, coming from a different time in my life. My interests have changed, why hold onto things that no longer make me happy?

This weekend I plan to continue with the de-cluttering, tackling the entertainment center next. It's very freeing to let go of this stuff, to clear out unwanted items to make room for fresh, new possessions, thoughts & ideas. The process is emotionally as well as physically fulfilling, and I can't help but wonder if purging myself of clutter is also contributing to the slight loss I noticed on the scale this morning? I'm clearing out unwanted junk in my home, in my mind, and maybe in my body as well! There are studies that back up this theory...hmm...something to think about while I tackle the dust bunnies today.

Have a Beauty-Full Day, TGIF!

Catching Some Zzzzz's

Yesterday's weigh-in was not as bad as anticipated, I lost a couple ounces, bringing me back down to 155. I expect that once I get rid of this nasty cold and can start exercising again, I'll drop the pounds in no time flat.

I got very little rest last night, up & down with the sniffling, sneezing and sore throat. Ugh! I decided to stay home from work and rest today, am sure my co-workers appreciate me not spreading my germs all over the office. I have a pile of books & movies to entertain me, have no doubt I'll be back to myself in time for the St Patty's Day festivities tomorrow! *grin*

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Under the Weather

Popping in for a minute..am headed to my JC weigh-in shortly, am not expecting fabulous results since 1) we just returned from a mini-vacation (more about that later) and 2) I have an awful, nasty cold! *achoo!*

I'm hoping to feel well enough tomorrow to do some blogging 'cause I miss you all! In the meantime, it'll take all of my effort just to get through the workday. *groan*

Have a (sniffle..sniffle) Beauty-Full Day,

Veggie Love

Looking over my food journal for the past week, I realized that I haven't been eating quite enough veggies. So, off to my local farmers market I went..



I came home with a big ol' bag of yummy fruits & vegetables, washed and prepared them all, then turned some of them into a huge salad.






While others, along with some peppers languishing in my crisper, got grilled and served alongside my Jenny Craig Lasagna.



I am amazed at the difference it makes when I "volumize" my meals with vegetables! I'm fuller, more satisfied and feel so good about putting more healthy stuff into my body!

Hope you're all having a wonderful, relaxing Sunday! Now, go eat your veggies! *smile*

xoxoxoxo

Bad News

I have rotten news to report today, friends; at my weigh-in this morning I was disgusted to see the numbers climb up on the scale - 2 pounds worth. Ack! I'm obviously disappointed and frustrated, but only with myself. It's not Jenny's fault, or my skinny-can-eat-whatever-he-wants boyfriend, or my kids who bring goodies into the house, or my stressful job, etc. etc. It's me. I know what I did "wrong" the past couple of weeks and need to own up to them before moving forward.

For instance, I stopped planning as carefully..



Didn't exercise enough...



and, silly as it may sound, I put down my crochet needle! Keeping my hands busy, doing something productive instead of eating, was a really big key to my success.



So, now that I've confessed to what I did "bad," next up is making the changes necessary in getting that scale moving back in the right direction!


*I went back to Week One Planned Menu and will follow it to a "t."

*I asked my JCC for my weigh-ins over the last two months so that I could see where the struggle started; as suspected, it was right about the halfway point. Something in my mind shifted. I'm not sure what that's about quite yet, but I'll be pondering it.

*Hearing great things about the Linda Spangle book, I ordered it from Amazon. I had previously borrowed it from the library but didn't have time to really work through the exercises.

*Planning, planning, planning. I'm going to log onto Sparkpeople every night and log my meals for the next day. I'm also getting up 15 minutes earlier (and staying off the computer) every morning so I can get 30-40 minutes on the treadmill before work. Saving it until I get home is not working, there are too many distractions that can turn into excuses.

*REST. I have not been sleeping well and we all know that factors into weight loss.

Off to implement some of those changes now, hope you're all having a beauty-full day! TGIF!

RIP Ms. Russell

Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell
June 21, 1921 ~ February 28, 2011



xoxooxo