Bobby Lightens it up! 5 Point hearty Soup

Paula Deen recipe that her son Bobby "lightened up" Sounds yummy!

HERE is the actual recipe

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional)

Directions
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes. Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

Based on nutrition info below, this very hearty soup is only 5 points per cup. Would be a healthy alternative to fattening "holiday food".

Nutritional Information: Per Serving (1 cup) 225 Cal (27% from Fat, 42% from Protein, 31% from Carb); 23 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 4 g Sugar; 108 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 826 mg Sodium; 53 mg Cholesterol

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

I hope everyone is having a great holiday! I have lost 0 pounds this week. I'm off to Oklahoma and wont weigh until I get home. So I will be gone from the blog for the next week. Enjoy your New Year and I will talk to you in 2011~

Ryan :)

Weekly weigh in ~ Merry Christmas Eve!

Lesli ~ I do my weigh ins on Monday now & I love it! It inspires me throughout the week and keeps me focused on the weekend! I was really pumped after my Monday weigh in, because I made good progress and lost weight! This week is going to be a tough week for all of is, but I know my challenges will be not being in my kitchen or at my gym. I know they key for me will be about keeping my portions in check and my meals balanced. Not so easy when there are Oreo truffles & peanut butter balls around!:) I did pack my weights, yoga mat & yoga DVD, so hopefully I can find some "me" time to get my burn in! Next weeks weigh in will be here before I know it!

Week ~ -2
Goal ~ -10
to go ~ -8

Atlanta Half Marathon

Last year, I posted a huge announcement on this blog about my decision to run a half marathon. I set the date of December 12th to participate in the Kiawah Island Half Marathon. What I didn't know at the time was, that was my older brother's graduation date... I could not miss that for the world because... well... he started working towards his Bachelor's degree in 1997. This was a HUGE accomplishment to say the least....

I decided this year that I was going to do it, and since there is a great half marathon right here in Atlanta, I figured it was the perfect time. It was the morning of Thanksgiving, and I thought what better way to start off a day of glutinous eating.... I'll run 13.1 miles, and eat to my heart's content with not one ounce of guilt.

This experience was such a time of great self reflection for me. First of all, I am not a runner. In fact, I don't even like running. I can say this now because I spent the past 3 months telling myself that I did like to run because I needed to stay in a good head space until after the race.... now its over, now I can say it... I DO NOT LIKE RUNNING! Why then would I EVER decide to participate in a half marathon?

I guess I just decided that I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone, set a goal that would be very hard for me to get through and accomplish it. When I found out that my brother's graduation date fell on the race day of the first half marathon that I planned on doing, my first reaction was relief. I was SO relieved that I didn't have to put myself through that... It was nice to say, " Well I started training and I was going to do it, but something beyond my control came up and I couldn't." After I thought about that, I was kind of disgusted. When did I become this person that runs from a challenge? I knew then that I had to prove to myself that I could do it.

I would love to say that I woke up with a fresh sense of strength and purpose, and was very disciplined and dedicated to this new task....... but I can't. I had meltdowns, breakdowns, my limbs went numb, pains in my back, my shins, my hair was a mess.... I was a mess. I know one thing for sure. It took the support of my very loving and patient friends to get me through this. I could never have done this without their great advice and words of encouragement through this entire process.

I still can't believe I finished. But I did...

WEEKLY WEIGH IN

I lost 1 pound! :) YIPEE!!!

Ryan's Total: 1 pound


I think I will start posting a picture each week so I can look back and hopefully see results. I will try to wear the same outfit (if I can remember).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christina:

Hey Ya'll! I'm back in too! Today is my first day to start counting points and feeling great! I read through some of my old posts and got a bit sad. I was so motivated and encouraged to get to my goal weight, and unfortuantely, I have let the pounds slip back on over the course of this year.....There is however, one thing I know for sure, I can definately get them off again!!!

I look forward to updating every week, and hearing from all of you!

Christina Goal: -25 pounds

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lesli: 0 lbs

I held steady this week and was so happy! I started my period on weigh in day (as luck would have it) and was so thankful to not be 10lbs up. Of course, that's how I felt! I had a little cold sneak up on me also, so I was proud that I pushed through and kept my workout routing going.

Workout Schedule:

Monday: 1 hr spin

Tuesday: 1 hr strength training (Bob Harper inside out method)

Wednesday: 1 hr spin

Thursday: rest

Friday: 1 hr yoga

Saturday or Sunday: Run & Rest

This week I focused on scaling back my portion sizes and staying away from carbs at night. I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday. Kashi cereal for breakfast to get my carbs in early and grilled chicken and fruit salad. No carbs for lunch is really easy for me, but not as easy at night, because Justin is usually eating with me! We plan our meals for the week on Sunday, so I'm going to start being a lot more specific about cutting out our night carbs! Coudln't hurt either of us!=)

I'M IN!

I have been a YO YO lately. I'm not ashamed to admit it. It's so hard for me to loose weight and I get so mad when I do very well for 2 weeks and loose just 1 pound, so I say F*** IT and eat whatever I want...but we all no the truth. That's just a excuse that I've made up in my head. I know it's healthy to loose weight slowly and I just need to stick with it. I know you guys are thinking to yourself, oh here Ryan goes again saying she's going to loose all this weight. WELL, I'm not promising you anything, but I do promise you I'm eating healthier. When I got the email from Lesli last week I felt motivated, she sparked something. I want to say THANK YOU LESLI for helping me get started again! I'm excited! I'm on week two and anxiously waiting for Thursday to get here so I can weigh myself :) That sounds crazy doesn't it?

Here is a picture I have from this past weekend. This is what I look like NOW. I hopefully will loose my double chin in 2011, that's all I ask for. Thanks AGAIN LESLI for lighting my fire :)

~Work Out video Queen~

I am so the Queen of Work Out Videos and I'm ready to accept my crown! My gym recently added spin classes to it's line up, but before then you'd be hard pressed to find a hard core work out class! Therefore, I resorted to videos and exercise tv on demand! My first video ever was Jillian Michael's ~ The Shred. It's what kick started my healthy lifestyle and set a pretty high standard for meeting my work out video criteria.

I've recently come across some new *favorites* and I'd be remiss if I didn't take the time to share the good with you!

I said in my last update that I've been yoga-obsessed lately and I owe it all to this video. I discovered it on demand and I can't get enough of it! I went to do it the other day and the video was OFF demand, so I immediately hopped online and ordered my very own copy!

Yogis... meet Yogaworks Body Slim

This chick on the cover is not the chick that does the video, but she's in the video! So the video last 50 minutes... about 45 minutes of hard core yoga and 5-6 minutes of cool down stretching and relaxing. It's challenging enough to make you sweat, but not unattainable for the beginner yogi! There are 3 different cardio-flowing sequences that get your heart rate up followed by slow burns to really tone your muscles. I normally do this first thing in the morning and I can feel the sensation of the poses in my muscles for hours.

I've seen the most results in my leg strength and my arms are more visibly toned. This one is definitely worth adding to your collection, and I added it to mine for a little less than $10!

~Namaste~

2 YEARS!

Hey old friend! Can you believe it's almost been 2 years since we started this weight loss blog? CRAZY! It feels great to be 2 years healthier and stronger! Good grief - I haven't written a FFC blog or an ALLO blog in so long that I can hardly remember how to write one!

Let's just get real ~ I have a big work event in February and I want to look good. I have never in my healthy life been so motivated, committed and so focused as when I was doing my weekly weigh ins for FourFatChicks! Seems the smarted thing for me to do was to round up some other FatChicks and start weighing in on the blog every week!

We are so happy that y'all are going to be holding us accountable for the next few months! Each Friday we'll update our weight and share our thoughts and feelings throughout the week. I just started on monday, so I won't be able to update my weight loss until next Friday! Same as before, we'll fill you in on what's filling us up and how we're burning those calories!

Lesli's Goals~
Weight Loss: 10lbs
Body: visibly toned & strong
Exercise(s) I'm love right now: Yoga, Running & Spinning
Food I'm loving right now: Spicy Grilled Chicken & Fruit Salad

it's good to be back!

from ALifeLesOrdinary... "A 'BIG' Moment"

I conduct all of our first round interviews in our business. Some people will hire anyone, I will not. One of the questions that has always stuck out to me is question number 6. Who is your hero? 97.9% of the time I get Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle or Grandparent. And when I ask why, I usually get the same response. "They've always been there for me." LAME! Shouldn't a hero be someone who inspires greatness in you? I think it's a tough question and every time I ask it I wonder who I would say.

A few weeks ago I was in Atlanta for business and Alison Sweeney *tweeted* an invite to go work out with she and Jillian in Atlanta. I assumed that they'd be working out downtown and I'd be a good 20 miles from where all the magic was happening. For grins I googled it, and would you believe my luck... they were 4 miles down the same street I was staying on! What? I called Justin and he said, "DUH! You have to go!" The opportunity to work out with the work out person I most look up to? It was MY moment and I had to take it!


So what was actually going on was Biggest Loser was shooting their first episode of Season 10 & invited the community to come out for a workout and show taping. They shot various parts of the episode around the country. They introduced 3 potential BL's and had them compete for 2 spots on the show. Jillian led the entire group in a work out and when I say led I'm saying that when I was doing push-ups my hands were basically touching her shoes and I was praying to the virgin Mary tattoo on her ankle! I expected there to be 1,000s and 1,000s of people there, but there were maybe 175?

Filming a show is a huge undertaking, so there was a lot of waiting around, but I was a woman with time and my iPhone {excuse the poor quality of the photos} on & in my hands, so I was in for the long hall. They interviewed people who were future cast hopefuls and asked how BL had inspired the crowd. BL inspired me to run a Half Marathon {which I'll be doing again this September!}.

First things first ~ Alison Sweeney runs out! Haven't we all been loving Ali since she was chunky Sami on Days? She was TINY in person and so engaging with the crowd. Also, she had on the cutest nude wedges ever and I can't quit thinking about them and looking for them!

Then out came Jillian and the workout started immediately, so I snapped a pic before she came over and camped out by me. Jillian seems very HARD and LOUD on BL, but it was definitely more of a playful "yell" during the filming.



Yes, the workout was HARD! For those of you who have ever done one of Jillian's work out video's, it was like doing one of her videos on fast forward. 10 minutes and I was pouring sweat and panting! So, if you've been wishing and hoping you could get trained by Jillian I suggest you put her video on fast forward and try to keep up!

Then the potential contestants came out to tell their story and weigh in before the competition. Which was the first 2 to complete a mile would be immediately escorted to the ranch. There were limos outside, but I have no idea where they were really going.

Before anyone came out the director said, "I'm not sure how many of you have stepped on the scale lately, but I'm sure most of you haven't stepped on the scale in front of strangers. Please be respectful." Then he genuinely choked up. It was just as emotional in person as it is on your couch. You can't edit that kind of emotion in to a reality tv show... it's just there.

Ali tweeting how excited she was to meet me in person. Y'all all saw that tweet, right?

My turn on the scale! Thankfully, with NO cameras (but my own), NO sound affects, and NO actual weight being posted!

I didn't get to take my picture with Jillian, but I got a good picture of who Jillian is. I think there's a lot of "acting" in these situations and putting on for the camera, but cameras rolling or not...Jillian loves her work and her mission is to make your life better. I was amazed at how genuine she is and how truly un-judgmental she is. Is un-judgmental a word? I left that day with much deeper appreciation for Bob & Jillian and what they do on the Biggest Loser and to everyone being inspired at home. I also left with my answer to the interview question if I ever get asked.

GNC Total Lean Lean Shake, Swiss Chocolate, Chocolate

Ry's Rating: 4 STARS ****

I've been drinking this for breakfast for the past 2 weeks and have lost 3 pounds. On the box they want you to use it twice a day but I'm not one of those people that can have a shake for breakfast and a shake for lunch. It keeps me full and it's very helpful that it has all the protein and minerals you need in one day. I think it makes a great breakfast and I think I will continue to try all the flavors. If your wanting something to keep you satisfied until lunch, try this I think you ll like it.

+++++++

***Proven effective for weight loss
***Supports lean muscle mass and a healthy metabolism
***Proven to reduce cholesterol

GNC Lean Shake is complete with well-balanced ratios of high quality protein, vitamins, minerals and fat. Proven effective for weight loss, Lean Shake can also help reduce cholesterol and support lean muscle mass and a healthy metabolism. When used in conjunction with the provided meal and exercise plan, this delicious oat-based shake can help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals. It features a patented fiber-rich blend that increases your feeling of fullness and satiety so you eat less and wait longer between meals. This combination of functionally-specific fibers includes oat beta-glucan. Oat beta-glucan is a naturally occurring and powerful soluble fiber found in oat bran; it is known as a low-glycemic fiber that supports normal, healthy blood glucose levels. Oat bran and fiber have slower and more sustained effect on blood sugar and energy levels than when consuming high-glycemic carbohydrates food such as pastries, breads or pasta.

I'm doing it!

I said good BYE to these fried zucchini flowers I made a couple of weeks ago! (THEY WERE DAMN GOOD THOUGH) NO MORE FRIED FOOD until I hit the 15 pound mark!

I'm sure we don't have many readers anymore :( but I wanted to let you know I've been back on weight watchers for 3 weeks now! I'm only down 3 pounds, WHICH IS OK because I have cheated here and there.


We have a busy summer ahead of us and I really want to loose 15 pounds by August! It's so hard traveling and watching what I eat. This weekend I have a baby shower and airport food is hard! Also when I arrive I will be greeted with Taco Bueno. SO WISH ME LUCK! I hope everyone can join in with me so I can have a little motivation! We should all do it together and have weekly weigh ins again.

Here is a picture of me on Saturday before the Cattle Barrons Ball, I know my face has become quite pudgy :) I'm working on it...hopefully in a couple of months I can try this dress on again and take a picture and see a difference. (The dress did do a good job at hiding my tum tum)



Ry

Garlic Fish Taco's

Jim had his first fishing tournment of the season and brought home a couple of pounds of cobia, which is a thick white fish that resembles swordfish (OR SO THATS WHAT IT REMINDS ME OF). I've been making diffrent recipes all week with it and wanted to share this HEALTHY taco recipe. It turned out DELISH :)

Since cobia is a thicker fish I cubed it up before I cooked it. I marinated the fish in garlic and taco seasoning for a couple of hours. I got my pan nice and hot and seared all sides...YOUR MEAT IS DONE! :) It literally took 4 minutes.

For the garlic sauce:

6 cloves of garlic

1 tlb white vinegar

4 tlb lime juice

1 tlb olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Throw all the ingredients in a blender/food processor and pulse until smooth.

I just garnished the taco meat with chives. I used miniature tortilla's which are only 1 point and drizzled the garlic sauce over the top. It was SIMPLe and DELISH! you should try it.

TADAA!

Cantaloupe-Banana Slush

RY'S JOURNEY

I know I have posted mostly main meals, so I thought I would switch it up and post something you could have for a snack or breakfast!

RATING: 8

I have a smoothie machine from college and I dusted it off last week. Smoothies are easy, quick, and delish. I will try the Polynesian Pineapple Shake next and report back!

2 points per serving Ingredients: 3/8 cup coarsely chopped cantaloupe 3/8 cup sliced ripe banana (about 2 medium) 3/8 cup pineapple-orange-banana juice 5/8 teaspoon sugar 5/8 teaspoon lime juice Instructions: Arrange cantaloupe and banana in a single layer on a baking sheet; freeze until firm. Place frozen fruit in a food processor; process until chunky. With processor on, slowly add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 1 cup (1 serving) 2 POINTS per serving Nutrition Facts Per serving: 138 Cal, trace Fat, 2g Protein, 2g Fiber

WW Journey

Parmesan-Turkey Meatloaf

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 tablespoon
1 Onion

Turkey, Ground turkey, 93% lean, 1 1/4 pound
Wheat bread (4 slices), - made into fine crumbs (I used half crackers and that's why my points are more)
Skim Milk, 1/2 cup
1 Egg
Ketchup, Heinz, 3 tbsp
Parmesan Cheese, grated, 1/2 cup
3 garlic cloves

Basil, .5 tsp
some dashes of worcestershire sauce

1 can of tomatoes

dash of dijon mustard
Pepper, black, .25 tsp

Preheat the oven to 350F, spray an 8x5" loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine everything and blend well. Throw into the pan. Bake until browned and cooked through, 50-60 min. Let stand 10 min before slicing.

Number of Servings: 8

4 points per serving

WE RATED THIS A 10! It was a delish. You do need more salt and pepper...I always had extra seasons like garlic and onion. It was VERY GOOD!

Jackie Warner ~ Power Circuit Training ~

Helllllooooo, Friends! Long time no talk! Maybe you've been wondering where I've been thinking I've fallen off the wagon or perhaps traded in blogging for Ice Cream eating... NO! 2010 has gotten off to a great start for me physically. I started the year off with a food cleanse & detox and it got my head in the right place. I feel better than I have in a long time, and I think I look better than I have in a long time. Instead of focusing on counting points I've been more involved in understanding what I'm eating and making healthy decisions.

FourFatChicks blog definitely changed my work out life and got me into a routine. I no longer feel guilty for skipping the gym, but I try and change things up enough that I never want to skip! I still do a lot of workouts in my living room, because as of today there are no classes offered at my gym. {However, I saw a sign that they expanding & starting classes soon! Maybe Bob Harper will come and teach SPIN!}

I love my exercise channel and being able to try workout videos before I buy them. My next video purchase will DEFINITELY be ~

Personal Training with Jackie Warner: Power Circuit Training

I do the total body circuit and it seems easy enough to get through, but afterwards... I walk with a limp for 2 days! This is a BIG deal for me, because I work out often enough that I might get a little sore, but not majorly sore for 2 freaking days! The best part is that while going through the circuits you don't feel like you're going to die, but you do have to work for it.

I've seen the video at Target & Wal*Mart and it's on Amazon.com right now for $7.99. Such a good deal to add to your collection! Now, who is excited about Jillian's new yoga video? {Hint, Hint ~ ME!}

QUAIL

So over the weekend my husband went on a quail hunt and brought back tons of meat. Quail is only 2 points for 2oz! I grilled the quail last night and it was SIMPLE and fast and turned out delish! Here's the easy steps below.

I marinated half the meat in Italian dressing and half in BBQ

I took lean bacon (haha) and used a pick to help it stay on the bird

Grilled it over medium heat for 13 minutes and BAM delish and easy!

WW Creole Chicken

• Creole Poached Chicken Breasts
• 
  
• My Rating: 7..to be honest I probably will never cook this again with chicken breasts, I may try it with a white fish like snapper. The sauce was VERY tasty. The chicken was a little dry, and I didn't over cook it. I prefer baked or grilled chicken breast. I think it would have been TONS better if I used chicken on the bone. It was GOOD THOUGH!
• Jim's: 7
• Memaw: 10 :)
• 4 points for 1 chicken breast and a generous serving of the sauce! :)
• 
  
• 1
• 1 Carrot; peeled and chopped ( I used 2)
• 2 Onions; sliced
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 14 1/2 oz Stewed tomatoes
• 1/8 ts Cayenne pepper
• 1 Celery stalk; chopped
• 2 tb Chopped parsley
• 1 Green bell pepper; seeded
• 1/2 c Low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 ts Salt
• 2 ts Olive oil
• 1 ts Ground thyme
• garlic (I used 3 cloves)
• I always had more seasonings, if not I think it would be a little bland. I didn't have stewed tomatoes so I used diced.

Chicken breasts are stewed/poached in basic seasonings kicked up a notch with fresh thyme and cayenne pepper. Allow about 25 minutes to get the meal on the table. 1. Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. 2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onions, bell pepper, celery and carrot until tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, parsley, garlic, thyme, salt and cayenne; add the chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and poach, partially covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. 3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve. Makes 4 servings.

TOODAAA!!!!!!

I made rice and asparagus for the sides. The rice soaked up that good sauce..mmm

Ry's Journey

If you own the Weight Watchers cookbook DO NOT make the stuff peppers! I gave them a rating of 4…Jim liked them but I think his taste buds were broken that day. I’m not even going to give you the recipe…but took the time to make and take pictures so I will show you what the nasty things looked like. Tonight I’m trying another recipe, wish me luck!

I'm BACK!

I have been away, so I apologize but I’m back to cooking!

RATING FROM EVERYONE BUT MOM: 8

MOM: 10

4 mushrooms equals 2 points

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

1 10OZ bag fresh baby spinach leaves

1 large egg

¼ onion

garlic

2tlb bread crumbs (fresh would be better)

salt & pepper

¼ cup Monterey jack cheese (I used more to sprinkle on top)

Mushrooms

1. Preheat the oven to 400-spray sheet with nonstick spray.

HHeat a large skillet over high heat. Add a little olive oil, sauté garlic and onions and then had the spinach and cook down until it looks like THIS.

3.

Transfer to bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.

4. Place mushroom caps on sheet and fill with mixture. Top with a tiny bit of cheese and bake for 12 mins, or until mushrooms are done and cheese is golden brown!

TADAA!

4 Point Turkey Burgers

Check out my other BLOG for an awesome 4 point turkey burger recipe!

Spicy Reddened Shrimp with Papaya-Lime Salsa

THIS IS 4 POINTS :)

1 ¼ pound shrimp (I used 1 pound)

For the RUB (throw in a bag)

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

1 /2 teaspoon thyme (I didn’t)

¼-1/8 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on how HOT you like it)

salt & pepper

Ry’s EXTRAS

cumin

Garlic powder

Old Bay’s seafood seasoning

GOYA

In a large zip-close bag, combine all the spices add the shrimp and SHAKE!

Meanwhile in a small bowl combine 2 cups of cubed papaya (I used mango), scallions, and 1 limed peeled and dice..set aside. (This is your salsa for the shrimp) WAIT I added some red onions..

Preheat the grill or broiler. (I used BROILER). Spray a grill basket or the broiler rack with nonstick cooking spray. Grill the shrimp or broil them 6 inches from the heat until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve with the salsa on the side!

This really turned out good. Jim wasn’t too big on the sweet salsa, but I thought it went well with the spicy shrimp.

MY RATING: 9!!

Jim’s: 8.5

TA DAA!

Ry's Journey

Classic Steamed Lobster with Special Dipping Sauce

¼ cup of butter

1-tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped parsley, and tarragon.

1 ½ finely chopped watercress (I didn’t have any)

salt & pepper

4 lobster tails (I used 2 because leftover lobster isn’t my favorite)

4 lemon wedges

(Recipe doesn’t call for GARLIC, but of course I added some)

1) To prepare the sauce, in a small skillet over low heat, melt the butter, lemon juices, parsley, tarragon, watercress, and salt & pepper. (I added garlic!)

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the lobsters until bright red, NOW weight watchers said 10-12 minutes, if I would have listened to them it would have ruined the tails, I cooked them for 5 minutes. Never over cook your lobster, it ruins the meat. When the lobster tails look like this (red and curled) their done!

With tongs transfer to a platter…Serve with lemon wedges and sauce.

Rating: 9 from the both of us

I forgot to take some pictures of the finished product. It was delish!

Tip #1 I use cooking scissors to slit the back of the lobster open, so the butter can run all over the meat.

Tip #2 If you don’t want your lobster tails to curl, stick a skewer in the belly of them, running it from the top all the way down to the bottom of the tail. I will try to take pictures to explain better later.

Asian Halibut

Before (each fish is wrapped in its own foil package)

AFTER

It was yum!

Here is the Asian Halibut recipe I posted last week. I made it again for Memaw on her birthday, it was a hit!


The recipe is on the posts below.

Ry's Journey

Weight Watchers didn’t make a good chili…so I added some stuff :) Here is MY VERSION to good WW chili, and I only bumped the chili up one point! 5 points per serving.

RY’S RATING: 8.5
Husband: 8
Memaw & Mom: 10


· 2 tsp olive oil
· 1 medium onion, chopped
· 3 medium garlic clove, minced
· 1 or 2 carrots
· 1 pound(s) lean ground sirloin or 93% lean ground beef
· 3 tbsp chili powder
· 3 tsp ground cumin
· 2 tsp dried oregano
· salt and pepper to taste
· 2 cans of crushed tomatoes
· 2 cup canned beef broth
· 8 oz tomato sauce
· 30 oz canned kidney, chili, or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
· 1 can of tomato soup J I’m not sure why I added this, it just needed something and I think this is the secret to good chili J
· If you like some heat throw a minced jalapeño in

1. Heat oil in stockpot over medium-high heat., add carrots, garlic, jalapeno, and onion. Then sauté everything until tender and onions are translucent. This should take about 4 minutes. Then, add the beef and sauté until cooked completely. Break up the meat as it browns. This should take about 5 minutes.
2. Step 2
Add the chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano…well everything else!
Then you need to coat the vegetables and beef with spices by stirring. Then, add the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce and beans) and bring to a boil. Simmer partially covered for at least 30 minutes.
I garnished with scallions. The recipe said it makes 4 servings…It made 6 for us. It’s 5 points per serving.

SPICES (I like to mix all my spices before I throw them in)

TAA DAA!!!