Zing Zang 20 calorie drink!

Don't know about you guys, but I LOVER me some spicy tomato juice/bloody mary mix. I've tried a bunch of varieties and this one is my FAVORITE. It's thick and zest~ey, pepper~ey & spicy
And the best part is that it's only TWENTY calories. I drink it straight-up as a "mock-tail" but as Lesli reminded me...."Vodka is zero points. Right? It is, isn't it? Well at least it is in my head." So it's DELISH by itself OR as a fabulous diet mixer. It comes in a large glass bottle and is less than $3 at my grocery store.

This is how I drink it. LOTS of crushed ice in my pretty stemless glasses that Toni gave me as a housewarming with a twist of lime. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

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

The Skinny on Pork

Pork is a healthy choice. 4oz of pork loin roast provides 158 calories and 7 grams of fat only slightly more than the 140 calorie 5 grams of fat in a 4oz chicken breast.

And that's not the only reason to go hog wild for it: Pork is also high in potassium, a nutrient that may help lower blood pressure

High Energy Snacks

Just say NO, to excess sugar and caffeine!

If you need an energy boosting midafternoon snack try one of these healthy picks!

Soy Chips

Turkey Jerkey

Homemade trail mix

Low fat yogurt

High-fiber crackers & peanut butter

Edamame

Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Makes 8 servings Ingredients ·
1 large onion, chopped ·
1 large green bell pepper, chopped ·
Vegetable cooking spray ·
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts ·
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted ·
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted ·
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles ·
1 teaspoon chili powder
· 1/2 teaspoon pepper
· 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
· 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
· 1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded
Sauté onion and bell pepper (I hate bell-peppers so I left those out!) in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients; remove from heat.

I actually made the "filling" the night before and refrigerated overnight & reheated the next day, this is what it looked like after I re-heated.
Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third tortilla pieces in bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Top with one-third chicken mixture and one-third cheese

Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. This was DELICIOUS, maybe one of my favorite Weight Watcher friendly recipes!

Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Nutritional Information 6 WEIGHT WATCHER POINTS
Calories: 282 (32% from fat)
Fat: 9.9g (sat 5g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 21g
Carbohydrate: 26.4g
Fiber: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 54.4mg
Iron: 0.7mg
Sodium: 947mg
Calcium: 248mg

French Fries (UN-fried)!!!

Now I must admit it's NOT a good option to eat french fries on a daily basis, but I know sometimes you just GOTTA have them. And I'm excited to say that I've found a frozen brand that is Weight Watcher friendly.

If you do the BAKED option, these fries are 150 calories, 5 grams of fat & 2 grams of fiber per serving (11 fries) which eaquals 3 points. So if you have a light point lunch you can have 22 french fries, which is probably more than a small order at fast food joint, for only 6 points! I LOVE it.

I'm Hooked!!!

If you follow me on Twitter, you have seen the countless entries on my new obsession...Yogli Mogli. Apparently, this self serve frozen yogurt shop is the first of its kind on the east coast. Their first location is literally a half a mile from my house. What's funny is, I had never tried it until Lesli was here for a weekend and suggested we check it out. We didn't get a chance to that weekend, but I tried it the next week and have been HOOKED ever since. A good friend of mine lives in LA, and apparently everyone is on the "Fro-Yo" kick... I totally see why. The flavors are delicious, you can get as much or as little as you like, and there are 40 toppings to choose from. Best of all, the frozen yogurt is fat free, and (if you don't get carried away with the toppings) it is a very low calorie treat. I have had a little bit for a snack, and often, I have it for lunch or dinner....in fact...I had it for lunch AND dinner today...Seriously....it is SO good.

My favorite flavor combinations are New York Cheesecake swirled with Strawberry, topped with fresh strawberries....the other is York Peppermint Patty with Pistachio.

I was going to take a picture for the blog and post it, but half way through my cup of yogurt when i realized I had TOTALLY forgotten to take a picture before I started devouring it...

They are opening up 5 more locations in Atlanta....I think I should go ask them for a job...

Their website has some information on the benefits of yogurt that were very interesting...I am glad its so good for me, because I'm addicted and I see lots more of this in my future...

How Yogurt Benefits The Body:

Many people eat yogurt for its health benefits, because yogurt is more than a delicious, nutritious food. The cultures in yogurt are considered beneficial to be present in the intestinal tract of the human body to insure proper balance needed for digestion and good health. Yogurt with live, active cultures can:

• Help to overcome lactose intolerance

• Aid digestion of milk protein

• Help prevent and combat digestive tract infections

In recent research, other exciting effects have been observed and are currently being studied. They include:

• The potential that yogurt can help boost the immune system

• An indication that yogurt may be useful in lowering serum cholesterol

• Yogurt's potential in the prevention and management of certain cancers

In addition, yogurt is a source of…

• Protein

• Calcium

• Potassium

• The vitamins B12 and Riboflavin

Natural Pharmacy

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Stop your Binging, SISTER!

Raise your hand if you splurged on your diet last week? {~Lesli's hand is going up...maybe more than once.~} I can confirm to all of you that I ate a donut last week for the first time in years and it was like eating a glazed topped blessing from heaven. I can also confirm that I felt ~ZERO~ guilt in my indulgence.

However, a little indulgence here and another indulgence there will eventually add up to more than a little gain on the scale & a set back in your hard work.

I recently came across an article that listed foods that help you stick to your plan and cut out binges. I know, I know, we've ALL seen these lists a million times, but these things WORK! Here are the products that I prefer!

Eggs: They’re a great source of hunger-quelling protein (about 6 g per egg), plus a recent study found that women following a low-fat diet who ate 2 eggs for breakfast at least 5 days a week lost 65% more weight and averaged an 83% greater reduction in waist circumference. Not a fan? Low-fat yogurt is a great source of (breakfast-happy) protein.

{If you follow me on TWITTER, you know how I love an Egg sandwich for breakfast! This is my favorite way to get in carbs & protein for breakfast. Real eggs don't have many calories either, so don't feel bad splurge on the real thing if you're not into the beaters!}

Almonds: These tasty nuts contain the healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, good-for-you fats that keep your appetite sated for hours. Studies back this up—one found that after 6 months, dieters whose eating plan included almonds lost 63% more weight, lost 50% more body fat, and shrunk their waistlines 55% more than those on a high-carb diet. They’re not exactly calorie free, so watch portions (1 ounce—or 28 nuts—is about 170 calories).

{Almonds are my favorite filler snack. I like to keep a bag in my purse so I can tide myself over or when I don't have my other snacks (Luna Bars, fruit, etc) readily available. LOVE the kick of the wasabi soy almonds, YUM!}

Avocados: How do I love these? In many many ways, but a few slices with a little lime juice is rich, satisfying, and loaded with so many important nutrients, including those healthy monounsaturated fats, plus vitamins and minerals like potassium and folate. No, they’re not calorie free, but a few slices have between 50 and 75 calories and will make any salad or sandwich SO much more satisfying (you can even throw avocado in a smoothie, which is common in Thai food).

{DO NOT be afraid of Avocados! They are your friend! What better way to enjoy them than to marry them with onions, tomatoes, lime & salt. How many of you can eat guac with a spoon? GUILTY!}

Apples: I’m going to resist the urge to write anything about absentee doctors and regular apple consumption, but needless to say, eating one or two of these crunchy, portable fruits really can benefit your waistline: One study found that subjects who ate one apple before every meal lost 40% more weight than those who didn’t. Plus, they’re low in calories—about 65 for one that’s medium-size.

{My favorite apples are Gala Apples & my least favorite are green apples, but oddly enough, I eat them in a fruit cup every day.}

Oatmeal: This is the food weight loss dreams are made of. It contains high amounts of soluble fiber, which slows digestion and keeps you full for hours, and one study found that subjects who ate oatmeal for breakfast every day and also walked an average of 15 to 30 minutes daily lost about 10 pounds in 12 weeks.

{I've been loving Village Farms Whole Grain oatmeal for a long time & my favorite is the blueberry kind! I don't care that it's 90+ degrees I love that oatmeal sticks to my bones and keeps me full}

Peanut butter: Despite the name, peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut, but they’re still high in those craving-quashing monounsaturated fats, and research has found that dieters who snack on peanuts or peanut butter lose more weight than those who don’t. My advice is to stick with the natural kind because it’s lower in added sugars—and spread some on those apple slices next time you get the 4 pm munchies.

{Naturally More peanut butter is delicious & I've been eating it on english muffins. Honestly, I've been SHOCKED at how it tides me over MUCH longer than I'm used to.}

Information taken from: Binge-proof your diet: 6 Foods that keep you full and satisfied partner by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION

DRESSED to Perfection

Salad dressing is a major sabotage, but only if you let it!

Drowning a salad in a high-calorie, high-fat dressing can easily turn a healthy dish into a diet disaster. Avoid overdoing it by using no more than 2 tablespoons per serving and stick to the healthier options, see list below.

Low Fat Italian: 22 Calories & 2 grams of fat
Raspberry Vinaigrette: 49 Calories and 3 grams of fat
Low Fat Ranch: 59 Calories 4 grams of fat
Thousand Island: 111 calories 11 grams of fat
Balsamic Vinegar and Live Oil: 133 Calories and 14 grams of fat (this one SHOCKED me!!)
French: 146 Calories and 14 grams of fat
Ranch: 145 Calories and 15 grams of fat

Spice of Your Life

One of the hardest changes when trying to get into the habit of eating healthy is kissing all the delicious cooking companions goodbye. You know... your good friends like butter, cheese, heavy cream. My mouth is watering & I don't want to ruin my keyboard, so I'll stop at those. I am the kind of person that is cool with the low fat/fat free version. Sure, it doesn't taste as good, and it doesn't ALWAYS cook the same, but it's usually pretty close.

I've found that the easiest way to enhance flavor without enhancing your thighs is to add some spice to your life! Allie is the Spice Queen. If you look around my spice cabinet, there are several spices that she has introduced me to & they've been used up!

My favorite spice that Allie ever shared with me was Chili & Lime spice. Chili & Lime spice is apart of The Gourmet Collection brand that can be found at none other than TJ Maxx! I love it so much that if I ever discover a new TGC spice I add it to my collection!

Currently, my shelf is housing the following TGC spices ~ Roast Vegetable & Fries, Basil & Tomato, Garlic Bread and Chili & Lime. As you can see, I haven't opened the Roast Vegetable & Fries seasoning, but I can't wait! I add the Chili & Lime seasoning to EVERYTHING! Just ate it last night in my Weight Watchers 1 pt Soup! The Garlic Bread spice adds a nice flavor to the Sausage & Cream cheese purses that I shared a few weeks ago!

~So tell me, what is the Spice of Your Life? ~

~Parfait Pleasures~

I have the WORST sweet tooth & lately I've been obsessed with Fat Free Cool Whip! I put a dollop on my coffee, a dollop over fruit, a spoonful in my mouth... I LOVE it! I think parfaits are pretty to look at, so the other night I threw together a parfait to get my cool whip fix!

I took a pint glass and lined the bottom with Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal, then I added a few Mixed Berries. {I ALWAYS use frozen fruit... so much easier to me & I always use it before it spoils.} Then of course added my favorite ~ Fat Free Cool Whip.

I made this the other night to eat while I enjoyed my dance show {SoYouThinkYouCanDance} & can report that I had it eaten before Mary could yell about the hot tamale train. It was delicious & the best part is that it quenched my sweet tooth & I could hardly tell it was so healthy!

What are your favorite Parfait Pairings?

Bacon Bundled BBQ Shrimp

Bacon Bundled BBQ Shrimp

I found this recipe in the Hungry Girl 200 under 200 book & after trying knew I HAD to share with all my fat chicks!

You will need... {for 6 pieces of shrimp}
-Your favorite BBQ Sauce {CookBook has a recipe to make your own, but I was hungry!}
-3 pieces of Turkey Bacon {cut in half}
-6 pieces of Shrimp {raw, deveined, peeled, tails removed}

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat the bacon in BBQ sauce & wrap around the shrimp.

Arrange on a sprayed cookie sheet & cook until bacon is crispy ~ 10-15 minutes.

Each of these shrimps are less than 30 calories, only 2pts for 4 shrimp & absolutely delicious! I ate them by themselves for dinner, but think they would be a delicious & impressive appetizer at any party.

Want fries with that? If so, go for the healthiest options. And we'll likely do it again, we might as well know what our healthiest options are. WebMD compared the calories, fat grams, "bad fat" grams, percentage of calories from fat and sodium levels of the fries at 14 fast-food chains to find the best options.

LOWEST IN CALORIES:
Sonic Drive-In regular fries 220 calories
McDonald's small fries 230 calories

LOWEST IN FAT:
Sonic Drive-In regular fries 9 grams
McDonald's small fries 11 grams

LOWEST IN "BAD FAT":
Sonic Drive-In 1.5 grams saturated fat, no trans fat
McDonald's small fries 1.5 grams of saturated fat, no trans fat

LOWEST IN SODIUM:
Chick-fil-A waffle potato fries 80 mg
Sonic Drive-In regular fries 100 mg

AND THE WINNER IS...
Sonic Drive-In's regular fries, which are the lowest in calories, fat grams, % of calories from fat and total amount of "bad fats" and second lowest in sodium. The runner up in McDonalds small fries. So if you must indulge, try to find a Sonic.

H-O-T Hot Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

My friend Monica came over for dinner the other night and I made us Hungry Girl's H-O-T Boneless Buffalo wings. They were easy and really yummy and at 175 calories per serving...it's dang good for you!



Cast of characters:

8 oz raw boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 10 nuggets

1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original)

1 oz Pringles Fat Free Barbecue potato chips

3 Tablespoons Frank's Red Hot original cayenne pepper sauce (or other Tabasco type hot sauce)

Dash onion powder

Dash garlic powder (yall know I used more than a dash!!)

Dash cayenne pepper

Dash black pepper

Dash salt

This is what the crushed up cereal & b-b-q pringles looks like

Chicken in hot sauce

nuggets coated in breading before they were baked

close-up

The finished product all cooked & delicious

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

In a blender or food processor (I used my magic bullet) grind fiber one to a breadcrumb like consistency.

Crush potato crisps completely. In a small dish mix crushed crisps with cereal crumbs and add onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper and salt and mix well.

Place chicken in a separate bowl, cover with hot sauce and toss to coat.

Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Give each chicken piece a shake so its not dripping with sauce, and then coat evenly with crumb mixture. Lay crumb covered nuggets on baking sheet.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes

Flip nuggets over and lake for 10 more minutes, or until outsides are crispy and chicken is cooked through.

Makes 2 servings (I doubled the recipe and had leftovers for lunch)

PER SERVING: (5 nuggets) 175 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 14 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, 27 grams of protein, <>

Sausage Cream Cheese Purses

I started making these sausage cream cheese purses long before I started weight watchers, and they were wildly popular with my husband, so I had to figure out a way to make them WW friendly! They are so delicious and I think if you let yourself, you can easily forget that you're even on a weight loss journey. Ok, get a pen and paper, because this recipe is a doozie!

Sausage Cream Cheese Purses

Ingredients:
1 Roll of Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls

1/2 Package of Fat Free Cream Cheese (4oz)

1/2 Roll of Turkey Sausage

Makes: 8 purses


Directions:
Brown your sausage in a skillet and sprinkle on your favorite seasoning. I like to use italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes, because The Flowers like the heat! Once the sausage is browned, stir it in with your room temperature cream cheese. Put one spoonful of the sausage and cheese mixture at the big end of the crescent roll and roll it together. Repeat for the 7 other rolls. Bake at 365 or 375 for 10-15 minutes depending on how your oven works and how brown you prefer your rolls.



Now that I've modified it to be 5 Weight Watchers Points per purse, we like to eat this for a quick and easy dinner during the week. These were also the perfect appetizer for the Four Fat Chicks weekend in Dallas party. Of course if you need more than than 8 purses, double the recipe and enjoy!

~Sweet Potato~

With the onslaught of low-carb/no carb diet craze we all kind of got it in our head that all potatoes are BAD BAD BAD! I recently caught wind that sweet potatoes rank #1 in nutrition as far as vegetables go, and figured I would give it a try. I've always loved sweet potato casserole at thanksgiving, but why not try a healthier version? Recently, I've enjoyed baking them and finding healthy complimentary toppings like organic cinnamon, ground cloves, and if I'm feeling wild & need some savory, sprinkles of goat cheese. They make a perfect filling lunch or a light dinner ringing it at only 2 WeightWatcher Points (pre toppings)! Hard to beat that!

Read this article below from Food Reference

Sweet Potato Ranks Number One In Nutrition

According to nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the single most important dietary change for most people, including children, would be to replace fatty foods with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes. CSPI ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points.

Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Points were deducted for fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium, cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine. The higher the score, the more nutritious the food.

Sweet potato baked 184
Potato, baked 83
Spinach 76
Kale 55
Mixed Vegetables 52
Broccoli 52
Winter Squash, Baked 44
Brussels Sprouts 37
Cabbage, Raw 34
Green Peas 33
Carrot 30
Okra 30
Corn on the Cob 27
Tomato 27
Green Pepper 26
Cauliflower 25
Artichoke 24
Romaine Lettuce 24

The reasons the sweet potato took first place? Dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. The sweet potato received a score of 184; the vegetable ranked in second place was more than 100 points behind with a score of 83.

The numbers for the nutritional sweet potato speak for themselves: almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal. All these benefits with only about 130 to 160 calories!

Sweet Potato Nutrition Facts(for one medium size sweet potato)
Calories 130
Fat 0.39 g
Protein 2.15 g
Net Carbs 31.56 g
Dietary Fiber 3.9 g
Calcium 28.6 mg
Sodium 16.9 mg
Potassium 265.2 mg
Folate 18.2 mcg
Vitamin C 29.51 mg
Vitamin A 260
81.9 IU Source: US Department of Agriculture

Food, Food, and more Food

Jim and I are headed down to Longboat Key this weekend to celebrate #26. Longboat Key holds a special place in our hearts. It was the first beach Jim took me to when I first moved down to Florida and little did we know we would be getting MARRIED there. We haven’t been back since our wedding day and I can’t tell you how ready I am to relax and enjoy Longboat Key.

Longboat Key is close to Sarasota, it’s about 1 ½ hours south of where we live now. They have wonderful restaurants and shopping! I have all my meals already picked out. Sorry girls, I don’t know the Weight Watcher calculations but I thought you might like to know what I will be eating over the weekend.

My first stop, Friday night dinner at the Chart House located on the pass. This restaurant has beautiful views of the boats headed out to sea. They have this wonderful salad bar equipped with palm of hearts (one of my favorites..and 0 points!). The dressings are made fresh. For my main course I’m choosing the Spiced Yellowfin Ahi, Cajun spiced and grilled, ginger soy butter, wasabi cream, spinach & bok choy. This can’t be that bad for you!

MORNING…LBK has wonderful breakfast choices and I will be getting my usual, Lox. It’s my favorite; I could eat this for breakfast, dinner, and supper!

My next stop is for lunch in downtown Sarasota…I must visit this place every time I’m in town. It’s GREEK and the name is EL GRECO. Here is where it gets bad…Souvlaki lunch Platter - Marinated Bits of Pork Tenderloin in a grilled pita, garnished with onions, tomatoes and House Made Tzadziki Sauce. Served with rice…YES! I know I’m going to Weight Watcher hell.

To top things off for my last dinner down south we will head to MOSAIC. Now, this is a tricky menu because every item sounds delicious. Here are a few I might choose…what sounds best to you?

-Tagine of braised petite veal shank with cardoons and root vegetables
-Pan-roasted Chilean sea bass and homemade herb papardelle with tomato anchoyade beurre blanc
-Pan-seared diver scallops and heirloom tomatoes with fennel and lemon anise vinaigrette
-Papardelle pasta with rock shrimp, blue crab, and scallops with sauteed ribbon vegetables

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend! I really don’t think this trip will do too much damage to my tummy. I guess we will see in the WEIGHT INS to come!

Ellie's Turkey Meatloaf

Allie recently emailed me Ellie Krieger's recipe for Turkey meatloaf and a light bulb went off and I thought, Justin and I love all these ingredients... this will be a GREAT "new" recipe to introduce to our meals. We love turkey burgers and are really proud of "our" recipe, so why not tackle scary meatloaf? Scary meatloaf... did y'all turn your nose up to meatloaf when you were a kid? I did, and I have no idea why?

So, after one bite Justin happily proclaimed that it was a "do over" which thrilled my soul! I cut the recipe in half, so we wouldn't have many left overs and I thought it was good. Honestly, I would leave it in a little longer, because I prefer a "crustier" meatloaf. Because I'm the best dog-mommy in the world, I chopped up the few bites that were left and put them in Lola's bowl & she's never been so protective!

I served it with Tyler Florence's baked fries and threw in some sweet potatoes too. They were delish! Loved the sweet & savory combo with garlic. YUMMMM!

{Sorry ~ does NOT photograph well! }

Ingredients
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1 medium onion, peeled
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.F.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Facts
Nutritional Analysis
per Serving
Calories: 205
Total Fat: 3.5
Saturated Fat: 0.5
Protein: 32
Carbohydrates: 13 grams
Fiber: 2 grams

WW Points: 4

Pizza, Pizza!

Many people think they can't lose weight, because they'd have to end their life long love affair with their food. Admittedly, I was maybe one of those people before I started WeightWatchers, but I have LOVED finding WeightWatchers~friendly versions of my favorites. I'll be the first to admit when the WWF version does not measure up to the old one, but let's face it ~ there is no alternatives that taste quite like REAL cheese & REAL butter & REAL cream. Now, let's GET OVER THAT and move on! Done!

This, however, is a fantastic alternative. Who doesn't love PIZZA? Honestly, of all the people I've ever met, known & loved in my life, I've NEVER met, known or loved anyone that didn't like pizza.

My fellow Fat Chicks & Fabulous Dieters ~ meet Kashi Pizza

This is the Thin Crust Roasted Vegetable Version which includes: Broccoli, Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Red Peppers, Onions & Garlic, Mozzarella & Provolone Cheeses with a Tomato Pesto Suace on a Stone Fired Crust made with Kashi 7 Whole Grains & Sesame with Flax Seed.

Coming in at:

Serving Size = 1/3 of Pizza
Calories: 250
Total Fat: 9g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Weight Watchers Points: 5 per piece or 15 points total

Justin and I have a little secret tradition and I'll confess it... we like to eat pizza on Biggest Loser night. Now I can join him and eat my Kashi pizza and not feel bad for one minute! My other tradition is to run on the treadmill for the first hour of the show, so that racks up activity points and I can enjoy as much of my pizza as I want! I'll be honest, I prefer the original crust, and other fantastic varieties include ~ Roasted Garlic Chicken, Mediterranean, Five Cheese Tomato, Mushroom Trio & Spinach, Tomato Garlic Cheese! YUMMMM!

Want the stats on Justin's pizza?

Serving Size: 1/3 of Pizza
Calories: 400
Fat Grams: 26g
Dietary fiber: 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 10 per piece or 30 for the whole pizza!

He's very lucky to be 6'1 and skinny as a rail! The rest of us will happily stick to our WeightWatchers & exercise!