IT'S DONE!!!!!

Can you believe it's over? Are you shouting for joy and running to MacDonald's like I did? I feel like crap tonight! I ate a crispy BLT, french fries and lemonade for lunch and had homemade ice cream after dinner. But ohhhhh, they were yummy. Not worth it though. So maybe some good did come from this for me. But enough of that. I know you are all checking here to see the results. Not what I ate today.

Travis is our winner (surprise, surprise!) with 593/594 points. He lost 16 1/2 pounds! Can you stand it?!!! I can't. Next is Trisha just a few points behind Trav. She lost 9.2 pounds. Tara should get a prize of some sort, she lost 12 pounds! Way to go guys!!!!!

Travis wants to go another round but up the stakes. Uhhhh..... no thanks! He has won all but two prizes I think. The first one that Missy one because of the tie and my kids drew her name out. Then he can't win first and second prize so he missed on that one. He has given a few of his gifts away though. He gave the hair cut and color to Carol and the pedicure to Trisha.

We did a drawing between Trisha and Travis for the Mary Kay gift certificate and guess who won that one..... yup, Travis.

Everyone did a super job. This was really motivating and I think we all learned our weaknesses here. Mine---FRENCH FRIES. Everything else was pretty easy to pass up. But I did it. I went 2 months without eating one single french fry.

I want to hear your stories. Post them here and let's keep this going for a bit.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

-2/3 c. brown sugar
-1/3 c. butter
-2/3 c. pureed white beans
(Cream sugar butter beans)
-Add 2 large eggs

Dry ingredients (mix and add)
-1 c. flour
-1/2 c. wheat flour
-1 1/2 c. oats
-1/2 t salt
-1 t baking soda

Bake 10-12 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
Perfect combination of "healthy & tasty"

Last Chance Recipe!!!

Cracked Wheat Sausage

1 c. cooked cracked wheat
1 1/2 tsp sage
2-3 dashes onion salt
2-3 dashes garlic salt
1 tsp beef flavor base
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 extra large egg (1T. dry powdered eggs + 1/4 c. water)
1 T. brown sugar
dash cayenne pepper
3-4 drops of liquid smoke
1 T. flour (if too thin)

Combine all ingredients. Form into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Fry in small amount of oil.

Thin Bagel with Cream Cheese

1 Thomas Whole Wheat Thin Bagel (110 calories)
1 Tablespoon Reduced Fat Strawberry Cream Cheese.

Spread the cream cheese on each half of the bagel and enjoy. Only 146 Calories.

**I found the Bagel Thins at Smith's Market place***

Drinkable Powdered Milk

3 c. dry powdered milk
1 gallon water
1 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Place half the water in a 1-gallon jug or pitcher. Add dry powdered milk, then mix with a wire whisk. Add sugar and/or vanilla. Slowly add the rest of the water and mix again. At this point, the milk will be frothy, so you may not be able to fit all the water in the jug. Just remember to add a little more water to the milk before serving.

You MUST serve the milk chilled. There in nothing worse than warm powdered milk!

Haven't tried this yet. If anyone is daring enough let us know.....

Chicken Divan

2 cooked, cubed,chicken breasts
2 cups broccoli florets, frozen
1 can cream of chicken soup, lowfat
1/2 cup mayo, nonfat
1/2 cup ricotta cheese, fat free (does this exist?)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp curry pwdr
1-2 cups bread crumbs whole wheat
2 tsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Layer broccoli and chicken on the bottom of a 9x13 nonstick cooking sprayed pan. Mix soup, mayo, ricotta cheese, lemon and curry in saucepan over medium heat; pour over chicken and broccoli. In a frying pan, pour melted butter, salt and pepper over crumbs. Cook until crunchy. Pour over mixture in pan. You can also sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Really yummy! 245 calories and 5 fat grams. 4 servings of 1 cup.

Crab Rangoonies

The Crab Rangoonies
PER SERVING (4 "crab rangoonies"): 140 calories, 1.5g fat, 618mg sodium, 20g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugars, 9g protein -- POINTS® value 3*
Don't let the name creep you out. What can we say? We love the '80s flick The Goonies! This recipe is too good to pass up...
Ingredients:1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
4 oz. imitation crabmeat, flaked
1 tsp. low-sodium/lite soy sauce
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 scallions, finely chopped
16 small square wonton wrappers (often stocked near t he tofu in the fridge section of the market)
Optional: sweet & sour sauce or Chinese-style hot mustard, for dipping

Directions:Preheat oven to 375 degrees.To make your filling, combine all ingredients except wonton wrappers in a bowl, breaking up the cheese wedges as you add them. Mix until uniform. Set aside. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set that aside as well.Lay two wrappers flat on a clean, dry surface. Spoon a heaping 1/2 tbsp. of filling into the center of each wrapper. Moisten all four edges of each wrapper by dabbing your fingers in water and going over the edges smoothly. Fold the bottom left corner of each wrapper to meet the top right corner, forming a triangle and enclosing the filling. Press firmly on the edges to seal. Repeat with all remaining wrappers and filling, gently placing each rangoon flat on the baking sheet.Spray the tops of the wontons with nonstick spray. Bake in th e oven for about 12 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly.
If you like, dip your rangoonies in some sweet & sour sauce or hot mustard!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS

2 Weeks Left

The Winner of the PEDICURE is............ TRAVIS!!!!

But since he's such a nice brother he has generously given it to Trisha who only missed tying with him by 1 point. He really just wants the money at the end.

Great job everyone! I know I say that every week. I need to come up with a different phrase... We are down to the last two weeks. The prize at the end will be the Mary Kay gift certificate from me. We will also award the prize money, the second place meal from Renata and the biggest loser percentage gift from Tara. This has been an eye opener for me (keeping track of food, I mean). The recipes have been great. Let's all finish strong!

P.S. I still need money from Tiana, Trisha and Renata.....

Ultimate Black-Bean Quesadillas

"An easy and appetizing fiesta-style meal."

8 small tortillas (taco size)
2 c. cheese
1 c. diced chicken, cooked
1 c. canned corn, drained
1 c. cooked black beans, drained
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles (optional)
sour cream
salsa
guacamole

Heat skillet to medium heat. Place one tortilla on ungreased skillet, top with a portion of cheese, chicken, corn, black beans, and chiles. top with another tortilla. Turn frequently until cheese is melted and quesadilla is warmed through. Remove from heat and cut into four triangles. Repeat with remaining tortillas and toppings. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

Travis

Banana Couscous Pudding and Fruit Parfait

POINTS® Value: 3Servings: 4Preparation Time: 10 minCooking Time: 4 minLevel of Difficulty: Easy

Couscous adds great texture to this pretty parfait. Serve it year-round by using whichever fruits are in season.
Ingredients
1/3 cup(s) water
1/4 cup(s) uncooked whole wheat couscous
1 oz fat-free sugar-free instant banana pudding and pie filling mix
2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk, cold
1 large banana(s), ripe, sliced
1 cup(s) strawberries, sliced
1/8 oz mint leaves, sprigs (for garnish)
Instructions
Bring water to a boil in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave. Carefully remove from microwave and stir in couscous. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 5 minutes until couscous is tender.
Meanwhile, prepare pudding according to package directions using fat-free milk. Stir in couscous (it is okay if couscous is still warm). Let stand 5 minutes until pudding is set.
To make parfaits, layer about 2 tablespoons of pudding, then 2 tablespoons of bananas, 2 tablespoons of pudding and then 2 tablespoons of strawberries in each of 4 tall parfait or other tall thin glasses. Repeat layers once. Garnish with mint sprigs if desired. Serve immediately. Yields 1 parfait per serving.

Cookies/Brownies/Cakes

So... I don't have the internet at home and I'm trying to do fast quick things so that my kids don't tear the library apart. But... they are awesome tricks that I think worthy of passing on. Rather than post these recipes...(who doesn't have a brownie/cookie/cake recipe already?) I'll give you the trick.

For every 1/2 cup of butter in the recipe, replace it with 1 cup of puree'd white beans. Or you can do 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup beans.

For every egg- use 2 egg whites (or powdered egg whites)

Keep in mind you are cutting out 44 grams of fat by omitting the butter-- and this trick does wonders! Experiment with it and I think you'll be surprised!

Macaroni and Cheese

This not only cuts out 44 grams of fat from a box of mac n' cheese-- but it actually makes it taste better! Seriously! (For those of us with kids that frequently eat this...it's a great and easy idea)

Make the macaroni and cheese according to the package directions....except replace the butter with 2 T (or more depending on the desired consistency) of fat free cream cheese. I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Can't get any easier than this.

Mexican Bean and Rice Salad

Mexican Bean and Rice Salad
Salad
1 cup rice cooked in chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 small red onion chopped
1 cup chopped zucchini
cucumber
corn
carrots, grated
black beans
lettuce

Toss ingredients together in a large bowl.

Dressing:
2 T. rice vinegar
1 t. salt
6 T fresh lime juice
1 t pepper
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t lime zest
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
4 T light mayo
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup water

Blend ingredients and pour over salad.

Week Five/Three Left!

Travis says we're going to have a homemade

ICE CREAM PARTY

on March 30th!

For real...we'll keep you posted.

Who was the brains behind planning a Bridal Shower on the 27th?!!! Seriously! We better ONLY be serving food we can eat!

Great job this week everyone. Most of us did pretty darn good! I've got some new competition. It's me and you Mia! Trisha and Travis are tied for the bi-weekly prize of a Pedicure. Renata is still kicking butt in the percentage of weight lost! A few of you are creeping up there though!

Great job everyone!!!!!

AnnMarie's Recipe

My Favorite Treat! That I can't wait for this competition to be over so I can make them and eat half of them (or more).

Rice Krispie Peanut Butter Bars
1 c. corn syrup
1 c. sugar
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. Rice Krispies
1 bag milk choc. chips
1 bag butterscotch chips

mix corn syrup and sugar on stove until it boils. Take off heat and add peanut butter. Stir until melted. Add Rice Krispies and stir until coated. Put in 9x13 pan (I actually prefer putting them in a cookie sheet so they're not so thick). Set aside. Then, over medium heat, melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Pour over Rice Krispies. Let topping harden and then serve.

SOOOOOOO YUMMY!!!!!!!

Travis's Sloppy Joe's

Travis took two recipes from our ward cook book and put them together to make the YUMMIEST sloppy joe's EVER.

1 lb. ground beef
3 T A-1 steak sauce (he used hickory flavored BBQ sauce)
1 can tomato sauce (he used tomato soup)
1 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. catsup
1/2 tsp garlic salt (he used 2 garlic cloves)
mustard

Brown the beef. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until desired thickness.

Thank you to Shirley and DaNae!!!

Yogurt Parfait

1/4 cup diced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons low-fat granola
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (8 ounces)
Fresh mint sprig
Place the strawberries and granola in a small mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Spoon half of the mixture into a serving dish or parafait glass. Spoon the yogurt over the granola mixture. Sprinkle the remaining granola-strawberry mixture on top. Garnish with fresh mint.

Nutrients Per Serving;
253 calories; 13 g protein; 44 g carbs; 4 g total fat; 2 g sat. fat; 0 g polyunsaturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat; 11 mg cholesterol; 2 g fiber; 172 mg sodium.

Italian Vegetable Hoagies
This delightfully easy, and somewhat messy, sandwich packs a punch with sweet balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, red onion, provolone cheese and zesty pepperoncini. We love it for dinner as well as lunch. If you're packing the hoagies to take along, keep the ingredients separate and assemble right before eating to avoid soggy bread. Serve with tomato and cucumber salad.
4 servings
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 16- to 20-inch-long baguette, preferably whole-grain
2 slices provolone cheese, (about 2 ounces), halved
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini, (optional)
Preparation
Place onion rings in a small bowl and add cold water to cover. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Combine artichoke hearts, tomato, vinegar, oil and oregano in a medium bowl. Cut baguette into 4 equal lengths. Split each piece horizontally and pull out about half of the soft bread from each side. Drain the onions and pat dry.
To assemble sandwiches, divide provolone among the bottom pieces of baguette. Spread on the artichoke mixture and top with the onion, lettuce and pepperoncini, if using. Cover with the baguette tops. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Per serving: 264 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 10 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 8 g fiber; 624 mg sodium; 174 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (20% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 medium fat meat, 1 fat

Cappellino Primavera

SO Good!

2T butter
A LARGE assortment of vegetables including: chopped onion, jullienne carrots, broccolli florets, yellow squash, zucchini slices, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.
1 1/2 T beef boullion granules
1/2 T fresh parsley
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t rosemary
1/8 t crushed red pepper
8 cups cooked angel-hair pasta
1/2 cup parmesean cheese

Melt butter in pan. Saute' the onions, carrots, and broccoli in butter for 8 min. Add rest of vegetables and saute 2 minutes. Add everything else. Stir and boil. Simmer for 12 min. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 8
383 calories, 6 grams fat

Week Four Done!

Congratulations to........ TRAVIS!!!!! You've won the Hair Cut and Color from Trisha!!!!!

Is everyone laughing reading this like I am typing it? No. Really. Great Job Hun! Travis officially hit his goal weight this week. Way to go! And way to go everyone! The numbers are looking pretty good. I still haven't heard from Renata this week (the days not over) but she can't have better numbers than Travis so I know he's the winner. I'll post her numbers when I get them and I'm sure she'll be back up towards the top. She's kicking butt in % of weight lost, even without this weeks totals added in!

Keep it up. The next two week prize it the PEDICURE from Tiana!!!!!

Recipe's From AnnMarie and Travis

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs (2 T. dry powdered eggs + 1/4 c. water)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1 cup sugar, brown sugar, egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice, and salt; stir just until moistened. Spoon the pumpkin batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.


Pioneer Soup
1 1/4 c. dry pinto beans
3 c. cold water
1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. green pepper, finely diced
1 can (16 oz.) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In large saucepan, place washed and drained beans, and cold water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Return to heat and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes. In skillet, cook ground beef, chopped onion and green pepper until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain fat. Add meat mixture, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt to taste. Simmer 20 minutes. combine 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons water. Stir into stew. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese.

Mia's Syrup Ice Cream

Take one half cup of vanilla ice cream,
A tablespoon of flavored syrup ( my favorite is Blueberry!)
And a handful of Grape-Nuts

it totals about 150 calories, plus it is really good!

Great Job Everyone

This weeks numbers kinda shook things up a bit. Don't worry I'm still waaaay down at the bottom. My mom's on her cruise and she still got more points than me! Pathetic I know. I'm going to do better this week! I'm off to a good start, 10 points today..... Next Tuesday we award the next prize. I think it's the hair cut and color from Trisha!

PS I put this weeks points next to the running total by your names....

Renata's Clean Eating Chicken Parmesan

Olive Oil cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup white onion diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 to3 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp oregano divided
1 28 oz jar crushed organic tomatoes
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste or organic tomato paste
1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp reduced fat Parmesan cheese grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1 inch thickness
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese shredded
8 oz cooked whole wheat penne
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat a larlge baking sheet with cooking spray.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add 1 tps oregano and stir to coat. Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine panko, Parmesean, remaining 1 tsp oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper. Mix with a fork to combine. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with Dijon. Transfer each breast to panko mixture and turn to coat both sides. Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet. Coat surface of chicken with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes.
Top each chicken breast with 2 to 3 tbsp tomato sauce and 2 tbsp mozzarella. Return chicken to oven and bake 10 min more, .
Arrange pasta on a serving plate and top with remaining tomato sauce. Serve it with pasta on the side, garnishing both with basil

439 calories ( chicken w/ pasta) compared with 4 oz traditional chicken Parmesan ( 1032 cal)

AnnMarie's Recipe

Blender Wheat Pancakes (food storage style)
1 c. milk (sub. 1/3 c. nonfat dry milk and 1 c. water)
1 c. uncooked whole wheat
2 eggs
2 T. oil
2 tsp baking powder
2 T. honey or sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Put milk and wheat in blender. Blend on highest speed for four five minutes or until batter is smooth. Add and blend on low, eggs, oil, baking powder, honey and salt. Bake on hot griddle

Variation: Blender wheat waffles
Use above recipe and add one additional tablespoon of the wheat and increase oil to 4 T. bake in waffle iron until done.

NOTE: Make sure to blend 5 minutes

Makes 6-8 pancakes

I know that Trisha already put a recipe like this here but ours is a little different. Travis has been making it for us since we started the competition and we've liked it. It's growing on the kids. They still prefer the Krusteez mix from Costco...

Trav's New Favorite Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2 3/4 c. warm water
1/3 c. oil
1/3 c. honey
1 1/2 T. yeast
1/2 T. salt
6-8 c. wheat flour

Mix water, salt, honey, oil and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. Mix in half the flour. When it is mixed well set timer for 10 minutes. Over the first three minutes add the rest of the flour, continue mixing until the timer beaps. Sepparate into two loaf pans. Let rise for 30 minutes. Bakes 350 for 30 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Mia's Recipe- Coconut Macaroons

1 box angel food cake mix (the complete kind)
14 oz pkg unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking tray with parchment paper.
Mix all ingredients together, drop by heaping teaspoons.

Bake for 10-11 min. until edges are barely turning color

5 cookies=3 points

Fettuccine Hungry Girl Alfredo

2.0PER SERVING (entire recipe): 99 calories, 4g fat, 376mg sodium, 9.5g carbs, 4g fiber, 1g sugars, 5.5g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Honesty time! While the original recipe calls for half a cheese wedge, we pretty much NEVER do that anymore. ...

Ingredients:1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Substitute
1 tsp. fat-free sour cream
2 tsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions:Use a strainer to rinse and drain shirataki noodles well. Pat dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave for 1 minute. Drain excess liquid. Dry as thoroughly as possible, using paper towels. Cut noodles up a bit, using kitchen shears if you've got 'em. Add sour cream, grated topping, and cheese wedge, breaking cheese wedge into pieces as you add it. Microwave for 1 minute.Stir well and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
MAKES 1 SERVING

I have never tried this yet, but I did just buy the tofu noodles today so I am going to give it a try. I found the noodles at Target, next to the Tofu.

I got this recipe off of the hungry girl website, it is pretty cool it sends you emails every day with cool recipes or new diet foods. I have found some really cool stuff off of this website.

Cheese-Stuffed Jumbo Shells

12 oz jumbo pasta shells
4 cups ricotta cheese fat free
1 cup cottage cheese lowfat
2 cups mozzarella cheese, part skim
3/4 cup parmesean cheese, grated
6 egg whites
1 T parsley, chopped
3/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
6 cups spaghetti sauce

Add jumbo shells, 3 or 4 at a time, to boiling salted water. Boil uncovered for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Avoid overcooking. Drain. Cool in a single layer on wax paper or foil to keep from sticking together.

While shells are cooling, mix together cheeses (set aside 1/4 cup parmesean cheese and3/4 cup mozzarella cheese) and egg and spices. Fill each shell with about 2 to 3 T of cheese mixture. Spread sauce on bottom of 13x9x3 in. baking pan. (You can do several pans and cover tightly, freeze for later) Place the shells,open side down, in a single layer in the pan; cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesean cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Fills about 36 shells.

Serving size: 2 shells 194 calories and 4 fat grams 19% fat

I thought that since I was having a hard time getting the snack thing right I would post Snack ideas instead of a recipe (I never cook anyway and why should I when TRH does such a great job!) BYW AnnMarie I did like your ideas and Tara to answer your question NO TRH does not serve wheat rolls. It was IHOP, and I got wheat toast instead of garlic toast. Not a very good trade off if you ask me. But I didn't lose a point!

SNACK IDEAS (from Weight Watchers - of course)
1. 3 Cups Light microwave-popped popcorn (1 point)
2. 5 Cups 94% fat-free microwave-popped popcorn (1 point) hummm 3 cups or 5 cups hummm
3. 1 Scoop light ice cream (3 points) LOVE ice cream!
4. Chocolate Pudding Parfait
(Alternate layers of 1 cup prepared fat-free, sugar-free {what's the point!} chocolate pudding [made with fat-free milk] and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries.) (3 points)
5. 2 small chocolate chip cookies (recipe submitted by me - last wk) 1/2 cup low-fat (1%) milk
(4 points)
6. Fruited Ricotta (mix 1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese with 1/2 cup each drained canned unsweeteded crushed pineapple and drained canned unsweetened mandarin orange sections.) (4 points)
I like the 2 banana suggestions w/ peanut butter and stuff. I tried it and actually really liked it!

A Triple Tie and the WINNER is.....

MAURISA!!!!!!!

Good work everyone and Congratulations to the three who tied for first in the first two weeks. It was Renata, Travis and Maurisa. I put all three of your names on a paper and had Jaden draw out the winner. He was rooting for his dad... When he got Missy's name he was mad, wadded it up and wanted a redo. Maurisa you win the movie tickets! Let me know how the Lightning Thief is. I know we are not focusing on the weight so much but have you noticed those percentages?!!! Way to go Renata and Travis! They've both lost around 8 pounds so far!

Just a side note. I just ran the spell checker. It always highlights my kids' names, it did Maurisa's I was expecting Renata's but it likes your name. Just interesting I thought.

Blender Whole-Wheat Pancakes (Lean & Free)

1 cup skim milk 86 calories for one 5" pancake
1 1/3 cups wheat, whole-kernel 2 grams of fat
3 egg whites Makes 10 pancakes
1 T sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Pour milk and wheat into blender. Liquefy for 4 minutes. While still mixing, add egg whites, sugar, salt, oil and baking soda. Add baking powder last. Stop blender as soon as ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Bake on hot griddle sprayed with nonstick cooking spray after each batch. Serve hot. Yogurt, granola, and dried or fresh fruit makes a yummy and healthy topping.

Who's It Gonna Be?

Who's going to be the winner of our first prize? It's the movie tickets. Remember to turn in your numbers and weights to me tomorrow! Good luck everyone. Keep up the good work!

Pioneer Soup

1 1/4 c. dry pinto beans (we used beans cooked in our pressure cooker)
3 c. cold water
1/2-1 lb. ground beef (we used bottled stew meat)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. green pepper, finely sliced (we used yellow pepper)
1 can (16 oz.) whole kernel corn, undrained (we used left over corn from last nights dinner)
1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Travis also added sliced mini carrots and diced celery

In large saucepan, place washed and drained beans and cold water. Bring to a boil. cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Return to heat and simmer 1 hour 15 minutes. (we were able to skip this step by cooking the dry beans for 25 minutes in the pressure cooker). In skillet, cook ground beef, chopped onion and green pepper (celery and carrots) until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain fat. (using bottled meat we basically just had to warm it and make sure the veggies were tender). Add meat mixture, corn, tomatoes, chili powder and salt to taste. Simmer 20 minutes. Combine 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons water. Stir into stew. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese.

Banana snack Missy's recipe

1 banana cut in half, length wise
1 teaspoon of peanutbutter
1 tablespoon of Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal

Speard the peanutbutter across one half of the banana. Then, dip the peantbutter side in the Cereal. Top with the other half of banana, and enjoy

My thoughts on this Loser Thing

I have been having a hard time getting in 2 snacks a day. I just don't get that hungry and I feel like I am stuffing myself and adding unnessecary calories just to get that 1 point. So if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on how to get the snacks in, please let me know. I try yogurt, apples, cheese and nuts.
I think something else besides recipes would be good for posts each week. Only thing is.. I don't have any other ideas as to what we could do. How about -- seen any good movies lately... just kidding! :)
We went out to eat and the resturants always bring out rolls or bread and it is always WHITE! right? Well I asked if they had any Wheat bread and they brought that out for me so I could enjoy it with my meal while Randy ate all the white rolls. Hey, it worked! Why not ask?
That's all for now! Happy Valentine's Day cmm

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies By Weight Watchers
Prep time / 10 min
Cook time / 20 min
Serves / 24 (2 cookies each)
1 Point per serving

Ingredients
2 T. butter, softened
2 T. Canola oil
1/2 C. dark brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/8 t. table salt
1 large egg white
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. baking soda
3 oz. chocolate chips, semi-sweet (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375
Cream together butter, oil and brown sugar. Add vanilla, salt and egg white and mix together thoroughly.
Mix together flour and baking soda. Add chocolate chips and stir to distribute evenly.
Drop rounded half-teaspoons of dough onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake cookies for 4 - 6 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

Renata's Recipe

Chicken Barley Stew

32 oz low fat chicken broth
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp garlic sea salt
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp basil
1/2 tbsp cilantro
1 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
12 oz boneless chicken breast cubed uncooked
1/2 cup uncooked black eye peas
1/2 cup barley
1 medium sweet onion cubed
20 oz potatoes peeled and cubed
10 oz carrots
8 tbsp low fat sour cream

Fill a slow cooker with broth, 8 oz of water, garlic, herbs and pepper. Add chicken, peas and barley, them layer onion, potatoes and carrots overtop. Liquid should just cover vegetables. Do not stir. Allow simmer overnight, at least 4 to 6 hours. Remove bay leaves and stir before serving. Spoon 1 cup into each bowl and top with 1 tbsp sour cream, if desired.

calories: 230.

Southwestern Ranch Salad-Travis

6 c. romaine lettuce, chopped
2 c. barbeque chicken, cubed
1 c. cooked black beans
1 c. canned corn
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese
ranch dressing
combine and toss ingredients.

We ate this over cooked wheat tortillas that we bought from Bajio's. It was super yummy. The only change I would make is getting some of the specialty dressing from Bajio or Cafe Rio. Don't know if that would be low cal./low fat....

Lemon Caper Chicken- Mia's Recipe

Lemon Caper Chicken-You on a Diet
Serves: 2 Main Dish-Chicken

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots minced
1 tablespoon capers drained
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Broil 6 inches from heat source 12-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Asian Style Chicken and Noodles-Tara's Recipe

This is a really good recipe, even the kids loved it. I got it from my bodybug program.

8 ounces medium wheat egg noodles, uncooked
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 stalk celery, chopped
1(4 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons toasted almonds

Cook noodles according to package directions and drain. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add chicken, carrots, green onion and red pepper and saute until chicken is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add soy sauce, celer, water chestnuts, garlic powder, pepper and cilantro and mix well. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through. Stir in cooked egg noodles and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Makes 4-6 servings
Serving size 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups)

Calories 403
Fat 5
Sat. Fat 1
Protein 36 grams
Carbs 52 grams
Cholesterol 120 milligrams
Sodium 728 milligrams
Fiber 4 grams
Calcium 0
Iron 0

Good Job Everyone!

So I'm the big loser here. And not the kind of loser that I want to be. I still haven't heard from Tiana so maybe she'll save my bacon and I won't be at the bottom of the totem pole. Thanks to everyone who turned in their points and weights to me. Just so you all know how we're going to work tie breakers.... If at the end of week two we have some that are still tied we are going to draw names from a hat to see who wins the prize. I was going to go by % of weight lost but since Mia and Missy aren't doing the weight part we decided that wasn't very fair to them.

WAY TO GO EVERYONE!!!!!

Tomorrow's The BIG Day!

Everyone remember to email me your weekly point totals and your beginning weight and Tuesday's weight.

I hope that everyone is having fun. This is harder that I thought it would be but I'm making it work. Oddly enough the hardest thing for me is drinking all of my water. What's hard for you? What are you doing that is making this work for you? I think it would be fun to get some other posts besides all these delicious recipes. Let me know what is or isn't working for you. Maybe if you're having a hard time someone will be able to give a suggestion to help you out.

Did everyone get the email I sent out with Renata's recipe? If not leave a comment and I'll send it to you.

AnnMarie's Recipe

Haven't tried this yet but mmmm... sounds DELISH!

Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter Brownies

1 pkg. (18.3 oz) brownie mix
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. oil (or 1/2 c. black bean puree)
2 eggs ( or 2 T. dry powdered eggs + 1/4 c. water)
1 c. peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients until just moistened. Pour into greased pan and bake immediately. Check brownie mix package for baking times for your pan and altitude. Tip:Replacing all of the oil with black beans will create a cake-like brownie. If you like you brownies chewy, replace only half of the oil with pureed black beans.

Travis's Recipe

Reduced-Fat Devil's Food Bundt Cake
1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 c. water
1/2 c. oil (or for low-fat use 1/2 c. black bean puree)
3 extra large eggs (low-at use 1/3 c. dry powdered eggs + 2/3 c. water)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease sides of Bundt pan. Blend ingredients in large boyl at low speed until moistened, about 3 seconds. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter in pan and bake immediately. check cake-mix box for specific baking times. Allow cake to cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar when completely cool.

Easy Strawberry Cream Pie WW recipe by Carol Montgomery

1/2 of a 12 oz can frozen orange-strawberry-banana juice concentrate, thawed
1 8 oz package fat-free cream cheese
1 package (four 1/2 C servings) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 C light whipped topping
1 C strawberries, chopped
1 reduced fat graham cracker pie crust

1. In blender or food processor, combine juice concentrate, cream cheese and pudding mix, process until smooth.
2. transfer to large bowl, fold in whipped topping and strawberries.
3. trasnfer to pie crust, spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hrs.

per serving: 203 calories, 7g fat, 1g fiber
4 WW Points per serving

Mia's Recipe Ham and Cheese Breakfast Melt

1 Whole wheat English muffin, split
1 slice (1 ounce) lean, low-sodium ham or lean Canadian Bacon
2 egg whites (or egg beaters)
1 wedge laughing cow Swiss cheese

Toast the English muffin. Cook the egg in a small frying pan, heat the Canadian bacon.
Spread the cheese on the muffin and add the egg and Canadian bacon.

Serve Hot.

Makes 1 serving.

Recipes

Hey, I have a request-- I'm trying to start up the blog: reciperevamp.blogspot.com When you publish recipes for the week it would be great if you copy and paste and publish them on that blog as well. You should have received an invite (if I have your info). If not-- let me know and I'll invite you to be an author so that you can contribute. It's designed to be a recipe makeover website... and I'd like to get it started and keep it going. Thanks!

Leftover Veggie Omelette

I had this for breakfast this morning. It's a great way to use those leftover veggies from dinner the night before and squeeze another serving of veggies in for the day.

2 egg whites
4 eggs (or whatever combination you choose)
low-fat cheese
3/4 cup of leftover mixed veggies (carrots, peas, green beans, carrots, etc.)

Toss in a non-stick skillet. Serve with a slice of whole-wheat bread or wrap it up to go inside of a wheat or corn tortilla.

Missy's recipe

12 6-inch stone-ground corn tortillas (about 12 ounce)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Baked corn chips

Vegetarian Chili- Low fat and Cal.

I adjusted this recipe from a Biggest Loser recipe I had, I like this version alot better.

3 cups chopped yellow onion
1 (28 oz) can diced petite tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup fat-free low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a saucepan put a dash of olive oil cooking spray and add the onions and cook over medium-high heat until they're soft and just starting to brown. Add the tomatoes, pinto and black beans, broth, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and mustard powder. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with the olives, green onions, and cilantro.I also like to put a little dab of greek style plain yogurt and even just a tiny bit of cheese. I also make the baked corn chips and serve with it.
This has only 86 calories for a 1 cup portion of just chili (no toppings)

I Have A Point Tracker Sheet~Do You Want A Copy Of It?

Travis helped me put together a point tracker sheet. He needs to convert it to a PDF file at work so that I can email it out and you can just print the pdf. If you want it comment here and I will make sure you get it. I will also attach a word document of the "rules."

One Week and Counting

We start next week on Tuesday. Are you ready? I posted how it's going to work on the side bar. Let me know if you have questions with this. Also, if you want to dispute anything do it BEFORE we start. Once we start the rules aren't changing. Remember to be honest, make it fair for everyone. I still need to hear from everyone. If you are going to participate send me an email at at.thurgood at gmail dot com. Let me know who in your family is going to play, what your family prize donation will be and when and how you will get me the $5 entry fee for EACH person participating. All the money will go to our BIGGEST Loser. The prizes you all donate will be used for the weekly winners. We are going to go for 8 weeks, starting Feb. 1 and running until March 30. I know I'm excited and several of you are. Let's get some comments and other posts going here and make this LOTS of fun. Post things that are working for you, recipes, healthy tips, etc.

I Need To Hear From You

Many of you have accepted the invite to join the blog. I haven't heard from you though on your plans. If you have accepted please leave a comment or make a post and let us know if you're in it for the competition or just to have fun or to just watch the rest of us. Whatever is fine but I do want to know who is participating. Thanks!

Test Post

So I've set up this blog and found pictures that I could from the 2 Christmas parties most all of us just attended. I don't have pictures for Me, Tim, Jennifer and Maurisa. If you don't like your picture email me one and I will replace it. It can be one of everyone in your family participating or of you individually. Whatever you want. I think I have set it up so that all of you can post, to do so go to the top right corner of your blog screen and click new post. Then go from there. You can just type or add picture or even a movie. Also, I'm not very creative with names and such, so if someone can come up with a better name for our blog let me know. The one I chose is kind of lame. If you're not participating let me know so I can take your picture off.