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!