August Picture!

August 31st: 251.8 pounds

323.8 pounds

Several things that made me feel better today!

If you are looking for Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday Go HERE!


For the past two weeks, I have really been feeling down! I have had two bad weeks at the scale! One week I lost .2 pounds and the next week I gained .2 pounds back. I was really starting to wonder what was wrong with me! Yesterday, Tuesday, I was still feeling bad as it was weigh in day! I went to the mail and got this card pictured above! It was a congratulations card from Renne'. Nobody has ever sent me a Congratulations card and it really made me feel good and was a much needed boost! It also got me thinking! Lorie you have done so well! You have made a lot of progress! So, I felt better going into my meeting last night. I really had not weighed in all week because my scale is broke. I had trouble getting to my meeting because there was an accident, but I made it! I was so surprised when I looked at the scale! I weighed 251.8 pounds! That's a 5.6 pound loss. A 72 pound loss since Jan! I really do not know how I did that? Maybe whatever was going on with my body got straightened up. I really think it is my monthly that is doing this. The last few months, I notice low weigh in for two weeks during and right after. So, maybe that is what it is. I am following the program so I guess I just need to have faith! The card did make my day! Thanks Renee'! I really think that making my goal og losing 100 pounds this year looks even more possible!

Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday!

Welcome to Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday! This week is anything goes week. Next week is Crockpot Edition. Here you can find the upcoming themes so you can plan ahead. If you can't find a theme related recipe just post something don't feel bad. Sharing is what this meme is all about! To enter your recipe, just sign your name onto the Mr. Linky provided at the bottom and put your recipe title in parentheses, like this Lorie (Apple Streusel Cupcakes). Here's my recipe! Recently I got a LOT of apples given to me and here is one thing that I made with them. I have LOTS in my freezer. Funny thing I forgot the oil. It tasted GREAT without it!
Apple Streusel Cupcakes (from Weight Watchers Winner's Circle Cookbook page186)
1 box spice cake mix
1 cup water
¼ cup applesauce, unsweetened
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 18 muffin pan cups with nonstick spray. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cake, water, applesauce, egg whites, and oil in a large bowl just until blended. Fold the apple into the batter. Spoon batter into cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Sprinkle each cupcake with 1 tsp. brown sugar. Bake until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pans on a rack 5 minutes; remove from the pans and cool completely on the rack.
Note: Use foil or paper liners instead of spraying the muffin cups with nonstick spray. You won’t have to cool the cupcakes in the pan before removing them and cleanup is a bit easier. Store the cooled cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Or wrap and freeze the cupcakes for up to three months.
NI: 161 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g fiber (4 Weight Watchers Point per serving)
Variation: use chopped fresh peaches or drained canned crushed pineapple instead of apples.

Menu Plan Monday- August 25- August 31

Here is my menu for this week. I am still doing Weight Watchers Flex! Come back in the week for recipes I try and come back on Wednesday for Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday, where people share healthier recipes!
Dinners
Monday-Bubble-up Pizza, salad, Chips Ahoy Dessert
Tuesday-Fat Free Hot Dogs, fries
Wednesday-Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, salad, Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thursday-Soup and sandwiches, Butterscotch Bars
Friday-Breakfast night! Scrambled eggs, biscuits, hashbrowns, "fried" apples
Saturday- Fish Fry at church I'm bringing Honey Bun Cake
Sunday-Chili, Cornbread

Breakfast
Monday-Cinnamon French Toast, fruit
Tuesday-Eat at Transition Headstart day with twins (Dh will eat Apple Struesel Muffins)
Wednesday-Baked Sugar Doughnuts, fruit
Thursday- Low fat waffles and fruit
Friday-Cereal, fruit, yogurt
Saturday-Cereal, fruit
Sunday-Cereal, fruit, yogurt
(I've gotten a lot of cereal for practically FREE lately so we are going to be eating that up!)

Lunch
Monday-Leftovers, apple
Tuesday- Eat at Transition day at Headstart with twins
Wednesday-BLT Sandwich, apple
Thursday-Light Bologna sandwich, baked chips, apple
Friday-Cheesy Veggie Soup
Saturday-whatever we can find!!lol
Sunday- Hot Dogs, fries

Snacks (DS is in school and needs snacks to take, it is so much cheaper to make my own!)Wendy's No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Chex Party Mix
Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats
Butterscotch Bars
Low-Cal Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
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Go here to see more plans.

RR: Healthy Apple Muffins

I tried this recipe for Healthy Apple Muffins and it really was pretty good! 1 Weight Watcher Point per muffin.

RR:Pizza Pancakes

Pizza Pancakes
2 cups Bisquick Heart Smart Baking Mix
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup egg beaters
1 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
17 slices turkey pepperoni, chopped
1/2 cup plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1 8 oz can pizza sauce, warmed
In a large bowl, combine the pancake and baking mix and Italian seasoning. In a separate bowl combine the egg beaters and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the cheese, pepperoni, tomatoes, and green pepper. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a sprayed hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with pizza sauce.
Yields: 14 pancakes
Serving Size- 2 pancakes
4 points per serving

Mine actually made more than 14 pancakes. This is so yummy and even my kids ate it!

RR: Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Buffalo Chicken Pasta
1/2 c ff blue cheese dressing
1/2 c ff sour cream
3 T Franks buffalo hot sauce
1/2 c skim milk
8 oz chicken breast cut in bite size pieces
2 tsp olive oil
6 oz Hodgson Mill whole wheat penne
Season and cook chicken breast in olive oil, when finished add remaining ingredients and heat through.
5(1 cup servings)
4 WW points per serving

I loved this!!!! I only added 2 Tablespoons of Frank's Red Hot Sauce, but dh and ds added more to their servings. I also think next time that I would add FF Ranch in place of the Blue Cheese.

Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday Salads Edition

Welcome to Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday! This week is salads edition. Next week is any recipe goes. Here you can find the upcoming themes so you can plan ahead. If you can't find a theme related recipe just post something don't feel bad. Sharing is what this meme is all about! To enter your recipe, just sign your name onto the Mr. Linky provided at the bottom and put your recipe title in parentheses, like this Lorie (Caramel apple Salad).

Here's my recipe:

CARAMEL APPLE SALAD

(20 oz) can crushed pineapple, in juice

4 medium apples, chopped

1 box (1 oz) sf instant butterscotch pudding

1 (8 oz) container Fat Free Cool Whip

Puree pineapple in the blender. Mix pineapple and pudding mix together. Fold in Cool Whip. Fold in Apples. Place in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight to chill.

Serves 8 (1 cup each)

NI: 139 calories, 0 ft, 2 fiber

Yoplait Light Yogurt New Flavors!

Recently, I read on the Hungry Girl Web page about the Yoplait Light New Cake Flavors. They come in Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Raspberry Cheesecake, and Strawberry Shortcake. I am pleased to say I tried everyone of them and I loved all of them and at 2 Weight Watchers Points each what's not to love! I noticed when I was buying them that the shelves were pretty bare, so get them while you can! HERE is your $1/4 Yoplait coupon! That means you could get 4 of these delicious yogurts for only $0.25/ea when they are on sale for $0.50/ea (which they almost always are at my local store)! Enjoy! And don't forget to visit my other blog, Honey I Shrank Our Spending! for more great deals!
BTW, I also tried the Apple Turnover and it was just as good!!

Menu Plan Monday

Dinners

1. Buffalo Chicken Pasta, Salad

2. Fat Free Hot Dogs, Baked Chips

3. Spaghetti Casserole Bake, salad

4. Pizza Cups, Salad

5. Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, salad

6. Bubble-up Pizza, salad

7. Italian Chicken with tomatoes, Mashed Potatoes, green beans, rolls

Breakfast

Healthy Apple Muffins, yogurt

English Egg and Cheese Muffins, yogurt (2 days)

Cereal, fruit

Low fat waffles and fruit

Baked Sugar Doughnuts, fruit

Cinnamon French Toast, fruit

Lunch

Squash Stir Fry
Cheesy Veggie Soup

Light Bologna Sandwich, baked chips

Salad

BLT Sandwich, fruit

Leftovers

Snacks (DS is in school and needs snacks to take, it is so much cheaper to make my own!)Wendy's No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Chex Party Mix

Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats

Butterscotch Bars

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Go here to see more plans.

I started a new blog

I have started a new blog as I need to try to be more Thrifty. I got a CVS rewards card today so now I am trying to shrink my spending. Today I got FREE toothpaste, two tubes! I think it is really FUN. Come check out my new blog.
http://mommysdeals.blogspot.com/

Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday

Welcome to Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday! This week is any recipe goes. Next week is salads edition. Here you can find the upcoming themes so you can plan ahead. If you can't find a theme related recipe just post something don't feel bad. Sharing is what this meme is all about! To enter your recipe, just sign your name onto the Mr. Linky provided at the bottom and put your recipe title in parentheses, like this Lorie (Junior Mint Brownies).

Here's my recipe. I thought they were super yummy!

Junior Mint Brownies
Recipe By: Cooking Light
Servings: 16
Cooking spray
1/4 cup butter
3 ounces Junior Mints -- about 32
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Combine butter and mints in a 2-cup glass measure; microwave at high 30 seconds or until soft. Stir until smooth, and set aside. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a bowl. Combine sugar, cocoa, egg, and egg white in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add mint mixture; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely on a wire rack.
Note: Two large (1.5-ounce) mints or 6 miniature chocolate-covered peppermint patties (such as York) may be substituted for 32 Junior Mints.
Per Serving: 120 Calories; 4g Fat; 2g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 75mg Sodium.

RR:Barbo's Crockpot Apples

I made this last night and it was really yummy! I used the Butterscotch pudding mix. It tasted like Carmel apples! I added a tablespoon of Fat Free Cool Whip. I think this would also be a great topping for waffles or pancakes! I did not use gala apples and I think it could have used more Splenda. You could also use sugar if you were not trying to watch what you eat! :)

Barbo's Crockpot Apples
6 large Gala apples peeled, cored, sliced or coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Splenda
2 teaspoons cinnamon or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 TBSP butterscotch SF/FF pudding mix or 3 tbs. minute tapioca
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Mix sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, salt and pudding until evenly coated. Put mixture in crockpot. Pour lemon juice & vanilla over apples and THEN add boiling water. Cook on high for 2-3 hours.
Makes 6 (1/2 cup) servings at 1 point each when using tapioca

Menu Plan Monday or should I say Tuesday?

I recently was given a whole lot of FREE produce! I will not let it go to watse! My babysitter brought me a lot of tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, and a whole box of apples. My mother in law also gave us zucchini and yellow squash. So I am going to be making a lot of stuff with all of this produce. I plan to shred my zucchini and put in a freezer bag enough for a recipe of zucchini bread so I can just pull it out of the freezer when I want to cook some bread this fall! I am still doing Weight Watchers Flex! Here is my plan. If you do not find a recipe link come back through the week as I post my new recipes as I make them.

Dinner
Monday- Hungry Girl's Whopper, green beans, mashed potatoes, cooked cabbage, corn on cob, Barbo's Crockpot Apples
Tuesday- Fat Free Hot Dogs , baked chips, Junior Mint Brownies
Wednesday-Bubble-Up Pizza Casserole, salad, Apple Crisp for the Crockpot
Thursday-Corn Dog Casserole, salad, Crispy Zucchini Coins, Peanut Butter Cookies
Friday-Pizza Cups, salad, Easy Zucchini Bread
Saturday-Buffalo Chicken Pasta, salad or veggies, Baked Apple Streusel
Sunday-Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, salad

Breakfast
Healthy Apple Muffins (I hope to freeze some), yogurt
English Egg and Cheese Muffins (2 days)
Cereal, fruit
Low fat waffles and fruit
Baked Sugar Doughnuts, fruit
Cinnamon French Toast, fruit

Lunch
Squash Stir Fry
Cheesy Veggie Soup
Light Bologna Sandwich, baked chips
Salad
Refried Beans Soup
Leftovers

Snacks (DS is in school and needs snacks to take, it is so much cheaper to make my own!)
Wendy's No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Chex Party Mix
Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats
Butterscotch Bars
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I'm also planning to make some apple butter and some applesauce!
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Go here to see more plans.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap-Spaghetti Casserole Bake

Here's my recipe. I make things lower fat etc because I am doing Weight Watchers and you could lower the cost of this recipe by not using those things. We try to have this once a week and it is super easy! It is also one of my kids most asked for meals!

Spaghetti Casserole Bake
12 oz box Reduced Carb Rotini
2 (26 oz) cans traditional Spaghetti Sauce
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup pizza blend regular fat cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pre-cook pasta 6-8 minutes in boiling water. Brown beef in a skillet. Combine pasta beef and sauce together. Place in a casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, and top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Makes 6 HUGE servings

Visit Gayle for more Grocery Cart Challenge recipes or click on the grocery cart at the top of this post!

Vanilla Wafer Banana Dessert

I made this tonight for my son's back to school dinner. I make him a dinner he chooses on his first day back to school. He picked a Weight Watcher meal (Spaghetti Casserole Bake) he calls it the pasta dish and banana pudding. So, I decided to make the Chips Ahoy Dessert banana variation. It was very tasty!
Vanilla Wafer Banana Dessert
½ cup fat free milk
32 Reduced Fat Vanilla Wafers Cookies
2 cups fat free milk
1(8 oz. ) fat free Cool Whip
1 small box fat free, sugar free banana cream pudding mix
2 bananas, sliced
Pour ½ cup milk in a shallow bowl. Dip half of the cookies in the milk and line them in an 8 X 8 dish. Take ½ of the Cool Whip and spread over cookies. Mix the banana cream pudding with the 2 cups of milk. Layer the pudding on top of Cool Whip. Next add a layer of sliced bananas over the pudding. Dip the other half of the cookies and layer on top of the bananas. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Makes 9 servings
3 Weight Watchers Points per serving

WWWEW Lightened Desserts

Welcome to Watchin' What We Eat Wednesday! This week is lightened desserts edition. Here you can find the upcoming themes so you can plan ahead. Next week is anything goes. If you can't find a theme related recipe just post something don't feel bad. Sharing is what this meme is all about! To enter your recipe, just sign your name onto the Mr. Linky provided at the bottom and put your recipe title in parentheses, like this Lorie (Chips Ahoy Dessert).

Here is my recipe! It has been my favorite dessert since starting Weight Watchers! The funny thing is I have made it many times and never taken a picture. It gets gone that FAST!

Chips Ahoy Dessert
1/2 cup fat free milk
18 reduced fat Chips Ahoy Cookies
2 cups fat free milk
1 8 oz. fat free Cool Whip
1 small box chocolate fat free, sugar free pudding mix
Pour 1/2 cup of the milk in a shallow bowl. Dip 9 cookies in the milk very briefly and line 8 X 8 dish with them. Take 1/2 the Cool Whip and spread over cookies. Mix the chocolate pudding with 2 cups milk. Layer over top of Cool Whip. Dip next 9 cookies in the milk and lay on top of pudding. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Makes 9 servings, 2 WW points each.

Jen recommends drizzling a small amount of Sugar Free Carmel Sauce over the top. She says it does not add any points.

Variations:

Lemon-Use Sugar Free Fat Free Lemon Pudding and Reduced Fat Pecan Sandies. This will be a higher point value.

Banana- Use Sugar Free Fat Free Banana or Vanilla Pudding and an extra layer of sliced bananas and Reduced Fat Vanilla Wafers

New Dress

Well kind of. I have been shopping at the Goodwill Store because I need some clothes, but I also know I might not be in them for awhile so I don't want to spend a lot of money. Here is a dress I found that fits and is a size 20! I love it! Best of all, I only paid $5.00 for it.

July Photo!!!

Well it's time to show my before picture that I still hate! But you also get to see my new picture, which is looking a whole lot better!!



Starting Weight 323.8 poundsThose pants are size 28/30.

July 2008 Ending Weight 260 pounds

That is a size 22 by the way!!!

Menu Plan Monday- August 4- August 10

Here's my plan for this week! Come back throughout the week for the new recipes I am trying! I am still doing Weight Watchers Flex!

Dinners

Bubble-up Pizza Casserole, salad

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole

Elle's Zippy Chicken Dinner, green beans, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes

Pizza Pancakes, salad

Eggplant Jambalaya

Pizza Cups, Salad

Breakfast

Special K Waffles (2 days)

Light English Muffin with egg and cheese(3 days)

Oven-Puffed Pancake

French Toast

Lunch

Sandwiches, fruit, milk(most days this is what we will be having)

Leftovers

Desserts/snacks

Chex Party Mix,94% Fat Free Microwave Popcorn, Orange Cream Weight Watcher Smoothies, Wendy's No Bake Peanut Butter Bars, Junior Mint Brownies, Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats, Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Butterscotch Bars

Go here to see more plans.

National Chocolate Chip Day!

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day! Here's what I am making! Yummy!

Mini Chocolate-Chip Cookies

2 Tbsp butter, softened

2 tsp canola oil

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp table salt

1 large egg white(s)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, about 1/2 cup

1.Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2.In a medium bowl, cream butter, oil and brown sugar together. Add vanilla, salt and egg white, and mix together thoroughly.

3.Mix together flour and baking soda. Add chocolate chips and stir to distribute evenly.

4.Drop rounded half-teaspoons of dough onto a nonstick baking sheet. Bake cookies for 4 to 6 minutes, then cool on a wire rack. Yields 2 cookies per serving.

Makes 24 cookies

Serving Size-2 cookies at 1 Weight Watchers POINTS®-1

Grocery Cart Shopping Challenge Recipe Swap-Potlucks

I just got back late last night, but I wanted to include my recipe for the Grocery Cart Shopping Challenge Recipe Swap where we share thrifty recipe. It is hosted by Gayle at the Grocery Cart Shopping Challenge blog! This week is all about potlucks. So here is my recipe. If I know it is a big crowd, I will make more than one.

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Corn Fritter Casserole

3 Tbsp butter

3 egg whites

8 oz fat free cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper, finely chopped

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

15 1/4 oz can sweet corn

15 1/4 oz cream-style corn

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in onion, bell pepper, whole-kernel corn, and cream-style corn; mix well. Add muffin mix and black pepper and salt, stirring until well combined. Pour into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Serves 9 (2/3 cup each)
250 Calories, 8g Fat, 2g Fiber

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To see more Grocery Cart Challenge Recipes go here!

Another Weigh-In!

I was at my families house most of the week. I went to a Weight Watchers meeting where they live at that was just down the street. They did things a whole lot different than my meeting, so that was interesting. I learned that the leader was someone I knew who had grown up with that lived on the street that I lived on as a child. I weighted in at 260 pounds. I lost 2.2 pounds and have now lost a total of 63.8 pounds. So, who knows maybe I will be closer to my goal of losing 100 pounds by the end of this year?!? I enjoyed being at my parents house. They live on a street with sidewalks, very different than where I live! I got up everyday, but one (it was pouring the rain), and went for a 30 minute walk. It felt so good to be walking again and at that time of the morning it also felt really nice out. The exercise really gave me the boost I have needed. I also had plenty of fresh garden veggies. I made a salad everyday(twice I should say!:) and it was so good! I got to bring a whole lot home too! So, I will be eating fresh tomatoes and cucumbers for awhile! :) I came at the perfect time because the tomatoes had just turned red. I know next week I am going to lose another Weight Watchers Point! I guess that's okay though!
For more Fitness on Friday go to Byebye Fat Mom.