SOUPer Thursday-Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup

This is another one of my favorite soups. If you love stuffed green peppers you will love this!

Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup

1 Lb. 96% Lean Ground Beef, cooked
2 (14.5 oz.) Cans Diced Tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano
2 (10.5 oz.) Cans Chicken Broth
1 Large Onion, chopped
3 Bell Peppers, chopped
2 (10 3/4 oz.) Cans Condensed Tomato Soup
1 1/2 Cups Cooked Long Grain Rice
Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Inside the crockpot, Combine the cooked beef, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, bell peppers and tomato soup. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Warm up the rice, stir it into the soup and serve.
Serves: 12 (1 Cup Each)
Per Serving: 141 Calories; 3g Fat (18.2% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 22mg Cholesterol; 470mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fat.
WWP: 3

Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't Gobble til you Wobble! Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was started a long time ago in this country. Our first settlers work really hard and were thankful for the crops that they had and the safety given to them for finally getting to settle in a land with religious freedoms. After probably not having much to eat, they celebrated by eating some of those crops that they had harvested. They had a feast! As I was growing up, we would always have a least one feast. We had a special meal at school and we went and feasted at both grandparents houses. There were things that we had growing up that I want and expect every year! Like yeast rolls, stuffing balls, broccoli casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with gravy, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and the list could go on and on. I guess you could say I was lucky enough to have two grandmothers who were both fabulous cooks! When I started Weight Watchers, one of the things I really liked about it was that it was a lifestyle change. You could eat anything you wanted, within your points, and still lose weight. It was more about a lifestyle change and Weight Watchers let you live. Thanksgiving is a holiday in this country and people spend it eating. You don't have to give up Thanksgiving dinner to be a Weight Watcher member. You get to live your life. You just need to watch your portion sizes. Last week, we practiced counting points for a Thanksgiving dinner. My dinner was about 30 points, so I would have to use my weekly 35 points to eat it but a Thanksgiving dinner still fit into my Weight Watchers plan. I even got a piece of pumpkin pie. :) I also think that a lot of our Thanksgiving type dishes can be lightened up and still taste good. I have a few recipes that I like to eat at Thanksgiving that are lightened up that I thought I would share those with all of you on this post. Thanksgiving is more than just food, even though we associate food with it. I really like this article that was on the Weight Watchers web page about 7 ways to say you are thankful without eating. I know there are lots of things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving and I hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now remember I don't eat all of these, but I have tried them all and I liked them. This is just to give you some ideas.

Green Bean Dressing Casserole

1 can French style green beans

1 box Stove Top Stuffing(don't add anything to it)

1 can 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup

Mix all ingredients and place in an 8 X 8 pan Cook in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.9 Weight Watcher points for the whole pan.

(This taste just like stuffing)

Green Beans- I just use canned green beans and add a chopped onion and salt and pepper and bring to a boil and then lower the heat and cook for about 30 minutes. 0 Weight Watchers points

Broccoli Casserole

2 (20 oz) bags frozen broccoli, thawed, cooked and drained

2 cups fat free sour cream

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

3/4 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese

1 can mushrooms, drained (optional)

Spray 1 quart casserole with non stick spray. Mix broccoli, sour cream and onion soup mix and mushrooms if you choose to use. Spread in pan and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

6 servings at 2 Weight Watchers points each

Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, divided

Cooking spray 2 cups miniature marshmallows Preheat oven to 375°. Place the sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients (through vanilla). Mash sweet potato mixture with a potato masher. Fold in 1/4 cup pecans. Scrape potato mixture into an even layer in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans; top with marshmallows. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 16 servings

CALORIES 186 FAT 5.5g FIBER 2.5g

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup Bisquick Health Smart Reduced-Fat Baking Mix

1/2 cup Splenda

1 cup fat-free evaporated milk

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup Egg Beaters Frozen Egg Substitute, or 2 egg whites

Heat oven to 350. Spray 9 inch pie pan with Pam. Mix all ingredients together and pour into pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes till knife comes out clean. Chill and serve with FF Cool Whip.

Serves 8 at 2 Weight Watchers Points each

Pumpkin Roll

1 Angel Food Cake Mix - the 1 Step

1 cup cold water

1 can (15oz) pumpkin

1 TB pumpkin pie spice

Filling:

1 (8oz) FF Cream cheese

1 (3 oz) SF FF Cheesecake pudding mix

1 (8 oz) FF Cool Whip

Pumpkin pie spice to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Spray lightly with Pam. Beat the cake mix and water together in a bowl for 2 or 3 minutes. Fold in pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched gently in the center. Let cool for 5 minutes. Put powdered sugar on a clean dish towel and flip the cake onto the towel. Carefully peel off the wax paper. Roll the cake and towel together on the longer side (get more slices for less points). Let cool for 5 or 6 hours. Beat Cream cheese and slowly add Cool Whip in portions. This keeps the filling from getting lumpy. After this mixture is well blended, add the dry pudding mix and pumpkin pie spice. Carefully unroll the cake, spread the cream cheese mixture on the top. Gently roll the cake back up. I frosted the pumpkin roll with Cool Whip and a sprinkled with cinnamon. Very moist and doesn't taste low fat at all.

Master cook says 107 calories, trace fat, trace fiber15 servings

Pumpkin Fluff

1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin

1 (1 1/2 ounce) box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (8 ounce) container fat-free cool whip

pumpkin spice(to taste)

Combine all ingredients in order. Chill for 2 hours.
Serves 4 at 2 WW points per serving

Crustless Pumpkin Pie
15 oz canned pumpkin
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 tsp table salt
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup Splenda Granular
3/4 cup Egg Beaters Frozen Egg Substitute
Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into a 9" sprayed pie pan. Bank at 400 for 15 minutes and then at 325 for 45minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 8 servings at 1 Weight Watchers point each.

Honey Bun Cake

1 package yellow or white cake mix

4 egg whites

1 cup (8 oz) reduced-fat sour cream

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoons fat-free milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, egg whites, sour cream and applesauce. Beat on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour half (about 2 1/4 cups) into a 13x9x2 baking pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Cover with remaining batter; cut through with a knife to swirl. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over warm cake. Cool on a wire rack.

Yields: 20 servings

From Master Cook: Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 180 Calories; 3g Fat (16.0% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 187mg Sodium.

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

10 medium potatoes, red (about 2 1/2 lbs)

1/2 cups buttermilk, warmed

3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, strong-flavored, grated

1/4 cups chives, chopped

1 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with an inch of water; bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer and cook until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pot. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.

Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.

Serves 8 at 2 Weight Watchers Points Each

Buttery Yeast Rolls:I have to have the real thing in rolls! Here's what I use Buttery Bread Machine Rolls. These are 3 points each.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

I made this today, it is so good!

Spicy Black Bean Soup
1 sprays cooking spray
1 medium onion(s), finely chopped
4 medium garlic clove(s), minced
45 oz canned black beans, undrained, divided (three 15 oz cans)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
14 1/2 oz fat-free chicken broth, or vegetable broth
10 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel Tomatoes
11 oz canned yellow corn, drained
Coat bottom of a large stockpot with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Place one can of beans in blender; add sautéed onion mixture, red pepper flakes and cumin. Cover and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour mixture back into stockpot. Place second can of beans and broth in blender and puree until smooth; add to stockpot. Stir third can of beans (do not puree first), tomatoes and green chilies, and corn into stockpot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
Yields about 1 1/2 cups of soup per serving. Serves 8 (3 Weight Watchers Points per serving)

Homemade Fat Free/Sugar Free Hot Chocolate

I drank a lot of Hot Chocolate while I was sick and so I wanted to find one that was more point friendly and tasted better. I hate the diet one at the store but this one is so good, its my new hot chocolate! Homemade is so much better!

Fat Free/Sugar Free Hot Chocolate

3 cups instant powdered milk

1 cup Splenda Granular
1/2 cup baking cocoa, like Hershey's

1 sm. Sugar free/fat free Jell-o Vanilla Pudding, instant

Mix all of the ingredients in a gallon size zip lock bag and close bag then mix. Store in air tight container or the zip lock bag.

To make a cup of hot chocolate, use 1/4 cup of mix to 1 cup hot water.

Serves: 18

Per serving: 58 calories, 0 g Fat, 1g fiber (1 Weight Watchers Point)

I think I am giving a small zip lock bag of this mix to my Weight Watchers friends for Christmas.

My Sister Joined Weight Watchers

Well, my sister has joined weight watchers and I am so happy for her. She has already lost weight. All my readers who do Weight Watchers, you know how hard it is in the beginning. would you all be so kind as to leave her some words of wisdom by commenting on this post. It would mean a lot to me! Thanks! Good Luck Kellie! I only wish I could get my mom to do it now!

Where have I been? Sick!

For the last month, my family has been battling some kind of sickness. First strep throat and then some kind of flu like symptoms. I did not test positive for the flu but that's what it felt like and the doctor told me that sometimes you have to test three times before you can get a positive test. I was in the bed two days pretty sick. Now my kids have it. I also lost my camera cord and have not been able to post any recipe pictures which frustrates me! I also have been having some water retention issues. I went to the doctor and then 2 days later and had gain 6 pounds and really was not eating anything that would make me gain like that, so I am working on that problem too. So, I'll be back soon I've still got 2 sick kids, but only one has a fever so hopefully this will be gone soon.

Update

I gave into a lot of temptations this week. What's wrong with me? I know better than that! My scale showed me what I already knew, I messed up! This time of year is so hard for me! I also had kids most of the week since school was out and that did not help me because I seemed to have less exercise time. This has been such a bad month for me I worked so hard last month to lose weight only to gain a whole lot back this month. What's wrong with me? I had so much motivation last month because of the contest, now I know I'll never win. I weight too much and because of percentages, I have to really lose a lot to mean anything and do I really want to lose that fast? I know and have been taught that the healthy way to lose weight is to lose it slowly. Like 1-2 pounds a week. So, yeah I guess I lost a lot of motivation this month. I hope that I can at least get some support from the competition since I know I am never going to win. I am not stating the negative just realizing what I can do and what I want out of this competition. I have seen really good weight loss in the past and have a lot to share with others on the journey. So, hopefully I can help others in the challenge who need support too. Well that's about all for today. Hope everyone has a great week and Happy Halloween!

SOUPer Thursday

Today I want to share with you my favorite chili recipe since being on Weight Watchers. In fact, this is what I have planned for Hallowween dinner.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chili
8 Servings
240 Calories 4 g. Fiber 6 g.
FatFROM: “Fix it and Forget it Lightly” Cookbook
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
½ c. brown sugar
2 T. prepared mustard
1medium sized onion, chopped
2 cans (14 oz. each) kidney or red beans
2 c. low-sodium tomato juice
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
1 t. chili powder
Brown ground beef and onion in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and mustard. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on HIGH 2-3 hours. If possible, stir several times during cooking.

I like to serve this with cornbread.

Weekly Weigh-in Update

I lost 1 pound at Weght Watchers last night! Last week we talked about taking care of ourselves. We seem to do so much for others that we forget to take care of ourselves and make time for us. So, I've been thinking about this. I went for a walk on Saturday, it was the first sunny day in a long time, and cold, but I still went. Sometimes I have a hard time getting my exercise in because my dh gives me a guilt trip. I really don't know if he knows he does it but he really just wants me to stay at home and I can tell that. So, that makes it hard. We take the kids to the park and I go walking on the trail and he gets to play with the kids. He's told me before I need to play with the kids too. We have gotten them to walk with us on the trail with their scooters and they really enjoy that. So, figuring out how to get my exercise in and not feel guilty or let others make me feel guilty is hard right now.

Another thing I have really been thinking about is what kind of exercise to do. I keep hearing people say they do things like running. I just really do not ever think I will be a runner, mostly because I would never be motivated because I hate that. I love walking briskly though and it really does help me with my stress management. I think I will continue this and maybe pull out some of my Walk Away the Pounds tapes since it is getting so cold.

Goals this week:
1. Track my food- some weeks I do better than others on this, I used to never miss writing things down and I really don't know what got me out of that habit. But, I do know it is a bad habit to get out of!
2. Exercise- I need to find away to get time to myself to get this done.
3. Milk servings- I need to do better about getting in my milk servings. I bought some White Chocolate Peppermint smoothies at my weight watchers meeting this week. I used to have one of these everyday and I loved them since you can count them as 2 milk sevings if added with skim milk.
4. Water,Water,Water- Drink more!
5. Take my picture- Believe it or not, I just have not had the time to do this important thing!

Menu Plan Monday October19-25

Here's my meals for this week:

Dinner

Monday- Pizza Cups, Salad

Tuesday- Tomato Soup and Sandwiches

Wednesday- Crispy Chicken Drumsticks, green beans, rolls

Thursday- Lentil Tacos, Spanish Rice, Corn

Friday- Weekday Lasagna, salad, Low-fat Bread Machine Italian Bread (made into breadsticks

Saturday- Halloween Party (I'm bringing Crockpot Brown Sugar Chili)

Sunday- Potato Soup, Peasant Bread

Breakfast

Monday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit

Tuesday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit

Wednesday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit

Thursday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit

Friday-Heart Smart Waffles, sausage links, (kids will eat with homemade syrup)

Saturday-Heartsmart Pancakes, bacon, (kids and dh will eat with homemade syrup)

Sunday-Cereal, yogurt, fruit

Lunch

Monday-Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Tuesday-Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Wednesday-sandwiches, fruit

Thursday-Refried Bean Soup

Friday-Refried Bean Soup

Saturday- sandwiches, fruit

Sunday- Fat Free Hotdogs, oven fries

Snacks

Air popped popcorn, , String Cheese, Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats, Chex Party Mix

My family is also wanting some Caramel apples, but since they are so expensive at the store, I'm making my caramel from scratch.

Come back and see how my shopping went. for the Grocery Cart Challenge.
Go here to see more plans.

New Recipe Friday

On Friday's, I will be sharing a new recipe I tried recently. This week I tried Sloppy Tacos(which I'll be sharing soon) and we had some baked fries with them that were awesome. I got the recipe from Chubbie Chica. My kids loved this recipe too! I do think it could use less olive oil, like 4 teaspoons. instead of 5 and still be really good. Enjoy!

Oven Fries
Serves 6 @ 3 points
2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and into 1/2 inch strip
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. sugar
5 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees; spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 1/4 tsp. salt and the sugar and cover with cold water. Soak for 15 minutes; drain and blot dry. In another large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil and paprika. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake, turning the potatoes over as they brown, until cooked through and crisp, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Divide into 6 servings!

I have also linked this recipe Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap. I found a great deal on potatoes... .99cents for a 5 lb bag. So, that's why I went looking for a potato recipe and came up with this one.

So what new recipe did you try this week?

SOUPer Thursday

Every Thursday, I will be sharing a soup recipe. This soup is one of my favorites!

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Makes 10 servings
2 lb of frozen veggies - your choice--California Medley is good
3 cans Fat-Free Chicken Broth
1 can Rotel tomatoes
10 oz. Light Velveeta
Dump all ingredients except cheese in the pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add 10 oz of Light Velveeta in small pieces (to melt faster). When it's melted in, you're ready to eat.
SERVING SIZE: 1 cup
POINTS: 1
Note: Some people like one serving over a baked potato.

Lorie's Update

Well I gained weight this week at Weight Watchers. Hmmm....I know I was sick most of the week and my throat was so sore I ate a lot of things I don't normally eat and I did not exercise much because it rained so much so I guess I should have expected it. Well, time to look to next week!

Grocery Cart Challenge

I try to spend about $120 a week on food for the week, stocking up and on items to put in my food storage for a family of 6. Here's how this week went.

Day's Resale Bakery

2 Loaves sandwich bread, 1 loaf potato bread, 1 Arnold Sandwich Thin-$4.00

Walmart

5.34 lb bananas- $2.56

King Size M&M's- $1.00 (Child treat)

1.59 pounds tomatoes- $3.15

4.46 pounds red grapes- $5.44

2 Velveeta cups- $1.96

Smart Taste Rotini $1.50

2 Nature's Own Hamburger Buns- $3.94

Celery $1.36

Weight Watcher Cheese Singles- $3.62 minus $1.00 off coupon

Whole Cantaloupe $1.00
2 Fat Free Sour Cream-$2.00

2 Weight Watchers Yogurt- $1.08 minus $0.55 off 2 coupon

2 Weight Watchers Yogurt- $1.08 minus $0.65 off 2 coupon

Fat Free Yogurt- $2.14 minus $0.55 off coupon

2 bacon- $4.96 minus $1.50 off 2 coupon

Heart Smart Bisquick- $2.94 minus $0.60 off coupon

Cherry Limeade- $1.98

Herbal Tea- $2.32

2 popcorn seasoning- $3.74

2 pizza cheese- $3.96

Turkey Pepperoni- $3.32

2 frozen steam broccoli- $2.50

Lunch meat- $3.00

Weight Watchers Mexican Cheese- $2.68 minus $1.00 off coupon

Sunchips- $2.68

Great Northern Beans- $0.98

2 cooking spray- $3.36

Bacon pieces- $1.56

2 pasta sauce- $3.06

Salsa- $1.44

Whole Chicken $5.30

Fat Free Hot Dogs- $2.98

I Can't Believe It's not Butter- $3.24

2% Velveeta- $4.46

Orange juice- $1.98

Rice Krispies- $4.18 minus free coupon so I got for free!

Diet Dr. Pepper- $3.98

Nestle Water- $3.88 minus $0.50 off coupon

Total: $98.05

Save a Lot

Lettuce- $1.29

cucumber $0.59

apples $3.49

24 cans tomato soup- $11.76

Total: $17.13

Food City

3 bags popcorn: $4.47

Total: $4.47


WIC

2 gallons milk
1 bag rice
1 juicy juice
1 eggs
2 boxes cereal

Total for the week: $123.65

See how others spent their money this week at The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday-October 12-18

I've decided to have theme day's on my blog here is the plan for now:

Monday: Menu Plan Monday

Tuesday: Grocery Cart Challenge

Wednesday: My weight loss update

Thursday: During the fall new soup recipes

Friday: New recipes that I have tried

Saturday: New products I've tried (If I have tried any that week)

Come back and see the changes. Here's my menu for this week:

Dinners

Monday- Sloppy Tacos (made with 2% cheese and lean meat on light bun), oven fries

Tuesday- Soft Tacos, Mexican Rice, Corn

Wednesday- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Peasant Bread

Thursday- Chicken Sandwiches, green beans

Friday-Homemade Pizza, Salad

Saturday- Spaghetti Casserole, salad, Low-fat Bread Machine Italian Bread

Sunday- We are going to a friend's house who invited us (but I am bringing some fat free hot dogs for the grill

Breakfast

Monday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit
Tuesday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit
Wednesday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit

Thursday- Heart Smart Waffles, sausage links, fruit

Friday- Cereal, yogurt, fruit

Saturday-Heartsmart Pancakes, bacon, (kids and dh will eat with homemade syrup)
Sunday-Cereal, yogurt, fruit

Lunches

sandwiches and soup or leftovers and fruit each day

Snacks
Chex Party Mix, String Cheese, Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats, air popped popcorn, granola bars

Come back and see how my shopping went. for the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Go here to see more plans.

Can I do my weekly grocery shopping on $120 a week?

Here's how my shopping went this month......

Day's Resale Store

2 loaves sandwich bread, Weight Watchers English Muffins, Arnold's Sandwich Thins $4.00

Save a Lot
4.51 pounds bananas $1.50
Basil $1.39
4 Biscuits $3.56
Cheese Puffs $1.19
2 cream cheese $1.98
4.02 pounds ground chuck $6.79(on sale $1.69lb)
Lite Ranch Dressing $1.29
4 lbs onions $2.99
Oregano $1.39
5 lb bag potatoes $0.99
Pretzels $0.99
Powdered Sugar $1.29
2 Sugar $3.98
Brown sugar $1.29
Dill pickles $1.69
Tortillas $0.99
Vanilla Ice Cream $2.29
Total: $35.59

Walmart
Bell Pepper $0.94
Cucumber $0.66
Lettuce head $0.98
Cereal $5.24
Shell Macaroni $1.00
Strawberry Syrup $1.34
Hawaiian Punch $1.97
3 Butter Non stick Sprays $5.04
2 Non stick Canola oil spray $3.36
Spaghetti $1.50
Bacon $2.49
Red Velvet Cake $1.16
Cream Cheese $1.82
Lite Hot Dogs $3.00
WW String Cheese $3.42 minus $1.00 off coupon
1 lb Ground Turkey $1.98
Ham Cheese Loaf $3.00
2 shredded cheese $3.96
6 WW Yogurt $3.24 minus 2 free from two buy 2 get 1 free coupons
White Rice $1.32
Egg Beaters $4.38 minus $1.00 off coupon
Yogurt $2.00 minus $1.00 off coupon
WW Cheese Slices $3.62 minus $1.00 off coupon
4 Progresso Soups $6.00 minus Two $1.00 off 2 coupons
Lite margarine $0.62
Yogurt $2.14 minus $0.55 off coupon
2 Granola Bars $$4.52 minus $1.00 off 2
Sunchips $2.98 minus $1.00 off coupon
Margarine $0.50
2 mini marshmallows $1.92
2 All purpose flour $3.48
2 Bread Flour $4.28
Diet Dr. Pepper $3.98 minus $1.00 off coupon
RF Parm Cheese $2.42
Orange Juice $1.98
Sloppy Joe Envelope $0.88
Cherry Lime aide Drink mix $1.98
Total:$86.14


Food City
3 White Popcorn $4.47
1 small package M&M's $0.79(kid treat)
Total: $5.31

WIC Vouchers
2 boxes Multi gran Cheerios
2 gallons milk
1 Juicy Juice
1 dozen eggs
1 package brown rice
2 huge bunches grapes
Total: FREE

School Snack Program
My child's school got a grant to give kids on free and reduce lunch snack on days off school and weekends. Since we have Fall Break this week, here is what they sent. I don't usually buy these things so they will be treats. There are pop tarts, crackers, fruit cups, pudding, juice boxes, ravioli, applesauce, etc.
Total: FREE

Total Spent: $131.04

Week in Review: While I went over $11, I still feel good because I bought extra Butter sprays because I have not been able to find them when I go to the store and they had lots this time, I bought more ground chuck than I needed because it was like $1.00 cheaper a pound than I had been paying. I also bought some beginning of the month stuff like basic baking supplies. I also bought extra stuff for a birthday that we would not usually buy. I am also feeding my kids breakfast and lunch this week which they usually have at school. (That added a lot) All in all I am pretty happy this 1st week of doing this.

See how others spent there money this week at The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Menu Plan Monday- October5-October 11

This week I am trying something new. On Monday's I'll post my menu and then on Tuesday's I'll show you how much I spend at the grocery store. We have decided to budget $120 a week for groceries, but some week's may be a little more and others may be a little less. I have a family of 6 to feed. I think planning is key to making that happen. It seems really hard to eat healthy meals and spend less at the grocery. So, here's my attempt. My kids are home this week on Fall break, so I have to plan more food because they usually eat those meals at school. We also are celebrating my dh's 40th birthday this week.

Dinners

Monday-Spaghetti Casserole, Salad, Low-Fat Bread Machine Italian Bread

Tuesday- Headstart Family Fun Night (I'm bringing Pickles and Chips)

Wednesday- Lentil Tacos, Spanish Rice, Corn

Thursday- Soup beans(made with ham bouillon), Sauerkraut with Lite Hot Dogs, cornbread

Friday- Sloppy Joe Casserole, Corn, fruit

Saturday- Spaghetti and Meatballs, Low-Fat Bread Machine Italian Bread(made into bread sticks), salad, Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese icing, vanilla ice cream (This is the meal my dh picked for his birthday: I might be using my 35 weekly points for this meal)

Sunday- Crispy Chicken Drumsticks, green beans, baked potatoes, rolls

Breakfast

Monday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit

Tuesday-Eggbeaters Omelet, English Muffin, fruit

Wednesday-Bagels with light cream cheese, yogurt

Thursday- Heart Smart Waffles, sausage links, (kids will eat with homemade syrup)

Friday-Biscuits and sausage, yogurt (I'm having same as Monday)

Saturday-Heartsmart Pancakes, bacon, (kids and dh will eat with homemade syrup)

Sunday-Cereal, yogurt, fruit

Lunch

Monday-Sandwich on Arnold's Sandwich Thins, fruit

Tuesday-Sandwich on Arnold's Sandwich Thins, fruit

Wednesday- Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup, fruit

Thursday- Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches (for kids), Sun Chips (For me: Boca Burger on Arnold's Sandwich Bread instead of P&B sandwich, fruit)

Friday-Grilled Cheese, Chicken Noodle Soup, fruit (Weight Watchers Progresso Soup for me instead of Chicken noodle soup)

Saturday-Sandwiches, Sun Chips

Sunday-Leftovers

*I made my dh some homemade bread in the bread maker and he is eating that with some soup this week.

Snacks

Chex Party Mix, String Cheese, Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats, air popped popcorn, granola bars

Come back and see how my shopping went.

Go here to see more plans.

What's up with Blogger?

I tried to post my menu all day yesterday and blogger would not recognize my password. Well I reset it to the same password btw and it now works. I am going shopping this morning so I will be back later and post it. I am trying something new. I am going to post my menus on Mondays and then on Tuesday's post what I got and how I stayed within budget. We decided to try and spend about $120 a week for our family of 6. We will see if I can do it. We also have a birthday this week and I am buying Halloween stuff, so we will see if I can do it. I also need to post a new picture. I'll be back later. BTW, I'm going to wear my pedometer and see how many steps I use to go shopping. Hey, any activity counts, right?

Weigh-in Day and My Story Updated

Today is the first weigh in day of the Biggest Loser Challenge. I stepped it up a notch this month (in food intake, tracking better, drinking more liquids and exercising) and had such good results. I started the challenge at 265.4 and ended this month at 256.0. A 9.4 pound loss. I can really feel the difference in my clothes. Some of my pants were so tight I felt like I could not breathe and I can breathe now! I could not be happier with that and a lot of it came at the end of the month. I have finally got over that hump that I have been in all year and I know this challenge has had a lot to do with it! I am going to start doing full body pictures each month again and will post mine later today. I encourage anyone to do full body pictures because I have one for each month of the whole first year I started losing weight and it is fun to look at them and see how far I have come.

I also am working on personal goals for my weight loss. I met my 5% and 10% in Weight Watchers and never really set another goal. A reason goals are so important! I like the baby step goals Weight Watchers sets and plan to follow when setting my next goal. My next goal is to reach 241. I was so close before I started gaining back all of that weight. That will make my 20% for Weight Watchers even though they really do not do 20%. I have read just having a 10% weight loss will help you so much in regards to health. I know that 20% will do me even better. I feel so much better having a goal and even if I do not win anything in this challenge, I know that I am working toward that goal of a 20% weight loss.

I am sorry to my fellow Biggest Loser contestants. There are so many blogs I just have not made the time to get to all of them or the time to update my list on my blog, which makes it easier to go visit all of you, but I will try to visit each blog at least 2 times next month.

In case some of you don't know my story, I'd like to share it with you again(or for the fisrt time) with some updates. I started trying to lose weight in January 2008 after I had what I like to call my wake-up call! I think most people who are extremely overweigh have at least one of these in there lives. I cut my finger in the kitchen when some bowls fell out of the cabniet and I tried to catch them and they broke in my hand. I went to the clinic to get some stitches and my blood pressure was so high they would not let me leave the clinic until they got it lowered and I started blood pressure meds that day. I also remember not believing my weight, as I had been scared to get on a scale. I knew it was bad but I never dreamed I was over 300 pounds. I went home knowing I was going to have to do something about it but not really knowing how to start or what to do because there was not a lot of money. I remember seeing Tammy post something about a Biggest Loser Competition and how they were going to start blogs. It hit me that this was my answer. I could get support from people online through a blog and while I did not join that year in the challenge as the fee was much higher then. They let me be a supporter and while I gained no money, I gain a lot of support from the participants and people in blogland struggling too. I noticed several people were doing Weight Watchers and had remembered hearing really good things about it. I even met a woman who had lost 100 pounds doing Weight Watchers and it never hit me then that I should do it. I knew we did not have the money for me to go to Weight Watchers so I went searching for infromation on the webas to how to get started and also some friends told me some about it. I lost 8 pounds the first week and conitnued until I lost about 25 pounds on my own and then felt a need to go check weight watchers out. We used our income tax money to pay for the fees and I have loved the support I have gotten from there. It is my motivation for the week. I lost 80 pounds by October of 2008. I really just yo-yoed until the end of the year but I stayed in the 240's. I remember going to a Christmas party that I had gone to the year before I started losing weight and my husband had taken a picture of me sitting in a chair. I remember that picture and I remember not being able to sit in the chair because I was so big! I have a new picture from the same party in 2008 and I wanted to take a picture and it felt so good that I could sit in the chair. (Here are those pictures if you want to look)In Jan 2009 my blood pressure meds dosage was lowered and while I am not totally off of them I know I will be eventually. I have had success, but I struggle everyday with food and food choices. If I had to list some things that help me with that struggle I'd show you this list: personal prayer, my blog, weight watchers meetings, online supporters, weight watchers tools for living (i think that's book 3) and my family. I don't know if I will ever not have a problem with food but I know I can and will get to the weight I desire. Thanks for listening to my story and all of those who have helped me along the way! Good Luck to all of you in your challenge for weight loss.

Here are some of my weight loss pictures if you want to see how I was doing.

I am on a HIGH!

A losing weight high. You can get a high that way and believe me it's such a good feeling! I went to Weight Watchers tonight and had a really good loss. (BTW we are working hard to figure out a way for me to stay in-it's my support line!) I'll save the amount for the 1st when our monthly weigh in is. My scale at Weight Watchers is about 1 pound different than my scales at home so I feel pretty good about my scale. I have been in a slump in regards for weight loss that I guess I forgot how good you feel when it does work! I started this blog when the first Biggest Loser contest started and it has always been such a great help to me and I never realised as I said before that I was helping others too. Well, amyways, just wanted to post that I have been so much happier this month. I had one week that was not good but then the next week was great and the only thing I can figure is that I uped the exercise and that had something to do with it. I don't know but I don't want to go back where I been. I am really working hard and getting closer everyday to having a 20% weight loss! Well I am off to watch the tv version of Biggest Loser! See ya soon!

Menu Plan Monday- Sept 28-Oct 4

This week I am living out of the pantry with my meals besides buying a few fruits and veggies. Highlight from last week Lentil Tacos, my family liked them too! Here's the plan for this week. Nothing really new right now. Weigh-in in two days!!!!

Dinners

Monday- Spaghetti Casserole, Salad, Low-Fat Bread Machine Italian Bread

Tuesday- Soup and Sandwiches

Wednesday- We are having a picnic somewhere probably sandwiches

Thurdsay- Taco Junk, salad

Friday- Pizza, salad

Saturday- Sweet and Sour Chicken, rice, peas

Sunday- Soup Beans, Saurkraut and Fat Free Hot Dogs, cornbread

Go here to see more plans.

So, here's what's going on with me!

Someone told me on here that I was I meant bussiness in this Biggest Loser contest. Want to know why? Well, someone else told me my blog really helps people because I am real and going through what other people are going through. I try to make this blog be a support to other people and I try not to complain etc. But today I'm going to complain and tell you how I am really feeling and what I am going through. So bear with me, okay?

Last year I lost 80 pounds doing Weight Watchers. I did really good and then the holidays came upon me. I was really scared to let myself eat anything. (Maybe, that's why I did so good?)People kept telling me, "You've done so well enjoy the holiday, you deserve it!" Well, I finally gave in to what people were telling me and I have been yoyoing since November of last year. I have gained back about 20 some pounds and while I still follow my plan, it feels easier for me to give in sometimes because I let myself go free for awhile. Now I have been trying to get myself back on track and I do mean bussiness this time! I have something I really want to spend the money on if I win it. We are going through a rough time financially, even though my dh finally got a new job things are still rough, and we have to cut back on some things. So, my dh said, "Lorie, Weight Watchers has to go." While I know I can do it on my own and he thinks I can too, that group is a huge support group to me and I really don't want to lose it. You know how some people have addictions and need support groups? Well, that's kind of like what Weight Watchers is to me. So, if I win some money through the Biggest Loser Contset, my money is going to pay my $39.95 monthly fee. And in the mean time, I will be using this Biggest Loser group and you all who read this blog as my support group. I started out doing this on my own and I know I can do it! I am going to have a good week! This is the last week before the weigh in for the contest and I want to win so bad. I have been walking a little over 2 miles everyday , tracking, eating right and taking care of myself. I just hope it is enough. If not what do I got to lose,but more WEIGHT! lol!

Menu Plan Monday September 21-27

We are going through a major budget change and we will have lots less grocery money so here is what I am doing this week while trying to also eat healthy:

Dinners:
Monday: Cheesy Ranch Burgers, baked potatoes, green beans
Tuesday: Crockpot Brown Sugar Chili,(make double batch and freeze some for Sun.) cornbread
Wednesday: Lentil Tacos on whole wheat tortillas, salad
Thursday: Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole, steamed Broccoli
Friday: Taco Junk, salad
Saturday: Weekday Lasagna, salad, garlic toast
Sunday: Crockpot Baked Potatoes, fat free sour cream, chili (left over from Tuesday)

Note: I got a great deal on potatoes so I'm using them this week and I am going to experiment with Lentils because they are so cheap and the recipes have brown rice which I get on WIC so I can use that up too!

Breakfast: Most days I have one of these: cereal with fruit or omelets with fruit
Lunch: Soup and sandwiches most days

Go here to see more plans.

Cheesy Ranch Burgers

Last week I found this recipe online and decided to make it instead of the other burgers I like to make and it was really yummy!

Cheesy Ranch Burgers
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
1 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese
6 (1 point) Hamburger Buns
Combine beef, dressing mix, and cheese and form into 6 patties. Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until done.
Makes 6 servings at 6 points each

I thought I Posted This.....

This is my starting weight for my Biggest Loser compettion. See I told you I had a huge gain! Anyways, I weighed in at Weight Watchers last night and I weighed 260.6. I am happy with that weight loss, for right now. My starting weight was on September 1.

Menu Plan Monday September 7-13

Well this is a day late but I think planning, at least for me, is one of the biggest things that helped me lose weight, so I got to get back in the groove and start doing my menu plans on here. I always plan just don't put it on here and I think putting it on here makes me accountable for it!

Dinners

Monday- Lean Cuisine Pizza, salad

Tuesday Weight Watchers Juicy Hamburgers, corn on the cob, salad

Wednesday-Mexican Rice Casserole

Thursday- Sweet and Sour Chicken, brown rice, peas

* Recipe coming soon

Friday- Crockpot Brown Sugar Chili(Make double batch to freeze for next week), cornbread

*No Picture yet.

Saturday-Monterey Chicken, green beans, rolls

Sunday- Spaghetti Casserole, salad, Low-fat Bread Machine Italian Bread

Breakfast: Egg Beaters Omelet with Weight Watchers Cheese Single, mushrooms and onions, strawberries or grapes, and 1 pt English muffin (Most days that's what I have) unless I am pressed for time and I do Honey Nut Cheerios, banana, I think this week I will also have Low Fat Waffles with Sugar free syrup and fruit.

Lunch: My plan is Bacon Tomato Sandwiches (1 pt bread with Oscar Meyer precooked bacon that is 1 point for 4 slices, and 1 tbsp. fat free Miracle Whip, grapes, and milk. Other day's I'll have a chef salad and milk with grapes.

Go here to see more plans.

Monthly Grocery Shopping = A Workout!

Sometimes when it's hard to get your exercise in you have to look at unique ways to get it in. Here is one I like to use. At the beginning of the month, I go to the grocery. I like to go by myself and I usually leave early on a Saturday morning when dh is home to watch the kids. Most of the time they are not even up before I go. I buy pretty much all for the month on that day. I usually go back for milk, produce and bread but that's about it. Getting a month's worth of groceries for 6 is no easy thing! I also try to make it harder on myself be making it a race. I race around the store and get everything I need and then I go back in and get all of the cold stuff because it usually takes 1 1/2 carts to get everything. Sometimes I go to one more store because the other one does not carry everything I need. Then I come home and unload ever thing myself and then I organize and put it up. I like doing it this way and it really is a great workout! I think I might even start counting 1 activity point for it!

Nancy's Healthy Kitchen

I found this really neat website while I was searching on YouTube. This lady cuts the calories and fat and saves you money all in one. Here's her website and her recipes are listed uder the recipe tab and she also gives Weight Watchers points!

Biggest Loser

I signed up for another Biggest Loser contest and I am hoping it gets me through this rut that I have been in! I have gained a lot of weight over the last few months. I hope to get where I want and I think this may be exactly what I need!

2 Point Smores

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qakxd7SRg5o

These were so good! Make sure you have plenty of people to eat them because they are very tempting! The recipe is on the video.

Half My Plate Challenge-Day 1

This weeks Fruits and Vegetable Challenge is a little harder than last weeks. This week we are suppose to have half our plate of each meal to be fruits and vegetables. I am going to try to do this. Here are my pictures from yesterday, which was a very good day! :)

Breakfast: 1/2 cup egg beaters, 1/4 cup of mushrooms, 1/4 cup onions, lite English muffin, 1 cup strawberries and flavored water.
Lunch: I ate a the library summer reading program so I had to pack my lunch. I think I'll have this more often! 1 cup lettuce, 1 small cucumber, 1/4 cup onions, 1 small tomato, 1 Tbsp. RF parmasan cheese, 2 tbsp. Lite Ranch Dressing, 1 slice of lean ham, 1 cup grapes, 1 WW String cheese, flavored water.
Dinner: Same stuff in salad as for lunch minus the ham, Weekday Lasagna,
Pink Lemonade.

Weight Watchers Week in Review

Last week we were challenged to eat 3 different colored fruits or vegetables each day. This was a pretty easy challenge for me. At weight in I lost 2.6 pounds. I was really pleased with the week. I tracked which always makes a difference for me.

Our meeting this week was about vacationing. Here were some tips that I got:
1. Vacations should be about stress relief.
2. Vacations should be about taking care of yourself.
3. Vacations are "normal days."
4. Build in snacks.
5. Tame the buffet. (Order off the menu or start with fruits and veggies first to fill up and don't forget about setpoints.)
6. Fill half plate with vegetables.
7. Enjoy special foods in moderation.
8. Sip wisely.
9. Check out new activities (get in some exercise.)

Our challenge for this week is to fill 1/2 of my plate with fruits and/or vegetables at each meal. This one seems harder, but I am going to try to do it because I know that fruits and vegetables are filling foods and will keep me fuller.

My goals:
1. Track my food.
2. Drink enough water
3. Fill 1/2 my plate with fruits and vegetables for each meal.

Weight Watchers Juicy Hamburgers

Weight Watchers Juicy Hamburgers
cooking spray
1 lb uncooked 93% lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
4 reduced-calorie hamburger buns
Coat a large griddle, outdoor grill rack or stovetop grill pan with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high. In a large bowl, combine beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and shape mixture into 4 patties, about 1-inch thick each. Place burgers on hot griddle or grill and cook 5 minutes per side for medium (or longer until desired doneness). Serve burgers on buns with your favorite 0 POINTS value toppings.
Serves 4 at 5 WW points each
Notes: These were easy and very good!

Menu Plan Monday July 13-19

Here's the plan for this week...

Dinners
Monday- Weight Watchers Juicy Hamburgers, corn on the cob, salad
Tuesday- Weekday Lasagna, salad, garlic toast
Wednesday- Monterey Chicken, green beans, rolls
Thursday- Buffalo Chicken Pasta, salad
Friday- Pizza, salad
Saturday- Crispy Chicken Drumsticks, green beans, rolls
Sunday- Magnificent Casserole, corn on the cob

Breakfast
Monday- Omelets, fruit, hot herbal tea
Tuesday- Omelets, fruit, hot herbal tea
Wednesday- Omelets, fruit, hot herbal tea
Thursday-Cinnamon French Toast, fruit, hot herbal tea
Friday- Cereal, yogurt
Saturday- Blueberry Pancakes, fruit, hot herbal tea
Sunday- Cereal, fruit, yogurt, hot herbal tea

Lunch
Monday-Wednesday- Kids eat at Library Summer Reading Program
Thursday- Sandwiches
Friday- Leftovers
Saturday-Leftovers
Sunday- Fat Free Hot Dogs, Baked Doritos

Snacks and desserts- Chex Party Mix, Mississippi Mud Cake, Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats, Pistachio Dream Cake, Wendy's No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Go here to see more plans.

Weekday Lasagna

Weekday Lasagna

1 lb lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 3/4 cup water

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups (16 oz) fat free cottage cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

6 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 cup (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink: drain. Stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, and spaghetti sauce mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In asmall bowl, combine egg, cottage cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Spread 2 cups meat sauce in a 13-in x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer three noodles, half of cottage cheese mixture, and half of remaining meat sauce. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes: I added some garlic powder to the meat as it was cooking and some salt to the sauce before layering the lasagna. We all LOVED this and it will become a regular!

Serves 9

280 Calories, 7g Fat, 4g Fiber

From :Taste of Home

Caramel Apple Salad

Caramel Apple Salad
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice
4 medium apples (chopped)
1 box jello instant butterscotch pudding fat free/sugar free
1 (8 oz) container fat free Cool Whip
Mix pineapple and pudding mix together. Fold in cool whip, fold in apples. Chill for 8 hours or overnight.
Serves 8 (1 cup each)
139 calories, o fat, 2 fiber
Note you can also add 1 cup mini marshmallows for 1/2 point more

Beef Stuffed Peppers

Beef Stuffed Peppers
6 medium green peppers
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (8 3/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 oz) 2% shredded cheddar cheese
Cut off tops of green peppers, remove centers and discard. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain peppers, and set aside.
cook ground beef, onion, and garlic in large skillet until meat is browned, stirring to crumble meat; drain well. Stir in tomato sauce, and next three ingredients. Stuff peppers with meat mixture, and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Sprinkle tops of peppers with cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes.
Yeilds: 6 servings
4 Weight Watcher Points per serving
Note: you can also add cooked rice to your meat mixure, but be sure to add those points.

I am losing again!

I went to my meeting on Tuesday. I had tracked all week. (Something I had not been doing well.) I went on a small vacation this weekend and ate a little more than I usually do, but I also got a lot of walking in too. When I got home I wanted to weigh myself. My scale was broke! So, I waited until my meeting thinking I gained again or maintained. Well, I lost 1 pound, not a lot but I am getting back in the right direction!

This week we talked about fruits and vegetables. I learned that a lot of them have specific benefits to our health. This week we are taking a challenge to eat more fruits and vegetables and specifically to eat three different color fruits or vegetables. We have a chart to write this down on to bring back.

I know that tracking and getting more serious about my points is why I was able to lose weight this past week. I think when you have a lot of weight to lose like I do, it is really harder to stick to it. I know though that it is a lifestyle change, but it is easy to slip back into old habits and let yourself go wild.

Yesterday was an easy but hard day for me. I ate a lot of filling foods and stayed full most of the day and was still full after dinner when I had 19 points left! I get 32 points which is a lot to start with. Here's my food log to give you an idea of what I am talking about:

Wednesday July 8
Breakfast
1/2 cup egg beaters- 1 point (FF)
1/4 cup onions- 0 points(FF)
1/4 cup mushrooms- 0 points(FF)
1 Weight Watchers Cheese Single- 1 point
1 Light English Muffin- 1 point
1 cup strawberries- 0 points(FF)

Lunch
1 cup lettuce- 0 points(FF)
1/2 cucumber- 0 points(FF)
1 Tablespoon RF Parmesan Cheese- 0 points
1 small tomato- 0 points(FF)
1/4 cup onions- 0 points(FF)
2 tablespoons RF Ranch Dressing- 2 points
1 cup grapes- 1 point(FF)

Snack
5 cups fat free popcorn- 1 point

Dinner
Beef Stuffed Pepper- 4 points(FF)
1 cup lettuce- o points(FF)
1/4 cup onions- 0 points(FF)
1/2 cucumber- 0 points(FF)
1 tablespoon RF Parmesan Cheese- 0 points

Snack
Orange Cream Smoothie with 1 cup skim milk- 3 points(FF)
5 cups fat free Popcorn and 2 teaspoons canola oil- 4 points
Banana- 2 points(FF)
Weight Watchers Ice Cream Sandwich- 2 points
3/4 cup Cereal- 2 points
1 cup skim milk-2 points(FF)
4 pieces candy- 4 points
Total Points- 32 used
Fruits and veggies- 9
Milk- 4
Liquids- 8 cups
Oils- 2
Lean Protein-2
Vitamin- check

Notes: I packed my lunch to eat somewhere else, but next time I do a salad I plan to add some meat to it to add points earlier in the day. Maybe eat a snack between breakfast and lunch. The funny thing was that I ate so many filling foods that I really felt full all day.

Menu Plan Monday-July 6-12

Here's my plan for the week:

Dinner:

Monday-Crispy Chicken Drumsticks, green beans, rolls

Tuesday- Taco Junk, salad, Caramel Apple Salad

Wednesday- Beef Stuffed Peppers

Thursday- Chili Mac Crockpot, corn on the cob

Friday- Pizza, salad

Saturday- Weekday Lasagna, salad, garlic toast

Sunday- Mexican Rice Casserole

Lunch:

Monday-Wednesday- Kids eat at Library Summer Reading Program

Thursday- Sandwiches

Friday- Leftovers

Saturday-Leftovers

Sunday- Fat Free Hot Dogs, Baked Doritos

Breakfast:

Monday- Omelets, fruit, hot herbal tea

Tuesday- Omelets, fruit, hot herbal tea

Wednesday-Low fat waffles and fruit, hot herbal tea

Thursday- Cinnamon French Toast, fruit

Friday- Cereal, fruit

Saturday-Blueberry Pancakes, fruit

Sunday- Cereal, fruit

Snacks and desserts- Chex Party Mix, Mississippi Mud Cake, Fat Free Rice Krispie Treats, Pistachio Dream Cake, Cotton Candy Angel Food Cake

Go here to see more plans.

Taco Junk

I made this last night before going to my Weight Watchers meeting. The kids and dh loved it. My oldest will not eat corn, but he ate it like this! This will become a regular!

Taco Junk
1 lb lean beef
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
16 oz salsa
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 pkg reduced sodium taco seasoning mix
Brown beef and drain grease. Add all ingredients to crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Serving size is 1/2 cup at 1 point each.

Note: Serve with lettuce, reduced fat cheese, sour cream and tortillas. Also good over rice or used as a filling in tacos or tortillas.

Mexican Rice Casserole

I made this for dinner tonight. It was really good. Even my picky 9 year old ate it. He hates rice but he ate it in this casserole. I used instant brown rice.
Mexican Rice Casserole
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 TB diced onion
1 large green pepper, chopped
16 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 package taco seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup instant rice, uncooked
In a non stick skillet, brown beef, onions, and peppers. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker,except rice. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Stir in rice, cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
Yields: 6 servings (about 1 cup each)
Per Serving: 272 calories, 2g fat, 6g fiber