Baked Beef Ziti

Baked Beef Ziti

5 Points per Serving Serves: 8 Recipe Source: Weight Watchers

12 oz uncooked ziti

2 tsp olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/3 pound lean ground beef

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes

1 C part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

3. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with spoon as it cooks.

4. Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish; top with half of cooked ziti. Next layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.

Recipe Review: This recipe gets my whole family's approval! It tastes similar to a pasta dish that I made pre-Weight Watchers that has many more calories. I will say that I felt like I could have used just a little more sauce, but for a 5 point pasta dish this is amazing.

Take 2....or is it 3?

I have been MIA for the past month, and it has been a solid month of eating crap that isn't good for me and gaining any pounds that I lost back. But - I am not giving up!! I am back on Weight Watchers; wish me luck!

Smart Ones don't suck!

I was kind of dreading trying the Smart Ones frozen entrees that already have the Weight Watcher's points calculated for you. I have tried Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and other "healthy" frozen meals before and it has been a rare occurance when I haven't tossed it after having a bite or two and headed down to the nearest McDonalds to cheat on my diet. When at the grocery store last week I picked up 1 Smart Ones Enchiladas Suiza, which after thinking about it, I regretted seeing as Italian Food and Mexican Food seem to be the worst types when thinking about bad frozen meals. However I was thrilled when I ate my 6 point enchiladas and loved them. Now that I know that Smart Ones is capable of creating something palateable, I will be more adventurous and try some other Smart Ones. Being able to pop something in the microwave for 1 of your meals makes dieting so much easier, especially if you are working and don't have the ability to make yourself a healthy lunch. Oh, by the way - I also tried the Smart Ones Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae, which by the way won the Women's Health Magazine 2007 award for The Best Ice Cream Sundae; it is amazingly good. It totally helps me beat my sweet tooth cravings and for only 3 points is a winner in my book. I still have the Smart Ones Key Lime Pie and a Mint Chocolate Chip Sundae in my freezer - stay tuned for my review.

Chili Rubbed Pork Chops

Chili Rubbed Pork Chops
5 Points per Serving
Serves: 4

Recipe Source: Weight Watchers

2 tsp Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
20oz Lean Pork Loin, Boneless Center-Cut Chops (4 5oz Pieces)
1 Spray PAM

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, salt and pepper

2. Butterfly and flatten pork chops. Rub spice mixture on both sides of the chops, place on a plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Coat grill rack or pan with cooking spray; heat grill or set pan over medium heat.

4. Grill chops for 3 minutes, then turn over and continue cooking until chops are firm; about 4 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Review: I give these chops 3 out of 4 stars; they were tasty! I served these with snap peas and was pretty satisfied after dinner. The whole family liked this recipe and for 5 points,I could still have dessert later.

Chili Rubbed Pork Chops

Eating Out

Sometimes (especially on weekends) I don't feel like cooking and/or dieting, so I have been happily surprised this weekend to find some really good low point foods at restaurants this weekend. Friday night my husband and I went to The Islamorada Fish Company, which is a nice seafood place inside of Bass Pro Shops. I was skeptical that I would find a healthy and tasteful meal here - but I was thrilled that I was able to have a 6oz Yellow Fin Tuna Steak and Broccoli for a mere 7 points!! The apple cobbler that was had afterward (at least the small portion I ate) was only an additional 5 - and I was completely satisfied. This is why Weight Watchers works; because you can go out and have a delicious meal and still be sticking to your diet. Saturday I found myself at a farmers market with friends where I stocked up on some veggies and other healthy ingredients. But then I had to have a piece of pretzel bread...and while we were out we decided to have lunch at an Irish Pub. Don't worry, I skipped over the multitude of fried items on the menu and opted for a daily special which included eggs, blackened steak bites, fried onion straws and mashed potatoes. I ate all of the steak first - which I felt equaled about the portion size of a small steak (5 points). By the time I finished the steak, I was mostly full - so I took a bite (literally) of the mashed potatoes and 2 onion straws. The eggs and the rest of the onion straws were consumed by daughter. I brought the mashed potatoes home with me and will be encouraging my husband to eat those so I don't. But the BEST resturaunt find this weekend was at Subway. I went here for dinner because my husband was out for the night and I don't cook for just me. I was determined to have something healthy because of all my "little" indiscretions all day long at the farmer's market. So I had decided that I would get a 6 inch subway club and headed over to Subway. Only to see a poster for the new Tuscan Chicken Melt in the window - and the fact that it only had 9 grams of fat! I couldn't resist, so I got it and for only 7 points I had an amazing sandwich with melted cheese and so much flavor. I could eat this sandwich any day and still be in my allotted lunch points - unbelievable! I went over my points this weekend - but no worries since I have those "splurge points" that I have tapped into and that I still have 26 of for the week. Life is amazing!

Great 0 Point Snack Food

I found Cousin Willie's 94% Fat Free Microwave Popcorn at my grocery store, and 1 serving (1 Cup) of this popcorn is 0 points! If you are extra hungry, then 2 servings is only 1 point. I was surprised at how good this popcorn tasted for 0 points and have found that when I eat a meal and still feel hungry (which is often unfortunately) that a cup of this will do the trick to get my mind off of eating.

Chopped Greek Salad

Chopped Creek Salad
3 Points per Serving
Serves: 4

Recipe Source: Weight Watchers

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp water

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

3 tbsp dill

3 tbsp scallions, sliced

1 ½ C tomatoes, diced (about 7 small tomatoes)

1 ½ C cucumbers, diced

8 Medium Olives, Chopped

6 C lettuce, Shredded

¼ C Crumbled Feta Cheese

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, water, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper until blended; stir in dill and scallions. Add tomatoes, cucumbers and olives; toss to mix and coat.

2. Place 1 1/2 C of lettuce on each plate; top each with about 3/4 C of tomato mixture and 1 tbsp of Feta

Recipe Review: I LOVED this recipe; I can tell that this is going to be one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes - and it is very easy & fast to make. I was surprised by how much flavor this salad had - though I will say that the recipe calls for 3 tbsp of dill which I thought was WAY too much, so I only used 1 tbsp and was happy with that. If you wanted to make this a more filling meal, you could add 3oz of that Pre-Cooked Salad Chicken for 2 additional points.

Day 1: Total Success

Well today was my first official day on Weight Watchers and it was a success! I bought a new scale today at Target for $6.00. It is one of those old-school scales that doesn't use batteries. Up until today, I have been guessing what my "starting weight" was. Unfortunately, I was about 10 pounds off...and of course it was in the wrong direction. So, after adjusting my "starting weight" I actually got an additional daily alloted point (yay for me!), giving me 23 points to use each day, and 35 extra points to use each week on a splurge. My biggest struggle with the Weight Watchers plan so far has been the planning of meals. It is hard for me to try and decide how to use the points each day in a way that isn't going to make me hate the plan. I am trying to find a balance between taste and time spent cooking, which has been a challenge. I am not usually a breakfast person and I don't like to spend very much time cooking either breakfast or lunch. I am used to waiting around until noonish and then swinging through a McDonald's drive-thru for lunch. Fortunately though, I have found some easy recipes that don't take too much work on the Weight Watcher's website and some other great ideas from fellow Weight Watcher's bloggers. Here is the recap of my day's food:

Breakfast - 1/2 Whole Wheat Bagel topped with 2 tbs of Marshmallow Fluff, Dash of Ground Cinnamon and Sliced Banana - 2.5 Points

Lunch - Whole Wheat Bow Tie Pasta with Red & Yellow Peppers, Tomatoes and Feta Cheese- 11 Points (and I really think that this is lower than this but I had trouble figuring out the points on this recipe)

Snack - Jello Strawberry Gelatin with Cool Whip Free Topping - 0 Points

Dinner - Chopped Greek Salad - 3 Points

Snack - Red Mango Tangomonium Frozen Yogurt with Chopped Strawberries - 5 Points

Weight Watchers Here I Come!

So today I did it! Today I signed up for a free trial of Weight Watchers! I am excited to start a plan that so many people have tried and been successful at. I am thinking that I would like to try and go to a meeting to try and learn more about the program and maybe to meet a person or two who is in the same boat that I am in. For now, I am excited to learn some new recipes and start eating healthy. So my friends, the point-counting starts tomorrow - good thing I had that last Portillo's Italian Beef tonight....

Falling Off The Wagon...

Well it has happened; I knew that it would but I didn't think it would happen this soon. I have officially fallen off the diet wagon. One of my biggest temptations is going out with friends. I have always love eating out, having drinks, socializing, etc. I started a social group/book club almost a year ago and have made some really great friends through that group. In running it, I am usually doing some sort of social activity involving food at least once a week. Of course the first week of my "diet" I had already scheduled a Mexican dinner at a restaurant; I had no hope. I went onto the restaurant's website to search for healthy options - there were none that looked appealing. What DID look appealing was a dish called Enchiladas Santana; three tortillas layered with shredded pork, beef and chicken and drenched with three different sauces. I knew I was cooked. Here is a recap of my "falling off": 1 Frozen Raspberry Margarita, Tableside Guacamole for the table complete with plenty of tortilla chips, Enchiladas Santana....I don't event want to know how many days of calories that was. Then comes my next excuse...also for the same social group, I had already planned to have a Tastefully Simple party at my house. The company sells dip mixes, dessert mixes, etc. They have the nutrition information on their website, but the tricky part is that most of the mixes (for dips anyway) are supposed to be mixed with mayonaise and other ingredients; very healthy. Also, because I am not the best houskeeper in the world I had to kick it into high gear all day yesterday and clean my house. So, of course when you are cleaning you don't have time to plan and prepare healthy meals; you have time to run to McDonalds. I know that these are nothing but excuses and to make this work I have to be committed to it. I think I need a little extra help because there are so many good reasons to eat badly:

1) I am always starving when dieting because I am not used to the portion size change
2) It is expensive to eat healthy and I am poor and unemployed
3) Good food many times tastes like crap
4) I just don't want to give up my favorite foods

So what I am going to do is sign up for a Weight Watchers Monthly Pass June 1st. It allows you to go to unlimited meetings and have unlimited access to all of the Weight Watchers online tools for a month. I HATE the idea of having to spend money to loose weight, but I am willing to make the investment and "work the program" for a month. Then hopefully it will be a little easier for me and I can do it on my own. So stay tuned! June 1st is my "new" Monday.

Penne Alla "Not-Ka"

Penne Alla "Not-Ka"
Serves: 4
Calories per Serving: 371
Recipe Source: Cooking Yourself Thin

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes in juice, pureed in a food processor
Pinch red pepper flakes
8 ounces penne
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons evaporated nonfat milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the penne.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the 2 teaspoons oil with the garlic over low heat until the garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until the onion is softened, about 2 more minutes. Add the tomato, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer very gently 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and evaporated milk and simmer 1 more minute

3. Meanwhile, after the sauce has cooked 5 minutes, add the penne to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. Add the drained penne to the saucepan and simmer until the penne is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding a little of the pasta cooking water if the mixture is dry. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, along with the basil and black pepper.

4. To serve, divide pasta among 4 serving bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

My Review: Don't ask me what the name of this dish means; I have no idea. But I was thrilled when I stumbled across this recipe on the Cooking Yourself Thin website. The pasta was creamy and flavorful, and I felt like I got enough of it to satisfy me for awhile. My husband didn't like it and ended up eating just the salad and a bunch of non-healthy snack items he found in the pantry (good for me, bad for him). I did not puree the diced tomatoes because I don't have the time or the food processor, so I think that if I had that the sauce would have been more "sauce-like" but I still liked it because I enjoy eating tomatoes.

Substitute for Yogurt

So it is day two of my non-diet and I am still in good spirits about eating healthy. Last night I had a minor setback when I tried to make a Cooking Yourself Thin recipe for Chocolate Brownies with Raspberries and White Chocolate Chips. I was sure that this would be one of my favorite recipes, but mine were not even edible. The recipe uses butternut squash to replace a lot of the sugar, but what I ended up with was a gooey mess that tasted like butternut squash. After that, I felt like breaking out a pint of ice cream, but I restrained myself and had a couple of m&ms instead.

This morning, I was eager to try my honey-wheat English muffins, but then realized that I really didn't have anything to put on them. So instead, I opted for a Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Rice Pudding. I am not a big fan of yogurt - never have been. So instead of making myself eat something I hate, I opted for a healthy alternative. Kozy Shack also makes a rice pudding with fruit (also no sugar added) which I would love to try but they didn't have any at the grocery store I went to. I will have to hunt around for it; they have Strawberry Guava and Blueberry Pomegranate.
For lunch today I will be eating a leftover portion of the salmon from last night (yum) and I have 100 calorie snack packs for a snack. I also wanted to mention that I have eliminated all soda and iced tea (especially McDonald's Sweet Tea) from my diet and have replaced it with Crystal Light. My drink of the moment is Mango Peach Iced Tea - only 5 calories per serving!

Mango Glazed Salmon with Fresh Spinach Salad

Mango-Glazed Salmon

Serves 2
Calories per serving: 478

Recipe Source: Cook Yourself Thin

For the salmon:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
5 ounces mango nectar
2 6-ounce salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick

For the spinach salad
1 bunch fresh spinach
1 thinly sliced Bosc pear
Shredded carrots
Asian bean sprouts
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds (optional)

For the dressing
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon ginger (freshly grated)
1 tablespoon orange juice

1. To make the salmon: Stir together first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Pour mango mixture through a wire-mesh strainer; discard solids. Return mango mixture to saucepan; keep warm.

2. Place salmon on a rack in a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 5 minutes. Brush fish with half of mango mixture. Broil 3 more minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Spoon remaining mango glaze evenly over fish.

3. To make the spinach salad: Chop the spinach roughly, thinly slice the Bosc pear into strips, shred the carrots on a grater, add bean sprouts and toss in sliced almonds if desired. Lightly toss the ingredients all together in a mixing bowl with the dressing.

My Review: This was a great meal to start my non-diet with because I loved it and felt great that I could eat a full meal that tasted great but was less than 500 calories! I doubled this recipe because my husband really eats for 2 and my two year old was also eating this too (though I stuck to my allotted 6 oz portion). I was worried when I was making the glaze that it was going to be too sweet - but it wasn't at all. The salad was great too; the pear added a little sweetness and crunch to the salad and even the dressing wasn't bad. This dish gets 4 stars from both me and the family.

My Monday

Today is my Monday - and I am actually excited that it falls on a Monday; Memorial Day to be precise. It is kind of fitting in a way - today on Memorial Day I will remember the people the many soldiers that have given their lives so that I can be free. However I will also remember what it was like to eat whatever I wanted, be lazy and as a result gain a lot of unwanted pounds. That is right friends, today I make the decision to be a healthier person. I would like to say that it was an easy decision that I would be fine either sticking by or not, but that is not the case. The story of my life is that I have tried numerous diets only to fail, paid for a gym membership only to make excuses why I can't go and am now at a breaking point. I can't fit into most of my clothes comfortably anymore, I eat fast food in my car for more often than I would like to admit and my energy level is at zero most days. Because I know that diets don't work, I am simply going to try and be healthier. I discovered a great TV show that gave me the inspiration for this change in my life that I will be using for many of my food choices. Cooking Yourself Thin is a great new show on Lifetime that shows bad eaters (myself included) how to eat some of the things that you love, but in a way that make those things cost you much fewer calories. It is a simple plan really; eat fewer calories, loose weight. If I can still eat things that I love, such as a Mango-Glazed Salmon or a Mediterranean Chicken dish then I won't hate my diet and give up. It isn't so much what you eat, but rather the ingredients used to make what it is you are eating - and portion control of course. To loose weight, I am going to start with a 1500 calorie per day diet. Ideally, I would also like to add things like exercise to the mix - but I will ease into that since the food is the bigger issue for me. Now saying that, it absolutely disgusts me that my usual McDonald's combo (a double cheeseburger, medium fries and a large sweet tea) is 1050 calories. If this is just my lunch a couple of times a week then no wonder I have gained weight! So anyway folks, today is my Monday. What I mean by that is that I am not putting this off any longer. I remember countless times deciding that I was going to try a diet and saying, "I will start on Monday" and then stuffing myself silly all weekend only to crash and burn by Wednesday. I am not waiting today - I am just going to accept that it is something that needs to be done, do it and hopefully...lose the weight. The hardest part for me will be the social events that I go to several times a month; but I figure that on those days I can eat other foods that are particularly low in calories to make up for it. I wonder how many calories are in a chocolate martini....