Menu Planning Monday...okay I know it's Tuesday!

Menu Plan for 2/7/2011-2/13/2011

Monday Dinner

         Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Pepper Makeover!

Usually Italian Peppers and Sausage are served on a roll, this is served with potatoes!

Honeysuckle White - Lean Turkey Italian Sausage Sweet Cooked, 3 links

Peppers - Sweet, green, raw, 1 medium

Peppers - Sweet, red, raw, 1 medium

Peppers - Sweet, yellow, raw, 0.75 pepper, large

Onions - Raw, 1 medium (2-1/2" dia)

Potatoes - Russet, flesh and skin, baked, 5 potato large)

1 cup of fat free stock ( you can use vegetable, chicken, or beef)

1 cup of water

1 tbl spoon of Italian Seasoning

Per Serving:

Cals 355

Carbs 60

Fat 4

Protein 15

Fiber 7

Iron 21

1^st you want to take the sausage out of its casing and break it up and brown in a pan.  I spray my crock pot with cooking spray. The I add the peppers  and onion( in thin slices).  Then I add the potatoes, I like mine cubed but you can slice them wedge them or leave them whole.  Then I add the sausage and 1 cup of fat free stock and seasoning I also add the water at this time.  This cooks for 4 hours on low.

Tuesday Dinner

Buffalo Chicken Bake

3, 4oz chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)

½ cup of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

½ cup of fat free ranch dip (see recipe below)

1 package (8 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened

1 cup of fat-free Kraft cheddar cheese

3 medium carrots
3 medium stalks
1 large onion

12 ounces of whole wheat pasta (your choice what kind!, I like bow tie!)(Cooked)

I place the veggies in the food processors then add them to a sauce pan to soften them. Mix chicken and cream cheese with veg.  I spray the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (super important for cleanup (or even better line with tine foil).  Add cooked pasta. Spread chicken mixture over pasta, sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes!

Fat Free Ranch Dip (this is any easy one and my go to for carrots and celery!)

1 container of fat free sour cream (Breakstone’s is my preference, if not I go with the light)

3 tablespoons of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning and Salad Mix

This makes for a 35 calorie dip for 2 tablespoons!  And it is yum!

This recipe serves 6 (the calorie count includes the ranch dip with light sour cream, because that is what I have on hand!)

Per Serving: Cals 428 Carbs 53 Fat13 Protein 30 Fiber 8

Wednesday Dinner

Left Over Night

Thursday Dinner

Oven Fried Chicken

Chicken breasts

Panko bread crumbs

Almond milk

Salt and pepper

We did the chicken breasts (that we make into bite size pieces) in almond milk then coat in seasoned panko crumbs.  I put these on a cooling rack on cookie sheet; it helps to crisp the entire chicken. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Mac N Cheese Recipe

Broccoli

Friday Dinner

TVP/ Lean Beef Tacos

Black Beans and Corn

Saturday Dinner

Spilt Pea Soup recipe (have to be honest this is going to be a test on my taste buds haven’t liked it in the past!)

Sunday Dinner

Finish up leftovers

Dessert for the week

So the mock ice cream sandwhiches( from last weeks menu) made of grahm crackers were a hit, and were tweaked. I add a tablespoon of greek yogurt with splenda, and a tablsppon of lite whipped topping the sanwhich makes it for more of a ice cream taste!

And also on this weeks menu ( since we love our sweets!)

Blueberry-Apple Crisp

5 cups	sliced peeled apples (about 7 medium)
1 cup	Fresh or frozen blue berries

3 tablespoons of Splenda

Topping:

4 1/2	low-fat graham crackers
1/4 cup	light brown sugar
1/2 tsp.	ground cinnamon
2 Tbs.	reduced-fat margarine cut into pieces

1. To make the filling, place the apples, and blueberries, and sugar substitute (you could use AGAVE syrup) in a large bowl, and toss to mix well. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Set aside.

2. To make the topping, break up the graham crackers, place them in a blender, and process into crumbs. Measure the crumbs. There should be 3/4 cup. (Adjust the amount if necessary).

3. Place the crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl, and stir to mix well. Then you can use a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in the margarine or butter until the mixture is moist and crumbly and sprinkle the topping over the filling.

4. Bake uncovered at 375 degree F for 35 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Cover loosely with aluminum foil during the last few minutes of baking if the topping starts to brown too quickly. Serve warm or at room temperature. This recipe makes 8 servings.

Per serving: Calories 164; Cholesterol 0 mg; Fat 4.8 g; Sodium 86 mg. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fruit, 1 Fat.

Adapted from http://www.grandtimes.com/cookie.html

The menu planning is going...(an update on our family's journey to healthy and organized!)

Pretty well.  It is nice to be able to answer the question "What's for dinner?"  And although I have not seen a huge difference in our grocery bill it self, I do make less trips to our small town grocery store during the week.  Occasionally we will run out of a staple like this week it was peanut butter and canola oil.  And since we were "snowed in" Wednesday I took the time to meal plan for the next 2 weeks.  When I make my grocery trip this time tomorrow it will be for 2 weeks, scary and exciting.  Scary are the what ifs, what if i forget something what is I make something and we hate it ( hence there will be another meal to prepare, this has happened before).  Exciting the chance to have a Friday afternoon where I do not have to make a trip 25 minutes  away during my son's jaunt to pre-k!  I also am 100% sure the meal planning has helped tremendously with the snacking, I plan only for the good stuff and when I want something that is all that is there becuase I don't buy antyhing that is not on my list.

The Smell of Chocolate...made me CRY!

So today I was at school on break and one of my classmates broke open a King size Take 5 bar

I have to tell you I have a cold and really can't smell anything, but I could smell this....I looked over at the taunting chocolate bar, and made a comment to a fellow classmate.  On how I would love to eat that!  She giggled and agreed.  Then I jumped in that it would go straight to my bottom ( unlike my classmate who was eating it who is a size 0!) and she replied why do you have to worry about that you're skinny!
My jaw dropped and my eyes welled...me skinny?
I wanted to tell her that I had another 20 pounds that I want to lose...but I didn't I focused on how far I have come.  I told her that I lost 50 pounds in the last year.  I knew the next thing was to come was the ?, the one everyone asks, how did you do it?
Instead she asked how do you look that great ( seriously I love this girl I may adopt her ( b/c she might be 20 tops!)
I told her I work out 4-6 times and week and I eat healthy.
I may not be skinny, but I do know I am healthy, I cannot wait to continue this journey tomorrow, and I hope maybe someone might be out there reading this thinking, hey maybe I can be healthy too!
Now I have a new emotion tied to chocolate ( other than guilt, or emptiness that it used to hold), pride.

What's up Next week!

Menu Plan for 2/1/2011-2/7/2011

Monday Dinner

·         HG's Sweet 'n Sticky Sesame Chicken Recipe

F  

     Jama’s Fried Rice Make Over

3
  1.5 cups water
1 frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed
1/4 cup Lite soy sauce
1 low sodium chicken bouillon cube
2 cups cooked brown rice (not instant)
2 tablespoons finely minced green onions
1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 egg whites(with just a little yolk for color)

Per Serving: Cal 316 Carbs 74 Fat 2 Protein 16 Fiber 11 (I eat a half it is so super filling!)

Scramble the egg whites (I prefer to do this in the microwave, I think they are fluffier).  In a sauce pan, add water, onions, soy sauce, and bouillon cube.  Once the cube has disintegrated into the water add the vegetables.  When you have cooked these add the rice bring to temp and add eggs and enjoy!(I edited this after I made it, it took less water, but it is super tasty!)

Tuesday Dinner

Lasagna Soup- this was a hit without the cheese so I serve it without it! Recipe

Wednesday Dinner

Left Over Night

Thursday Dinner

Beef Stroganoff Makeover (this is based off a recipe from a crock pot cook book just tweaked!)

1 pound of beef stew meat

1 package of Lipton French Onion Soup Mix

1 Container of 0% Greek Yogurt

2 cups of mushrooms

2 cups of fat free beef broth

This is a simple recipe; brown the meat in a pan, season with salt and pepper.  With exception of the Greek yogurt add to the crock pot, cook on low for 6-8 hours, and 30 minutes prior to serving add the Greek yogurt (or until warm).  I serve this over whole wheat flax noodles (which is what the calorie and carb count is for) but you can serve over brown rice or your choice of noodle! 

Servings 6

Calories 289 Carbs 29 Fat 5 Protein 27 Fiber 4

Friday Dinner

Rachael Ray’s Oven Fried Corn Dogs recipe

Oven fries (potatoes sliced into wedges (parboiled 1^st for 5 min) and then tossed in Olive Oil and pepper and seasoning salt)

Peas

Saturday Dinner

Crock Pot Green Pepper Casserole

1 can of Diced Tomatoes

1 small can of tomato paste

Peppers - Sweet, green, raw, 4 medium

2 cups Brown Rice-Regular

1 pound of 80/20 ground beef

2 cups Swanson - Beef Broth 99% Fat Free

1 Red Onion

Brown ground beef and put all the ingredients into the crock pot for 6 hours on low.  Serve over rice.

Sunday Dinner

Finish up leftovers

Dessert for the week

I am taking this one from an idea the Biggest Loser website Healthy Lattes~ I am a coffee nut and the hubby can’t live without his ice cream, so I am doing a version of a latte, cooled cup of coffee served with my Coffee Creamer and instead of the fat free vanilla yogurt they suggest (hubby really loves his ice cream) I am going with a reduced calorie ice cream cup that is prepackaged, that way the hubby will not be as tempted to eat the whole carton well before the week is over! Plus I think I may even get some sugar free whipped topping!  Can hardly wait to try one of these!  I did not forget about the kids I am making graham cracker and non dairy whipped topping “ice cream sandwiches”.  My littlest one food allergies are always a concern as I am getting Rice Whipped Topping (for hers only(or I am going to make her some whipped topping from a coconut milk based coffee creamer (Will tell you how that goes!) You sandwich that between graham crackers (they have chocolate one too!) wrap in plastic wrap and freeze!

Grocery List    2/1/2011-2/7/2011
Produce	Dairy	Meat	Canned Foods	Frozen
Green onions/scallions	Greek Yogurt	Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts	Chicken Broth	Stir fry veggies
mushrooms	Rice whipped topping	Beef Stew meat	Rice vinegar	Cool whip- sugar free
Green peppers	Laughing cow blue cheese	Italian Sausage	Fat free Beef Broth	Single serving ice cream cups( reduced cal)
Apples	Coffee creamer-COUP	80/20 Lean Beef	2 cans of diced tomatoes
Bananas	Almond milk- Coup	Turkey hot dogs	Tomato paste
celery		Lunch meat	Progresso light soup
Baby Carrots			pickles
			Dry Food
		Bread/Cereal	Sesame seeds
		Oat Heads- Coupons	Chicken bouillon cubes
	Baking	Coco Rice cereal	French Onion Soup mix
Sweets & Snacks			Brown rice
			Jiffy Corn Bread mix	Condiments
			Chocolate graham crackers
			Apple sauce
			Buddy Fruits
			applesauce
			Fiber One Cereal Coupon
Beverages	Health /Beauty	Paper Products	Cleaning	Miscellaneous
pop		Paper plates		2 towels
Monday Feb 1, 2011

Really seriously...hahahah!

WARNING: The following information about my husband is not to be used as a device to tease him!  I love and support him this is about the impact my life changes are having on my family!

So some of you may know I had a heart to heart with my hubby at the end of last week.  We spent an entire weekend together and I could not help to notice that he has started to carry his weight *in the middle*.  I sat him down and talked facts about how I am not getting and staying healthy because I to look hot in a pair of shorts( not that I am not going to enjoy that too!).  That heart disease and diabetes are risks and concerns.  I asked him if he would join me 3 days a week( I figure it's a starter) in a workout.
I am NOT asking him to do this by himself, I know how hard it can be to start or to work out after a long day, I am changing my routine for him.   I have done all the hard work in changing the way we eat at home ( I wish I could help with the work thing, but heck I am only human).  So proud he did really on Tuesday, he however backed out before he even got home on Thursday ( but that's ok, he worked till 9pm).  Today he texted me that he really does want to do this!  He has promised that tomorrow morning we are working out ( I am not sure if I look forward to this he is not a morning person!)
Now that I think hard he may not want to be the only fattie at the pool on our vacation to Florida in May!  Ok I know that was a little mean (and just a joke!) WARNING: Although I should delete that comment I just can't I am laughing so hard right now I might pee!

The success and failures of food makeovers Part 2

So I adapted a recipe from Hungry Girl and I must tell you success is not the word!  I am in love!

Caramel Pudding Apple Cupcakes
(Makes 15 servings)
Per serving (1 cupcake): 107 calories, 22 Carbs 2 fat grams 1 protein

Ingredients for cupcakes

• 2 cups moist-style
• yellow cake mix (1/2 of an 18.25-ounce box)
• 1 3/4 cup applesauce
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons light maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes 

Ingredients for topping

• 3tablespoons of Carmel bits ( they no longer carry the squares)
• 2 teaspoons of Silk unsweetened almond milk  

Mix these in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 10 to 15 seconds( or until caramel melts).
Drizzle this on top of the cupcakes, I love them warm so I will freeze the rest and microwave!