Break the Cycle

Missed last Saturday's meeting - kinda bummed. Since it's Ramadan - we need to get up early before the sun starts to rise - which means eating breakfast at 5 a.m. Last Saturday - after feeding the kids, I went to snooze for an hour or so before my meeting - and next thing I knew - it was 8 a.m. I could have gone to a later meeting - but since one of the main reasons I go to my 7 a.m. meeting are the people that sit with me and encourage me - why bother? Anyway - I will NOT miss next Saturday's meeting. I need to remember to change my alarm clock when I get up - or else just not lay back down !! Anyway - swimming is back at night - so dinners are screwed up again. Tonight I'm making some type of Egyptian beef with onions and rice. Salad on the side, of course, since dh's tomatoes are finally turning red. Tomorrow - Kufta - and Egyptian ground meat - sorta like a hamburger - but with lots of spices and cilantro mixed in. We'll have that on pita bread with...

Ingredients 4-Boneless skinless chicken breast 8 tbsp fat free Italian Dressing Directions Put the chicken breast in a casserole dish, well, any dish as long as it is deep. Pour the Italian Dressing over the chicken. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes. Yep, that's it. Serve with vegies and brown rice for a great meal!Number of Servings: 4 Nutritional Info Servings Per Recipe: 4 Amount Per Serving Calories: 120.5 Total Fat: 0.8 g Cholesterol: 56.0 mg Sodium: 659.7 mg Total Carbs: 3.6 g Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g Protein: 23.5 g

Fish last night was excellent - we need to eat Tilapia more often. Each child also ate an entire fillet - makes mom happy. Tonight I'm going to try the stuffed tomatoes (recipe to follow) Since the oven will already be on (baked taters and grean bean casserole) it'll make another side, and these can be served at room temps - so I may just cook them tonight and serve them for lunch tomorrow. Jerzy

OF course, I'll be using Turkey sausage for this one 3 pts per tomato 6 large tomatoes 1/4 pound turkey kielbasa, or turkey sausage 1 cup onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, or more if needed 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 cup cooked rice, cold 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped 3 tablespoons fresh parsley 1 each egg 1/2 cup shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese preheat oven to 375* slice off top of tomatoes, scoop out the insides, and set the pulp aside. Salt and pepper the inside of each tomato shell and invert them onto paper towels. Let sit while you prepare the stuffing. place sausage onion and garlic in a large skillet and cook, crumbling the meat witha wooden spoon. Cook until the meat begins to loose it's pink color. Sitr in reserved tomato pulp and vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes stir in the rice, basil, parsle, and egg mixing well. stir in half of each cheese place tomato shells in baking dish and spoon in the filling mounding it on...

Crockpot No Peek Chicken Casserole (6 PTS) Serves 4-6 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts -- cut in 1" pieces 1 envelope dry onion soup mix 1 can fat-free beef broth1 can 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup 4 ounces mushrooms -- drained Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Stir together well. Cover and cook on low 8 to 12 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours. Serve over noodles or rice. Recipe may be doubled. Per Serving: 291 Calories; 4g Fat; 57g Protein; 7gCarbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 132mg Cholesterol; 1182mg Sodium.

Crockpot Italian Turkey Rice Dinner (8 Points) Makes 4 servings 3 med. carrots, shredded (2 cups) 2 med. stalks celery, sliced (1 cup) 1 small red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup) 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves 1/3 cup water4 turkey thighs (8-12 oz. each), skin removed 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves 1/3 cup shredded Italian-stylesix-cheese blend or mozzarella cheese (2 oz.) Mix carrots, celery, bell pepper, basil and water in 3 1/2-4 qt. Slowcooker. Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper; place on vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hrs. Remove turkey thighs. Stir rice and oregano into vegetable mixture; return turkey to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW about 1 hr. or until rice is tender. Remove turkey thighs. Stir cheese into rice mixture until melted. Serve with turkey. Per serving: cal 370, fat 9g, sat fat 4g, chol 165mg, sod 810mg, carb 27g, fiber 2g, prot 47g Points: 8

Crockpot Company Chicken Casserole (6 Points) 6 servings 8 ounces noodles 3 cups boneless skinless chicken breasts -- cooked, diced 1/2 cup celery --diced /2 cup green pepper -- diced 1/2 cup onion -- diced 4 ounces mushrooms -- canned, drained 1/2 cup nonfat chicken broth 1/2 cup fat-free Parmesan cheese 1 can cream of chicken soup --melted 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese -- grated 1/2 teaspoon basil 1 1/2 cups lowfat cottage cheese - small curd 2 1/2 cups water Cook noodles according to package directions until barely tender; drain and rinse thoroughly. In large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients with thenoodles, making sure the noodles are separated and coated with liquid. Pour mixture into a greased crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-10 hours. Cancook on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Per serving: 467.3 cal, 11.7g (23.4%) fat, 1.7g fiber, 824mg sodium

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup #2 (3 Points) 16 Ounces Chicken Breast Halves Without Skin - cubed 30 Ounces Black Beans, Canned - undrained 30 Ounces Mexican-style Stewed Tomatoes - canned 1 Cup Salsa 4 Ounces Chopped Green Chiles 14 1/2 Ounces Tomato Sauce 2 Cups Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese Tortilla Chips Combine all ingredients except cheese and tortilla chips into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. To serve, put a handful of chips into each individual bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with 1/4 cup cheese. Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 248 Calories; 4g Fat (13.2% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 32mg Cholesterol; 1215mg Sodium.

Crockpot Chicken Marengo (4 Points) Serves: 6 Total Points - 24 ... per serving - 4 Canned sliced mushrooms, drained 10 oz. Sliced onion 1 cup Chicken parts, skin removed 3 lbs. Canned tomatoes with juice (broken up) 14 oz.Envelope Spaghetti sauce mix 1 x 1-1/2 oz. Arrange mushrooms and onion in 5 quart (5 L) slow cooker. Lay chicken pieces over top. Stir tomato and spaghetti sauce mix together in bowl. Pour overtop of chicken. Cover. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours.

Crock Pot Chicken #2 (4 Points) 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1/4 c. white wine 1 pkg. Good seasons Italian salad dressing mix Brown chicken. Place in crockpot. Sprinkle salad dressing mix over chicken. Add wine. Cover; cook on high about 4 hours. (Low for 6 - 8 hours.)

Crockpot Chicken (3 Points) 1 10 3/4 oz can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup 1 package dry onion soup mix 2 Cups water 2 Cups uncooked instant rice 16 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut in 1" pieces 1 Cup sliced mushrooms 1/8 t black pepper Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In prepared crockpot, combine first 4 ingredients. Add chicken, mushrooms, and pepper. Cover and cook on low 6-8hours. Stir before serving. Serves 6 (1 cup serving) WW pts: 3

Cozy Crock Comfort Serves-6 (5 Points for 1 full cup) 16 oz ground 90% lean turkey or beef 1/2 cup chopped onion 3 cups (15 oz) diced raw potatoes 1/3 cup (1 oz.) uncooked regular rice 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots 1 cup finely diced celery 1 1/2 cups Healthy Request Tomato Juice or any reduced-sodium Tomato juice1 (10 3/4 oz.) can Healthy Request Tomato Soup 1/4 tsp. black pepper1 tsp. dried parsley flakes In a large skillet sprayed with butter flavored spray, brown meat. Place browned meat in a slow cooker container. Add onion, potatoes, uncooked rice, carrots and celery. Mix well to combine. Stir in tomato juice, tomato soup, black pepper and parsley flakes. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hrs. Mix well before serving. Each serving equals: 243 Calories, 7gm Fat, 16gm Pro., 29gm Carbo, 290mg Sodium, 33mg Calcium, 3gm Fiber WW: 5 Pts.

Chicken & Dumplings 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast 1 can Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup 6 biscuits (Pillsbury Golden Homestyle Buttermilk canned biscuits -2pt per biscuit) 2 cups of water 1 Tablespoon bouillon, any flavor Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add all of the ingredients except for the biscuits and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add salt, pepper and any other seasonings that you would like. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, turn your crock-pot on high and tear biscuits into 1 inch pieces and add to slow cooker. Makes six 3/4 cup servings at 5 WW pts per serving.

Beef Stroganoff 1 lb very lean ground beef 1 small chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 package of brown gravy mix 8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms 1 can Fat Free Cream of Mushroom soup 1 1/4 cup of water, divided 1 cup Fat Free sour cream 12 oz whole wheat yolk free egg noodles, cooked Brown ground beef. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown gravy mix and 1/4 cup of water. Stir well to mix. Pour ground beef mixture into crock-pot. Add onions, mushrooms, soup and remaining 1 cup of water. Stir to mix. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Just before serving add sour cream and stir. Allow to heat through and serve over hot egg noodles. (I like to mix the egg noodles into the crock-pot mixture before serving.) Make six servings at 7 WW pts per serving.

Apple Pie 8 apples, peeled and sliced 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 3/4 cup skim milk 2 tablespoons Brummel and Brown Spread, softened 3/4 cup Splenda 1/2 cup egg substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick 1/3 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons of cold butter Spray your crock-pot with cooking spray Toss apples in large bowl with cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Pour into crock-pot. Combine milk, softened butter spread, Splenda, eggs, vanilla and 1/2 cup Bisquick. Spoon over apples. Combine the 1 cup of Bisquick and brown sugar. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle this mixture over top of apple mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until apples are soft. This apple pie recipe is 4 WW pts per serving.

Sweet & Sour Chicken 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast 5 oz LaChoy Sweet & Sour sauce 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 /4 teaspoon onion powder 8 oz pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve 1/4 cup juice) 1 tablespoons brown sugar 1 6 oz bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables Cut the raw chicken breast into bite sized pieces. Spray your crock-pot with cooking spray. Add chicken, garlic powder and onion powder; stir. Stir in sweet and sour sauce, pineapple chunks, brown sugar and the 1/4 cup of pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Add frozen vegetables during the last 30 minutes of cooking and cook on high. Makes four servings at 5 WW pts per serving.

Banana Date Oat Cookies 3 large bananas, mashed 1 cup chopped dates 2 cups rolled oats 1/3 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C). In a large bowl, combine the bananas, oats, dates, oil and vanilla. Mix well and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a non-stick cookie sheet . Bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in air-tight container. Makes 3 dozen.

WW meeting this a.m. was good. I didn't WI - for some reason the scale took a very big jump yesterday (although I didn't overeat at all). So - I skipped WI instead of getting myself down. Next week I'll weigh in no matter what !! Ramadan is coming - so I'll be cooking. The kids sometimes go out to eat with dh at the mosque - so I'll stock up on Lean Cuisene. I usually don't go - as the food tends to be much heavier then I like to eat. I posted a new recipe - Chocolate Cake with Banana Cream - taken from the new WW dessert cookbook. I'll post a review after we try it (today) Also will try something with dates - just not sure what yet !! Menu - Saturday - Tilapia with coconut panko, rice and corn on the cob Sunday - Steaks and mashed taters, bbq'd egg plant and salads Monday - bbq'd chicken thighs, baked taters, string bean casserole Tuesday - shrimp and pasta with salads Wednesday - 40 clove chicken in the crock and fresh bread Thursday - some k...

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup sucralose 1/3 cup + 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1 TBS packed light brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 large egg 1/3 cup canola oil 1/4 cup water 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 cup thawed frozen fat-free whip topping 1 medium banana, sliced 1. Preaheat the oven to 350* F. Lightly spray an 8 inch round cake pan with nonstick spray. 2. Whisk together the pastry flour, sucralose, 1/3 cup of the cocoa, the brown sugar, baking powder, and slat in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together the egg, oil, water and vanilla in a separate medium bowl. Whisk in the applesauce until slightly frothy. WIth a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture just until blended. Pour the batter into the pan and bake about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan When serving - stir the whipped topping and the remaining 1 tsp cocoa in a small bowl until blended, fold in the banana. Cut the cake into 12 we...

Sirloin Roast with Gravy 1 boneless beef sirloin tip roast (about 3 lbs) 1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons ground mustard 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 cup cold water Rub roast with pepper and garlic, cut roast in half and place in a 3-qt slow cooker. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 to 6 hours or until the meat is tender.Remove roast and keep warm. Strain cooking juices into a small saucepan; skim fat. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with beef.Yield: 10 servings Source: Taste of Home Slow Cooker Recipes 2007

Ingredients: 40 cloves garlic 2 sprigs rosemary 2 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs sage 2 sprigs Italian parsley Ground pepper to taste 3 pounds roasting or fryer chicken 3 stalks celery Loaf French bread - optional Directions: Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. Put celery on the bottom of the crockpot. Put 1 sprig of each herb into the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken on top of the celery. Cut up the rest of the herbs and sprinkle on top of the chicken. Add ground pepper to taste. Peel garlic , leave skin on, and place on top and around chicken. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. The cooked garlic can be used in place as garlic butter for the French bread. Just squeeze and spread onto bread slices. This recipe for 40 Clove Garlic Vampire Chicken serves/makes 4

Another good week at WW - journaling is certainly the key - that and drinking enough water. Just a few more pounds and I'll be back to my lowest weight ever. Good deal. Ordered my ring yesterday - it was going to be my gift to me after hitting Onederland, but I'm hoping I'm well into Onederland by the time it gets here (6 - 8 weeks) Got my clothes from the order down below - I can't believe how much stuff I got for so little money. The shoes are real leather - the clothing is well made and cheap enough that if it only fits me for one year - I won't feel bad passing it on !!! Now - whats cooking. Not sure what's going to cook what day - so I just listed it as day 1, day 2 - you get the idea. That way - depending on what I get out of the freezer - well, thats dinner !! day 1 - Turkey breasts bbq on the grill. I picked up 4 of the london broil turkey steaks - great buy at Shoprite this week. Putting my normal chicken rub on them and will toss them on a ve...