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Showing posts from February, 2008

Creamy Cheese Capellini 6 pts

1/2 lb whole wheat capellini 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 3 plum tomatoes, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press 1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach 1 cup fat free ricotta cheese 1 cup shredded fat free mozzarella cheese 1/2 tsp salt Cook the capelini according to package, omitting the salt if desired. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes are softened about 2 minutes, add the spinach in batches, stirring just until each batch is wilted. Add the capellini, reserved cooking liquid, cheeses and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheeses are melted. Serves 4. NOTE - from the WW boards - people have complained about blandness - try extra garlic, or diced tomatoes with garlic or other herbs.

The Newest WW magazine -

Lots of WW recipes I'll be trying this issue - include - Salmon with Tomato-Ginger Jam (pg 52) Creamy Cheese Capellini (54) Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce - (136) Herb Rubbed Turkey Breast (137) Roast Chicken with Matzo, Shiitake, and Thyme Stuffing (140) Herbed Lentils with Couscous (141) Parmesan Steaks with Salsa (144) Fragrant Eggplant and Chickpea Stew (145) Tuna, Bean, and Olive Salad (146) Shrimp and Bean Chowder (147) I'll post the recipes that are successful - and share others that people have been emailing me !

Biggest Loser Eye Opener -

My focus with weight loss is usually on myself - dh and the kids come second. I do try and help dh - but I can't tell him no when it comes to portion sizes. If the kids don't like what I've cooked for dinner, I usually make them something else - something that is usually not as healthy. Bad choices both. Although I thought Mark was a bit controlling of his kids - taking food away, in one big swoop - it did open my eyes. Now, I thought it was mean - he hasn't seen his kids for 2 months, and you focus on taking things away - there is plenty of time to ease into good habits in the future. BUT - when that little boy grabbed another danish and ran under the table - I could just see my DS doing the same thing. When the family went out to eat - and the grownups ordered very healthy - and then ordered fish and chips for the kids - wow. I was eating lean veal and brown rice - and my kids were having McD's. Yes, they exercised that day - but blew it all away eating th

Cheesy Spinach-Artichoke Dip 3 points

Ingredients 11 (6-inch) pita bread rounds 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil 1 cup boiling water 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry 1 (8-ounce) tub light cream cheese, softened 1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup fat-free milk 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 350°. 2. Split each pita bread in half horizontally; cut each half into 6 wedges. Place pita wedges in a single layer on baking sheets; bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until toasted. 3. Combine sun-dried tomatoes and boiling water in a bowl; let stand for 1 hour or until soft. 4. Place artichokes and next 11 ingredients (through garlic) in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Cover with

Moroccan Bouillabaisse 5 points

Moroccan Bouillabaisse Pinches of cumin, cinnamon, and saffron give this seafood favorite an African twist. 8 ounces fresh or frozen peeled, deveined shrimp with tails 8 ounces fresh or frozen scallops 8 ounces (8 to 12) fresh mussels in shells 6 cups water 9 tablespoons salt 1 cup finely chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 cup fish or vegetable broth 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes 1/8 teaspoon ground saffron Hot cooked couscous 1. Thaw frozen seafood. Halve large scallops. Scrub mussels; remove beards. Combine 2 cups of the water and 3 tablespoons of the salt; soak mussels 15 minutes. Drain and rinse. Repeat twice. 2. Cook onion and garlic in hot oil until tender. Add cumin, cinnamon, and ground red pepper; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, saffron, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling; add seafood. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes o

Cioppino 4 points

Ingredients 2 Large onions, chopped (2 cups) 2 Medium stalks celery, finely chopped (1 cup) 5 cloves Garlic, finely chopped 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste 1/2 cup Dry white wine or water 1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Olive oil 21/2 teaspoons Italion seasoning 1/4 teaspoon Sugar 1/4 teaspoon Crushed red pepper 1 Dried bay leaf 1 pound Firm-fleshed white fish, cut into 1-inch pieces 3/4 pound Uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen 1 can (61/2 ounces) chopped clams with juice, undrained (I use fresh clams and bottled juice) 1 can (6 ounces) crabmeat, drained, cartilage removed and flaked 1/4 cup Chopped fresh parsley Preparation 1. Mix all ingredients except fish, shrimp, clams, crabmeat and pareley in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. 2. Cover and cook on high heat setting 3 to 4 hours or until vegetables are tender. 3. Stir in fish, shrimp, clams and crabmeat. Cover and c

Aegean Lamb with Orzo 9 pts

Ingredients 3 1/2 pounds le4an rolled boneless leg of lamb 1/4 cup chopped fresh or 4 teaspoons dried oregano 2 tsp grated lemon rind 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach, chopped 5 1/2 cups hot cooked orzo (about 2 1/2 cups uncooked rice-shaped pasta) 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese Oregano sprigs (optional) Lemon slices (optional) Preparation Unroll roast, and trim fat. Reroll roast and secure with twine. Cut roast in half crosswise. Place roast halves in a 4.5-5 quart electric slow cooker; and sprinkle with oregano, rind, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour in lemon juice; Cover with lid, cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting; cook 7 hours or until lamb is tender. Add spinach to slower cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 15 minutes. Remove spinach and lamb from slow cooker, reserving cooking liquid. Remove twine from roast, chop roast. Pour cooking liquid into a bowl; let stand 5 minutes and s

Maple Hazelnut Oatmeal - 7 points

1-1/2 c fat-free milk 1-1/2 c water 2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups) 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats 2 T brown sugar 1-1/2 T butter, softened 1/4 t cinnamon 1/4 t salt cooking spray 1/4 c maple syrup 2 T chopped hazelnuts, toasted Bring milk and water to a boil in a saucepan over med-high heat, stirring frequently. Place hot milk mixture, apple, and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a 3.5 qt electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray; stir well. Cover with lid, cook on low heat setting 7 hours or until oats are tender. Spoon oatmeal into individual bowls, top with maple syrup and hazelnuts. Yield: 4 servings (1.25 cup oatmeal, 1 TBS syrup, 1.5 tsp hazelnuts)

Slow Cooker Hash Brown Casserole Recipe 4 points

Hash Brown Potato Casserole 26 oz package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes 10 3/4 oz can condensed reduced fat reduced sodium cream mushroom soup, undiluted 1 1/3 cup fat free milk 1/4 cup fine chopped onion 1 Tbsp butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces 3/4 tsp pepper ½ tsp salt cooking spray 1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese Place first 7 ingredients in 5 quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray; stir well.. Cover with lid, cook on high heat setting for 1 hour. Reduce to low heat setting and cook 4-5 hours. Add cheese, stirring gently. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Yields 8 servings, 4 points per serving

Brown Rice Congee with Milk and Butter 3 points

Makes 6 servings - 1/2 cup each 2 cups quick cooking brown rice 1/2 cup fat free milk 3 TBS sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 TBS butter Cook the rice according to package directions, using about 1/4 more water than called for. Stir in the milk, sugar, and vanilla and cook 1 minute over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Honey Pecan Chicken 7 points

Ingredients 4 (5 ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts 1/2 cup pecans 2 tablespoons cornflake crumbs 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons honey Instructions 1.Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. 2.Finely chop pecans in food processor. Sprinkle pecans and cornflake crumbs on a sheet of wax paper. 3.Combine honey and soy sauce. Dip both sides of each chicken breasts into the honey mixture then into pecan mixture to coat. 4. Arrange on baking sheet in a single layer; spray lightly with nonstick spray. and baked until chicken is cooked through about 5 minutes each side.

Ground Lamb Meatballs with Chutney Sauce 9 points

1.5 lbs boneless leg of lamb, ground 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions 3 TBS minced seeded pickled jalapeno peppers 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 large egg 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup mango chutney 1/4 cup tomato paste 3 TBS low-sodium soy sauce 2 TBS pickled jalapeno pepper liquid t tsp finely chopped fresh mint 6 cups hot cooked couscous 1 TBS thinly sliced fresh mint Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Shape into 42 (1 inch) meatballs. Place meatballs in a 3.5-4 quart electric slow cooker. Combine chutney and next 4 ingredients(through chopped mint) in a bowl. Pour over meatballs. Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting; cook 2 hours until done. Serve meatballs and sauce over coucous. Sprinkle with thinly sliced mint. Yield: 6 servings (7 meatballs and 2 1/2 TBS sauce, 1 cup couscous and 1/2 tsp mint)

Crockpot Chicken Lasagna Florentine 7 points

2 (10.5oz) cans condensed reduced-fat cream of chicken 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach (10oz) thawed, drained and squeezed 1 (9oz) package frozen diced cooked chicken 1 (8oz) carton reduced fat sour cream 1 cup 1% milk 1/2 cup (2oz) Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 9 uncooked lasagna noodles Cooking Spray 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella 1. Combine first 10 ingredients in large bowl and stir well. 2. Coat CP with spray and place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles in bottom of cooker. Break noodles in half as necessary to fit. Spread 1/3 spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with 1/3 cup mozzarella. Layer 3 more noodles, half REMAINING spinach mixture, and 1/3 cup mozzarella. Top with remaining noodles and spinach. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 3. Cover with lid; cook on high 1 hour and reduce to low 5 hours or until done. 8 servings (1 cup) 7 points each serving

Country Steak With Gravy - 4 pts

1 1/2 lbs boneless top round steak (1/2" thick) 1 (12oz) jar fat-free savory beef gravy 2 tbls tomato paste 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp dried thyme Cooking spray Trim fat from steak and cut into 6 equal pieces. Combine gravy and next 5 ingrediants in a small bowl, stir well. Layer gravy mixture and steak in crockpot coated with cooking spray. Begin and end with gravy mixture. Cover with lid and cook on high setting for 1 hour then reduce to low setting and cook 6-7 hours or until tender. Makes 6 servings (serving size = 3 oz of steak and 1/3 cup of gravy). Points= 4 per serving

Slow-Cooker Barbecue-Beef Sandwiches 8 pts

Ingredients 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, divided 3/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 (1 1/4-pound) flank steaks 1 cup chopped onion 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste 1 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons molasses 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dry mustard 2 teaspoons prepared mustard 1 teaspoon salt 12 (2 1/2 ounce) sandwich buns with sesame seeds, split Red onion slices (optional) Dill pickle slices (optional) Directions Prep Time: 20 minutes Cut each steak in half crosswise. Combine 1TBS brown sugar and peper. Rub steaks with sugar mixture. Place remaining brown sugar, tomato paste, and next ingredients (everything before buns) in a 4/5 quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Add steaks, turning to coat. Cover with lid; cook on high heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting and cook 7-8 hours or until steak is tender. Remove steak from slow cooker, reserving sauce in cooker. Shred steak with 2 forks. Retur

Saturday Update

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WW meeting today - about having fun while moving - we've had that meeting before - so I kinda tuned out "again". That seems to be happening more often lately - I'm wondering if I need a break from WW. BUT - I'd miss my "backrow" buddies - so I don't think that's happening anytime soon. My head is on right though, and I know what I need to do, and where I need to be to make this change stick this time around - so I'm feeling good about that. Sent mom the Dell linked below - great deal. Need to check out Joann's free shipping club - I end up joining each year - works out well for last minute gifties - or when I need thread or something small and don't want to make a big trip to the store. Join Joann.com's FREE SHIPPING Club Will be posting recipes later - got some good ones out of Cooking Light Slow Cooker Cookbook - which is almost exactly the same as WW Slow Good. Need to make 10 days of menus - so will be typing like a fiend

Checking In -

Chores have been assigned - life is easier. DD #1 has kitchen duty - cooking and cleaning for the month of Feb - it does seem to take longer to get dinner on the table and a bit longer to clean up - but she is getting valuable experience - and it'll pay off in the long run. She made rice/feta/spinach casserole the other day - very good. Posted the recipe. Came from WW 5 Star Recipes. Going to go all out while dh is in China - so going to sit down and make up some healthy menu's for all 3 meals a day. Since I don't have to worry about what time I'm serving dinner - we may be having dinner near 3 pm some days - better for all of us. If it seems to work - dh will have to adapt to our schedule. Off to start school. DD has banana bread in the oven - that'll be lunch. Roast beef sandwiches for breakfast - backwards - but it works. Jerzy

Spinach, Rice and Feta Pie

SPINACH, RICE AND FETA PIE 2 teaspoons butter 3/4 cup chopped onion 2 teaspoons flour 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoons pepper 1 1/2 cup 1% milk 2 cup cooked rice 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2 large egg whites 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained & squeezed dry Cooking spray 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 400. Melt margarine in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion & saute 3 minutes. Stir in flour, salt & pepper. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook one minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cooked rice, crumbled feta, egg, egg whites & spinach. Pour mixture into 9" pie plate coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes or until set. Yield: 6 servings at 4 points each

Another Dell Deal

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Inspiron™ 530s Desktop $368 after $390 instant savings

Mom Needs a New Computer -

Mom called - needs a new computer - perfect for me - I can buy her Christmas gift now, and have no worries next year !!! Dell of course

This and That ...

Whew - what a ride. Finally got my breadmaker - Amazon lowered the price $15 yesterday, so I bought it. Expensive - but I'm sure we'll get our money's worth. Thinking of ordering myself some roses for V-day. I just love my dh - but he's not the type of guy to remember birthdays, anniversaries or V-day. If I ask - he'll buy - but how romantic is that? He's brought home flowers for no reason lots of times - so it's not like he doesn't care - it's just that "special days" don't mean much to him. Found this deal online - May order myself some while he's away. Checked out this new book from the library - how to get your kids to eat their veggies - called deceptively delicious - very interesting reading. Will go out to vote today, and I promised myself to finish these taxes, so no playtime for me today. Dinner tonight is stuffed shells - recipe is posted under the pasta link. Need to watch my weight - for some reason it's jump

Wow - they were expensive -

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Going to try something else - I can't justify spending $30 on 12 cookies - I can make them and ship them for way less than that LOL Let's try this one - Gourmet Food Delivery-Gift Baskets, Meal Packages. Great gift! You can order servings for 1 person! Low Carb, & other Diets Available! Desserts: 20 Chocolate Chip Cookies $7.99 2 Chocolate Lava Cakes $9.99 Holiday Appetizers Bacon Wrapped Sirloin Gorgonzola Skewers 8 pieces $12.79 Morrocan Lamb Skewers 8 pieces $14.99 Brie & Raspberry Stars 12 pieces $14.99

Birthday Baskets

Going to order my mom a birthday basket from this website I'll post later on what I thought of their product and prices Gourmet Cookie Bouquets.com Jerzy