Here it is my favorite time of the year....time for pumpkins of course! And of course, the reason I love this time of year is simply because it leads us right into Thanksgiving and Christmas! I have already started dreaming of sugarplums and my crafty heart has already taken over. I have been making ornaments and planning my annual cookie exchange! I am going to share with you today my recipe for my ornaments and the instructions for hosting your own cookie exchange!
But first....news....I am down 64 pounds and hopefully still losing. For the past couple weeks I have been stuck on another plateau, but this morning I finally got the scales to drop 1 pound from last week...so hopefully that plateau is broke! Fingers crossed!
My daughter is just about potty trained. She practically has done it herself though she tends to be a little on the stubborn side and wants to do it on her own time. If she doesn't feel like dealing with it, then she won't. I have learned not to push it. She knows what she is doing. She completely understands what is going on with her body but refuses to do it the way I want her to, so I figure eventually she will do it. I just need to let her make her mind up to do it. It is in times like these, I say she takes after her daddy. Stubborness always comes from the daddy's side doesn't it ladies? :)
Ok, so I told you that my annual cookie exchange is just around the corner. This will be my 7th year and every year it seems to grow and get better. I have learned a lot in the past 6 years I have done it. So here is how it works. You invite approximately 20 friends. Always invite more than you expect to come that way you can get close to a dozen. This year my party may be closer to 15 people. If this happens you just ask them to bring more cookies. Each person gives me 2 unique cookie or candy recipes by a certain date prior to the party. (I type them all into a cookbook with pictures to hand out to the guests so I need enough time to type them and print them.) I ask the guests to pick out Christmas PJ's and crazy Christmas socks to wear to the party. I find that a morning party from about 9 to 12ish works best. The ladies love to come decked out in PJ's and enjoy brunch together.
Each guest brings with them 2 dozen of each recipe. (I always have them prebag 2 of each recipe in baggies so each guest can just go around and pick up baggies of each cookie. This is more santitary and keeps the cookies fresher longer.) They also bring a tray on which to collect their cookies. As guests arrive we arrange all the cookies on a huge table (sometimes 2 or 3 tables) and we mingle till everyone arrives. Guests are given the cookbook of all the cookie recipes. Once everyone arrives we eat brunch and play a few games. I prepare prizes ahead of time for the games (though I always make sure everyone leaves with a prize/present from under my tree). As the party begins to wind down, each guest grabs their tray and begins to go around the tables to collect 2 cookies/candies of each recipe brought to the party. Everyone usually has a full tray of cookies and candy to take home. Oh, and we pick the person wearing the craziest socks to win a prize too!
It is a lot of fun and if you have never done it, I recommend doing one. It is a great time for gals without the hubbies or the kids. We all need that girl time and this is the perfect way to do it!
Now as favors/prizes I have made some super easy salt dough ornaments. Do you remember making salt dough ornaments as a kid? I do. These are so much cuter than the ones we used to make.
You will need:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup warm water
Whole Peppercorns
Clear Spray Enamel
Red food coloring (Optional)
Gingerbread man cookie cutters (or any other design you wish to do)
A straw
Directions:
Mix together the flour, salt, and water with your hands in a bowl till a stiff dough forms. Sprinkle counter or surface with flour and roll out dough. I cut my ornaments about 1/2 inch thick maybe slightly less. Heat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray. Cut gingerbread men out and lay on sprayed pan. Press peppercorns in for eyes and buttons to decorate. (Optional: I saved a little bit of dough, about golf ball size, to tint pink for hearts. Squeeze red food coloring onto the dough and work in by kneading and pressing till dough is colored pink or red. Take a pea size amount of the red dough and roll it till it is a snake shape. Take ends and wrap into the center of the strand to form a heart shape. Work and press your fingers to fill in gaps of the heart to make a solid heart shape. Attach heart by rubbing on a bit of water to the back of the heart and apply to the gingerbread man....pressing slightly). Poke holes for ornament string using a straw. I like to put a hole on each hand of the gingerbread man for evenly weighted hanging. Bake in the 325 degree oven for 50 - 60 minutes. Keep an eye on them after about 40 minutes as thinner ornaments can brown too fast. If they brown, I still keep them because I think it adds a bit of character. After they have cooled you can remove them from the pan and allow to sit out overnight. The next day you can spray them front and back with clear spray to seal and protect them. Attach your ornament sring or wire for hanging.
These little guys turned out so stinking cute. I decided to do 2 big ones with a little one in the middle for our family ornament this year.
Hopefully you have your Christmas thoughts dancing in your heads. Plan a cookie party and make some ornaments.....you will be glad you did!
Have a great one!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Yes, I'm Still Alive!
I know, you are wondering where in the world I have been! Life has happened and has taken me from my beloved pumpkin patch! I ended up having a very busy summer and have now been back in school for almost 3 weeks. I happily am down 58 pounds total and continue to go down each week!
I have already begun thinking about fall! My husband and I put out our fall stuff. No it isn't too early! We tend to do things about a month before everyone else does and Christmas stuff will be going up in about 2 1/2 months so in order to enjoy our fall decor it has to go out now! I love this time of year! I begin thinking about harvesting my pears from the pear tree, visiting pumpkin patches and festivals, and enjoying all those goodies covered with pecans, caramel, pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon! I begin my hunt for the perfect smelling fall plug in to scent my house. I do love this time of year! Seems once school starts back, I am ready for fall.
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on us. I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day. I had just started my 3rd year of teaching. I had walked up to the front office to get my mail when I was told that the World Trade Center Towers had both been hit. My 1st graders were at specials so I walked back to my classroom and watched the television in disbelief. I remember wondering what in the world was happening. I remember being scared and sad. I remember asking, "Do we tell our class what has happened or go about our business and let the parents tell them when the time was right?" With them being only 1st graders, I believe the decision was made not to say anything but to carry on with business as usual. That was very difficult. I wanted to be glued to the television. I remember it being very difficult to turn it off and conduct regular business. I was in disbelief as was everyone else. The 10th anniversary has been made public and when I see the pictures and videos it all still seems like it happened yesterday. It is hard to believe how far America has come since that day. I am STILL proud to be an American and I will never forget that day and how it made me feel, even in my little county in Kentucky.
I have some nice recipes for dishes I have tried since we last talked. I have an awesome dessert recipe I am definately going to share with you today! I made them for my church's 130th homecoming celebration. They are called cake balls and they are sooooo simple and easy to make. I had so many people asking me for the recipe and when I told them the recipe they were shocked. BTW...these are not Weight Watcher friendly so beware! So here goes.....
CAKE BALLS
*1 cooled cake (you can use a cooled cake made from a mix or I just bought a bakery bundt cake from my local grocery store)
*liquid coffee creamer (enough to make a small pool of liquid and depends on how much cake you have)
*chocolate chips (can be any flavor...white, chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, mint, etc..)
Buy a cake, liquid coffee creamer and chocolate chips that go together...for example if you are using a chocolate cake you might use a hazelnut creamer and dark chocolate chips or a peppermint creamer and mint chocolate chips, or a chocolate mocha creamer and white chocolate chips. Be creative. You may want to do a white cake with coconut creamer and white chocolate or a pumpkin cake with a pumpkin spice creamer and white chocolate...or a strawberry, lemon, or orange cake with french vanilla creamer and white chocolate chips.....the possibilities are endless.
Crumble your dry cake with a fork. Use your hands to complete the crumbling process. Using your hands, push the crumbled cake to the sides of the bowl making a small well in the center. Pour enough coffee creamer to make a small puddle. You are just using the creamer as a binding agent so don't get too heavy but need enough that the cake crumbs will bind together. Using your hands mix the creamer and cake crumbs together till you are able to make small balls of cake. If the mix is too dry add more creamer.
Roll the cake into small balls about quarter size and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Place the balls into the freezer for about 30 minutes. Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Pull the cake balls out of the freezer and roll in the chocolate. The cake bals will begin to crumble as they begin to warm so it takes a lot of the chocolate to cover them. Set up on the same cold baking sheet so that they set up quickly. Store in the fridge. Number of balls you make varies on the cake size.
I made lemon cake with white chocolate and a chocolate cake with peanut butter chips. They went over very well....like I said, a lot of people asked me how to make them. I have plans to make a strawberry version of these for my daughter's next birthday since it will be Strawberry Shortcake themed. Have a wonderful weekend and hopefully I won't stay a stranger in the pink pumpkin patch anymore! Ta! Ta!
I have already begun thinking about fall! My husband and I put out our fall stuff. No it isn't too early! We tend to do things about a month before everyone else does and Christmas stuff will be going up in about 2 1/2 months so in order to enjoy our fall decor it has to go out now! I love this time of year! I begin thinking about harvesting my pears from the pear tree, visiting pumpkin patches and festivals, and enjoying all those goodies covered with pecans, caramel, pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon! I begin my hunt for the perfect smelling fall plug in to scent my house. I do love this time of year! Seems once school starts back, I am ready for fall.
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on us. I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day. I had just started my 3rd year of teaching. I had walked up to the front office to get my mail when I was told that the World Trade Center Towers had both been hit. My 1st graders were at specials so I walked back to my classroom and watched the television in disbelief. I remember wondering what in the world was happening. I remember being scared and sad. I remember asking, "Do we tell our class what has happened or go about our business and let the parents tell them when the time was right?" With them being only 1st graders, I believe the decision was made not to say anything but to carry on with business as usual. That was very difficult. I wanted to be glued to the television. I remember it being very difficult to turn it off and conduct regular business. I was in disbelief as was everyone else. The 10th anniversary has been made public and when I see the pictures and videos it all still seems like it happened yesterday. It is hard to believe how far America has come since that day. I am STILL proud to be an American and I will never forget that day and how it made me feel, even in my little county in Kentucky.
I have some nice recipes for dishes I have tried since we last talked. I have an awesome dessert recipe I am definately going to share with you today! I made them for my church's 130th homecoming celebration. They are called cake balls and they are sooooo simple and easy to make. I had so many people asking me for the recipe and when I told them the recipe they were shocked. BTW...these are not Weight Watcher friendly so beware! So here goes.....
CAKE BALLS
*1 cooled cake (you can use a cooled cake made from a mix or I just bought a bakery bundt cake from my local grocery store)
*liquid coffee creamer (enough to make a small pool of liquid and depends on how much cake you have)
*chocolate chips (can be any flavor...white, chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, mint, etc..)
Buy a cake, liquid coffee creamer and chocolate chips that go together...for example if you are using a chocolate cake you might use a hazelnut creamer and dark chocolate chips or a peppermint creamer and mint chocolate chips, or a chocolate mocha creamer and white chocolate chips. Be creative. You may want to do a white cake with coconut creamer and white chocolate or a pumpkin cake with a pumpkin spice creamer and white chocolate...or a strawberry, lemon, or orange cake with french vanilla creamer and white chocolate chips.....the possibilities are endless.
Crumble your dry cake with a fork. Use your hands to complete the crumbling process. Using your hands, push the crumbled cake to the sides of the bowl making a small well in the center. Pour enough coffee creamer to make a small puddle. You are just using the creamer as a binding agent so don't get too heavy but need enough that the cake crumbs will bind together. Using your hands mix the creamer and cake crumbs together till you are able to make small balls of cake. If the mix is too dry add more creamer.
Roll the cake into small balls about quarter size and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Place the balls into the freezer for about 30 minutes. Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Pull the cake balls out of the freezer and roll in the chocolate. The cake bals will begin to crumble as they begin to warm so it takes a lot of the chocolate to cover them. Set up on the same cold baking sheet so that they set up quickly. Store in the fridge. Number of balls you make varies on the cake size.
I made lemon cake with white chocolate and a chocolate cake with peanut butter chips. They went over very well....like I said, a lot of people asked me how to make them. I have plans to make a strawberry version of these for my daughter's next birthday since it will be Strawberry Shortcake themed. Have a wonderful weekend and hopefully I won't stay a stranger in the pink pumpkin patch anymore! Ta! Ta!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Been a While!
I know, I know been a while since we talked. I have been soooo busy! Glad to say I have consistently been down on the scales each week since we talked last. July 1 was the deadline for meeting my goal. Did I make it you ask? I did not, but was very close. Actually I ended up losing 44.2 pounds which was 5.8 short of my goal. Which is very close so I am pleased with my accomplishment. I have set my new goal too. By Christmas I plan to lose 37 more. That would put my total at 81 pounds off. I am asking myself to lose less in the same amount of time that I had to lose the 44 pounds so I should be able to reach this goal easily. We hope!
I have been very busy. Potty training is a pain in the butt and I hate it. I am one of those people that doesn't like to do something that takes a lot of time. I tend to be one of those instant gratification people. Which is why diets never really worked well for me before. Anyway, Emma has good days and bad. Seems like we have a really good day, and then the next two days are horrible. Like 1 step forward, 3 steps back. Frustrating, but Emma is very intelligent and head strong so eventually she will get it. I have decided to wait until Christmas to break her of her binky/pacifier. With all this potty training, I want her to still be able to find her baby comfort somewhere. I have already taken her baby bed and baby diapers away. I don't want to throw her into big girlhood too quickly.
Okay, so above I told you I lost 44.2 pounds total. I was yet again stuck on that plateau fluctuating with 1 pound or less losses for several weeks in a row. But happily, last week I tried something different that broke it big time! I started drinking hot green tea. No sweetner, no cream just hot green tea. Not just one cup, but three cups. Every day I would drink my 1 cup of coffee with cream and sweetner, then I would heat up 3 cups of water and allow 3 bags of green tea to brew while I drank my coffee. Afterwards, I would pour the tea into my 32 oz. thermos. I drank on that up till noon. After that was gone, I would finish off the day with 5 cups of regular good ol' fashioned water. Last week when I stepped on the scales I had lost 3 1/2 pounds. Already this week I have lost 2 pounds and I have 1 more day to go till weigh in. I will most certainly lose more if I continue on this downward spiral. I am losing a little each day. So what they say about green tea is true! I continue to stock up with green tea in my pantry.
I am going to share one of my favorite recipes with you. I made this last night. My daughter loves this and it is easy to make and freezes well. We eat it with garlic texas toast.
Pasta Crab Casserole
Makes 8 servings at 9 points plus each
You need:
*8 oz. uncooked spiral pasta
*1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
*2 8oz. packages of lump imitation crab meat (flaked works best)
*1/2 cup fat free sour cream
*2 tsp. salt
*1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
*1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta. In a skillet over medium heat, mix the crab, sour cream, salt, margarine, and Italian Seasoning together. I also add a dash of garlic powder. Then add to the pasta and mix well. Transfer to a 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes! We eat this with a piece of garlic texas toast which comes out to be 4 more points plus points.
The sweetness of the crab mixes with the savory flavors of the sour cream and garlic to create a dish a lot like scampi or fettucini. It is soooo good. Enjoy!
Have a great week y'all!
I have been very busy. Potty training is a pain in the butt and I hate it. I am one of those people that doesn't like to do something that takes a lot of time. I tend to be one of those instant gratification people. Which is why diets never really worked well for me before. Anyway, Emma has good days and bad. Seems like we have a really good day, and then the next two days are horrible. Like 1 step forward, 3 steps back. Frustrating, but Emma is very intelligent and head strong so eventually she will get it. I have decided to wait until Christmas to break her of her binky/pacifier. With all this potty training, I want her to still be able to find her baby comfort somewhere. I have already taken her baby bed and baby diapers away. I don't want to throw her into big girlhood too quickly.
Okay, so above I told you I lost 44.2 pounds total. I was yet again stuck on that plateau fluctuating with 1 pound or less losses for several weeks in a row. But happily, last week I tried something different that broke it big time! I started drinking hot green tea. No sweetner, no cream just hot green tea. Not just one cup, but three cups. Every day I would drink my 1 cup of coffee with cream and sweetner, then I would heat up 3 cups of water and allow 3 bags of green tea to brew while I drank my coffee. Afterwards, I would pour the tea into my 32 oz. thermos. I drank on that up till noon. After that was gone, I would finish off the day with 5 cups of regular good ol' fashioned water. Last week when I stepped on the scales I had lost 3 1/2 pounds. Already this week I have lost 2 pounds and I have 1 more day to go till weigh in. I will most certainly lose more if I continue on this downward spiral. I am losing a little each day. So what they say about green tea is true! I continue to stock up with green tea in my pantry.
I am going to share one of my favorite recipes with you. I made this last night. My daughter loves this and it is easy to make and freezes well. We eat it with garlic texas toast.
Pasta Crab Casserole
Makes 8 servings at 9 points plus each
You need:
*8 oz. uncooked spiral pasta
*1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
*2 8oz. packages of lump imitation crab meat (flaked works best)
*1/2 cup fat free sour cream
*2 tsp. salt
*1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
*1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta. In a skillet over medium heat, mix the crab, sour cream, salt, margarine, and Italian Seasoning together. I also add a dash of garlic powder. Then add to the pasta and mix well. Transfer to a 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes! We eat this with a piece of garlic texas toast which comes out to be 4 more points plus points.
The sweetness of the crab mixes with the savory flavors of the sour cream and garlic to create a dish a lot like scampi or fettucini. It is soooo good. Enjoy!
Have a great week y'all!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Still On the Down Side!
I weighed this morning and lost another 1.6 pounds. I didn't report in last week. Last week I lost 1/2 pound also. So this puts my total right at 40 pounds off! I am still excited about the plan though I do get disappointed when the pounds don't come off as quick as I'd like. However; I am happy with any number as long as it is less than the number I had the previous week! So I am "Still On the Down Side"!
This summer break has been extremely busy already and it is flying by. I have been setting up photography sessions and I truly enjoy the art of photography. I had several things on my list to do with my daughter, Emma this summer. My list included, transfer from a baby bed to a toddler bed, potty train, wean from that just before bedtime bottle (I know, she's two!), and maybe wean from her binky. I have already accomplished her transferring to a toddler bed. That one was easy. We are currently potty training. Today makes day three. When someone asks me what I did over summer break I am going to say, "Well, I spent it cleaning up trails of pee and watching my daughter's every move. I spent it saying, "Gotta go potty?" I know this is an uphill battle for anyone who has ever potty trained a toddler. She is very smart, and I have no doubt that she will get it......I worry more about my patience running thin. I pray that the Lord gives me the right tasks, words, and patience with Emma to make this a success. After we accomplish this, I plan to wean her from the bedtime bottle. That, I think will be easy. I just have to add something to the bottle to make it not as tasty. I probably won't get to the binky till Christmas as I want to gradually transition her and let her body have time to adjust to each thing I do. It is a big step of independence for her.
Sometimes on the Weight Watcher's Website Message Boards you will find a thread that is titled "Daily Tried and Untried". It is a thread that lists people's recipes. They list one they have tried and one they have not tried. That is what I am going to do here today. I am going to give you 1 tried recipe for "BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza" and one untried that came from the Weight Watcher's Website for "Chocolate Chip Cheesecake". I am a HUGE fan of cheesecake so this one is on my list of recipes I will DEFINATELY be trying soon!
First, the Tried:
BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza
1/8 pizza is 8 points plus points
1/6 pizza is 10 points plus points
You need:
*1 pillsbury thin pizza crust
*2 cups low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese
*6 Tablespoons of BBQ sauce
*1 package real bacon pieces (in salad aisle)
*1 package of Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Strips (in deli/meat section not frozen)
*Red onion (to your liking)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pizza dough onto a Pam sprayed cookie sheet. Poke the dough with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Bake for 5 minutes. Take out of the oven, spread BBQ sauce over the dough. Layer evenly with the cheese, chicken, onion and bacon pieces. Place back into the oven and bake for 9 minutes. Slice into either 6 or 8 pieces depending on how many points you want to spend.
And now.....the Untried:
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Makes 12 servings at 6 points each.
You need:
*10 cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as oreo or generic)
*8 Tblsp. Fat Free cream cheese
*8 oz. Low Fat cream cheese (in the tub)
*1 Cup sugar
*2 Tblsp. all purpose flour
*1 Cup Fat Free cottage cheese
*2 tsp. almond extract
*6 large egg whites
*3/4 Cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray. Crush the cookies and evenly sprinkle cookie crumbs over the bottom of the pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheeses on lowest speed until blended. In a small bowl, combine sugar and flour. Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Puree cottage cheese until smooth, using a blender or food processor. Add the cottage cheese and almond extract to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Add egg whites and beat until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into the springform pan. Top with the remaining chocolate chips and bake until cheesecake puffs and center is almost set....about 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Run a knife around the sides and then release the sides of the springform pan. Cover and chill overnight. Cut into 12 slices and serve.
Well, that's all for this week! Enjoy this week! Hope there is less of me to report next week! Have a good one!
This summer break has been extremely busy already and it is flying by. I have been setting up photography sessions and I truly enjoy the art of photography. I had several things on my list to do with my daughter, Emma this summer. My list included, transfer from a baby bed to a toddler bed, potty train, wean from that just before bedtime bottle (I know, she's two!), and maybe wean from her binky. I have already accomplished her transferring to a toddler bed. That one was easy. We are currently potty training. Today makes day three. When someone asks me what I did over summer break I am going to say, "Well, I spent it cleaning up trails of pee and watching my daughter's every move. I spent it saying, "Gotta go potty?" I know this is an uphill battle for anyone who has ever potty trained a toddler. She is very smart, and I have no doubt that she will get it......I worry more about my patience running thin. I pray that the Lord gives me the right tasks, words, and patience with Emma to make this a success. After we accomplish this, I plan to wean her from the bedtime bottle. That, I think will be easy. I just have to add something to the bottle to make it not as tasty. I probably won't get to the binky till Christmas as I want to gradually transition her and let her body have time to adjust to each thing I do. It is a big step of independence for her.
Sometimes on the Weight Watcher's Website Message Boards you will find a thread that is titled "Daily Tried and Untried". It is a thread that lists people's recipes. They list one they have tried and one they have not tried. That is what I am going to do here today. I am going to give you 1 tried recipe for "BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza" and one untried that came from the Weight Watcher's Website for "Chocolate Chip Cheesecake". I am a HUGE fan of cheesecake so this one is on my list of recipes I will DEFINATELY be trying soon!
First, the Tried:
BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza
1/8 pizza is 8 points plus points
1/6 pizza is 10 points plus points
You need:
*1 pillsbury thin pizza crust
*2 cups low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese
*6 Tablespoons of BBQ sauce
*1 package real bacon pieces (in salad aisle)
*1 package of Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Strips (in deli/meat section not frozen)
*Red onion (to your liking)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pizza dough onto a Pam sprayed cookie sheet. Poke the dough with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Bake for 5 minutes. Take out of the oven, spread BBQ sauce over the dough. Layer evenly with the cheese, chicken, onion and bacon pieces. Place back into the oven and bake for 9 minutes. Slice into either 6 or 8 pieces depending on how many points you want to spend.
And now.....the Untried:
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Makes 12 servings at 6 points each.
You need:
*10 cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as oreo or generic)
*8 Tblsp. Fat Free cream cheese
*8 oz. Low Fat cream cheese (in the tub)
*1 Cup sugar
*2 Tblsp. all purpose flour
*1 Cup Fat Free cottage cheese
*2 tsp. almond extract
*6 large egg whites
*3/4 Cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray. Crush the cookies and evenly sprinkle cookie crumbs over the bottom of the pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheeses on lowest speed until blended. In a small bowl, combine sugar and flour. Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Puree cottage cheese until smooth, using a blender or food processor. Add the cottage cheese and almond extract to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Add egg whites and beat until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into the springform pan. Top with the remaining chocolate chips and bake until cheesecake puffs and center is almost set....about 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Run a knife around the sides and then release the sides of the springform pan. Cover and chill overnight. Cut into 12 slices and serve.
Well, that's all for this week! Enjoy this week! Hope there is less of me to report next week! Have a good one!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Woo Hoo! Summer Break is Here!
I have so much to celebrate this week! I lost another 2.2 pounds last week which put me up to the total of 38. I only have 12 more to reach my short term goal of 50 off. I don't think I will make it there by July but I will get fairly close. Someone asked me the other day what my long term goal is. Well, I would like to lose an additional 75 pounds after I reach my short term goal. I don't like thinking of that though because it seems so unreachable. I think I will keep my mind set on short term goals.
I am also celebrating my summer break! Woo! Hoo! It is finally here! I admit it will be a little more difficult staying out of the kitchen on this break and sticking to my plan, but it will be easier to exercise on a regular basis. So I am looking forward to that!
Sadly, my first week off, I am struggling. This is the first week that I have been put in several tricky situations that challenged my plan. This is the first time since January that I have ever used all my weekly extra points and my activity points. I realized that EXERCISE is CRITICAL this week if I want to lose! I had my "free" day on Friday and enjoyed lunch with a friend. We went to Cheddar's and I had a hamburger. Sunday we had our church picnic and of course I can't turn down good old fashion country cookin' from the ladies in our church. Tomorrow, I go with my friend to get a massage and we are eating out. Tomorrow, though, we are planning on eating the buffet and I think I can work my way around the buffet and stay in points. I know how to do it, and have a plan....but question is....how strong will my will power be when I get there?
We will see.
I know myself pretty well to know that I will see those desserts on the dessert buffet and will probably be overcome with desire. So yes, EXERCISE this week is CRITICAL! If I come out tomorrow without falling off the bandwagon I will be so proud of myself.
I have once again, picked up my geneology project this summer. It is so addicting! It is so hard to stop because every clue leads you to another one, and another one, and another. It is like a good book, you can't put down.
Today for lunch I created a very unique salad. I will share it with you.
BBQ Chicken Salad
11 points - 1 serving
*2 cups lettuce chopped
*1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
*4 ounces chicken breast
*1/4 cup chopped tomato
*2 Tablespoons croutons
*2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
Place all ingredients in a bowl that has a lid. Shake till well coated with the BBQ sauce. You can switch out the croutons for a few crushed fritos if desired. You can also add corn, just remember to add points.
This was a very filling and flavorful salad. I know it sounds odd to use BBQ sauce as a dressing but it worked well with the tomato.
Have a great week! Hope I lose this week....fingers crossed!
I am also celebrating my summer break! Woo! Hoo! It is finally here! I admit it will be a little more difficult staying out of the kitchen on this break and sticking to my plan, but it will be easier to exercise on a regular basis. So I am looking forward to that!
Sadly, my first week off, I am struggling. This is the first week that I have been put in several tricky situations that challenged my plan. This is the first time since January that I have ever used all my weekly extra points and my activity points. I realized that EXERCISE is CRITICAL this week if I want to lose! I had my "free" day on Friday and enjoyed lunch with a friend. We went to Cheddar's and I had a hamburger. Sunday we had our church picnic and of course I can't turn down good old fashion country cookin' from the ladies in our church. Tomorrow, I go with my friend to get a massage and we are eating out. Tomorrow, though, we are planning on eating the buffet and I think I can work my way around the buffet and stay in points. I know how to do it, and have a plan....but question is....how strong will my will power be when I get there?
We will see.
I know myself pretty well to know that I will see those desserts on the dessert buffet and will probably be overcome with desire. So yes, EXERCISE this week is CRITICAL! If I come out tomorrow without falling off the bandwagon I will be so proud of myself.
I have once again, picked up my geneology project this summer. It is so addicting! It is so hard to stop because every clue leads you to another one, and another one, and another. It is like a good book, you can't put down.
Today for lunch I created a very unique salad. I will share it with you.
BBQ Chicken Salad
11 points - 1 serving
*2 cups lettuce chopped
*1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
*4 ounces chicken breast
*1/4 cup chopped tomato
*2 Tablespoons croutons
*2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
Place all ingredients in a bowl that has a lid. Shake till well coated with the BBQ sauce. You can switch out the croutons for a few crushed fritos if desired. You can also add corn, just remember to add points.
This was a very filling and flavorful salad. I know it sounds odd to use BBQ sauce as a dressing but it worked well with the tomato.
Have a great week! Hope I lose this week....fingers crossed!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Happy Memorial Day!
Weight Report: Down another 1.3 pounds. I am now down 36 pounds total.
It's the kick-off to summer, the day to celebrate loved ones and heroes, the day to spend with family and friends! Tonight, my husband and I ate what I call "True Summer" for dinner. We had all-American Bacon Tomato Sandwiches! I know, I can hear you now...., "BACON??? I thought she was on a diet!" Well, I am! Oscar Meyer Prepared and Ready bacon has 2 points for 3 slices. I fixed 6 slices for 4 points. I put it on my Pepperidge Farms Deli Thin Bread (100 calories) for 3 points and added my free tomato and my free 1/2 tablespoon fat free mayo. MMMMMMM! Summer! I added 1/2 cup mustard potato salad for 4 points and enjoyed my 11 point meal!
Sadly, my extended family will not be celebrating Memorial Day with us. Our school just had graduation and there are a lot of graduation parties to attend, so hubby, Emma, and I are going to hang out at home alone. We are grilling tomorrow night though. I have been DYING to break out the grill and fix BBQ chicken! Our little menu tomorrow night will be grilled BBQ chicken, mustard potato salad and baked beans. I am looking forward to smelling that grill cooking chicken, sipping on homemade lemonade, and playing around with Emma in my bare feet!
Things are winding down with work. I have 3 days of professional development this week and I can honestly say, I AM DONE! I am so ready to be functioning on my own time without a care or schedule to follow! Pray I get through the next week quickly!
In honor of Memorial Day, I am sharing a Red, White and Blue Cake recipe!
RED WHITE AND BLUE CAKE
You need:
*1 Sugar Free Angel Food Cake (store bought)
*2 cups Sugar Free Vanilla pudding made with Skim Milk
*8 oz. tub of fat free cool whip
*16 strawberries sliced
*1 container of blueberries
*1 small can crushed pineapple in its own juice (drained)
Directions:
1.) Slice the angel food cake lengthwise through the center to make 2 layers of cake.
2.) Mix the pudding with the skim milk and allow to firm in the refrigerator.
3.) Mix the pudding with the cool whip till well blended.
4.) Add the strawberry slices and blueberries to the pudding mixture. Stir mixing well.
5.) Add the drained can of crushed pineapple and mix well.
6.) Divide the pudding mixture in half.
7.) Put 1/2 the pudding mixture on the bottom layer of angel food cake. Top the pudding mixture with the other layer of angel food cake. (Making what looks like a stacked cake)
8.) Top the cake off with the remaining pudding mixture.
Makes 16 servings at 4 points each!
Well, that's it for me! I am hoping this week brings me another good weight loss! I walked today for 60 minutes. It is amazing how the further in your walk you go, the more energy you have to keep going a little more. Wish me luck! Have a great week! Stay safe!
It's the kick-off to summer, the day to celebrate loved ones and heroes, the day to spend with family and friends! Tonight, my husband and I ate what I call "True Summer" for dinner. We had all-American Bacon Tomato Sandwiches! I know, I can hear you now...., "BACON??? I thought she was on a diet!" Well, I am! Oscar Meyer Prepared and Ready bacon has 2 points for 3 slices. I fixed 6 slices for 4 points. I put it on my Pepperidge Farms Deli Thin Bread (100 calories) for 3 points and added my free tomato and my free 1/2 tablespoon fat free mayo. MMMMMMM! Summer! I added 1/2 cup mustard potato salad for 4 points and enjoyed my 11 point meal!
Sadly, my extended family will not be celebrating Memorial Day with us. Our school just had graduation and there are a lot of graduation parties to attend, so hubby, Emma, and I are going to hang out at home alone. We are grilling tomorrow night though. I have been DYING to break out the grill and fix BBQ chicken! Our little menu tomorrow night will be grilled BBQ chicken, mustard potato salad and baked beans. I am looking forward to smelling that grill cooking chicken, sipping on homemade lemonade, and playing around with Emma in my bare feet!
Things are winding down with work. I have 3 days of professional development this week and I can honestly say, I AM DONE! I am so ready to be functioning on my own time without a care or schedule to follow! Pray I get through the next week quickly!
In honor of Memorial Day, I am sharing a Red, White and Blue Cake recipe!
RED WHITE AND BLUE CAKE
You need:
*1 Sugar Free Angel Food Cake (store bought)
*2 cups Sugar Free Vanilla pudding made with Skim Milk
*8 oz. tub of fat free cool whip
*16 strawberries sliced
*1 container of blueberries
*1 small can crushed pineapple in its own juice (drained)
Directions:
1.) Slice the angel food cake lengthwise through the center to make 2 layers of cake.
2.) Mix the pudding with the skim milk and allow to firm in the refrigerator.
3.) Mix the pudding with the cool whip till well blended.
4.) Add the strawberry slices and blueberries to the pudding mixture. Stir mixing well.
5.) Add the drained can of crushed pineapple and mix well.
6.) Divide the pudding mixture in half.
7.) Put 1/2 the pudding mixture on the bottom layer of angel food cake. Top the pudding mixture with the other layer of angel food cake. (Making what looks like a stacked cake)
8.) Top the cake off with the remaining pudding mixture.
Makes 16 servings at 4 points each!
Well, that's it for me! I am hoping this week brings me another good weight loss! I walked today for 60 minutes. It is amazing how the further in your walk you go, the more energy you have to keep going a little more. Wish me luck! Have a great week! Stay safe!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Great Week!
I am getting that fever for summer break! It is so close, I can smell it! Only 4 more days of school with the kids! Then only 3 more work days after that and I am done! The days of sleeping in and enjoying myself doing whatever I feel like doing are just around the corner!
This has been a very busy but exciting week for me. I lost another 1.4 pounds. I am right at 35 off and getting closer and closer to my goal. I am very proud of myself today. This morning I was telling my husband how difficult it was going to be for me this week. I have a birthday party to go to tonight, the 1st grade grillout/picnic on Tuesday, a friend's retirement party on Wednesday, and the staff annual grill-out on Friday.
In the midst of this discussion, I heard the old shoulder friends whispering in my ears! Good Conscience was saying, "Well, you have enough points for tonight, you can take your own turkey sausages to grill on Tuesday, you can just visit on Wednesday, and Friday is your cheat day...you can do this." While on the other shoulder, sat Mr. Bad Conscience saying, "It will be so hard, you should just take this week off and enjoy yourself!" I made the decision to go with Good Conscience. I was going to the grocery and could get stuff for the picnic and knew I could take care of the other things with good old will-power.
Then, Bad Conscience decided he would test me again. I have a regular routine, on Saturday mornings as I go to the grocery, I go through McDonald's and order just an egg mcmuffin to eat. This morning though, while I sat in line, Bad Conscience was telling me I wanted a caramel frappe or a hashbrown. I kept telling myself, "No, you don't want to do that." Then you won't believe what happened next. He actually began to get to me.....it was like a movie being played in slow motion. The lady at the drive-thru said, "Can I take your order?" I said, "I would like an egg mcmuffin and".........(I hesitated).........(and again hesitated some more).......and slowly said, "....and thaaaaaaat's alllllllll." It was as if Bad Conscience had ahold of my mouth trying to get me to say, "and a hashbrown please." But I didn't. I was so proud of myself for tackling that demon! It helped me to see how making good choices has become a habit for me. Bad Conscience disappeared and I haven't heard from him anymore today.
This week my book came out. I am excited to introduce you to my book!
You can view it at http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=96446
Please check it out and let me know what you think!
Have a wonderful week everyone! Hoping there is less of me to report to you next week!
This has been a very busy but exciting week for me. I lost another 1.4 pounds. I am right at 35 off and getting closer and closer to my goal. I am very proud of myself today. This morning I was telling my husband how difficult it was going to be for me this week. I have a birthday party to go to tonight, the 1st grade grillout/picnic on Tuesday, a friend's retirement party on Wednesday, and the staff annual grill-out on Friday.
In the midst of this discussion, I heard the old shoulder friends whispering in my ears! Good Conscience was saying, "Well, you have enough points for tonight, you can take your own turkey sausages to grill on Tuesday, you can just visit on Wednesday, and Friday is your cheat day...you can do this." While on the other shoulder, sat Mr. Bad Conscience saying, "It will be so hard, you should just take this week off and enjoy yourself!" I made the decision to go with Good Conscience. I was going to the grocery and could get stuff for the picnic and knew I could take care of the other things with good old will-power.
Then, Bad Conscience decided he would test me again. I have a regular routine, on Saturday mornings as I go to the grocery, I go through McDonald's and order just an egg mcmuffin to eat. This morning though, while I sat in line, Bad Conscience was telling me I wanted a caramel frappe or a hashbrown. I kept telling myself, "No, you don't want to do that." Then you won't believe what happened next. He actually began to get to me.....it was like a movie being played in slow motion. The lady at the drive-thru said, "Can I take your order?" I said, "I would like an egg mcmuffin and".........(I hesitated).........(and again hesitated some more).......and slowly said, "....and thaaaaaaat's alllllllll." It was as if Bad Conscience had ahold of my mouth trying to get me to say, "and a hashbrown please." But I didn't. I was so proud of myself for tackling that demon! It helped me to see how making good choices has become a habit for me. Bad Conscience disappeared and I haven't heard from him anymore today.
This week my book came out. I am excited to introduce you to my book!
Please check it out and let me know what you think!
Have a wonderful week everyone! Hoping there is less of me to report to you next week!
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