I'm Such a Loser!!!!

So another weigh in has come and gone....and I am down another 1.8lbs for a total of 14.4lbs gone!!! SOOOO close to the 15lb mark, I can taste it..lol

I am also happy to report that last night I put on a size 16 pair of jeans! My old ones were an 18Q!!! WOOT WOOT!!! I'm so excited! I've got 5 weeks until my baby cousin A gets married, and I am planning on being down another 2 sizes before then!!!

Obviously Weight Watchers works! I was told at one of my recent meetings that "If you KINDA do it, it KINDA works. If you REALLY do it, it REALLY works!" Well folks, it REALLY works. I have been very diligent latley in tracking my points, and doing my exercise. I have even bought a new video game for my Wii so that I can "dance" away the pounds..lol. My kids don't like it...well I don't think it's that they don't like it...they just think it's funny to see Mommy dancing around the living room huffing and puffin'. My sister M and I have also decided to start a walking regime. The indoor walking track here in town isopen until 8pm each night. Which means there are no excuses to go walking if it's raining, windy etc...ALSO it's 8 laps to make 1 mile....soooo 40 laps and we've got 5 miles under our belts...it will keep us busy and out of trouble...not to mention skinny!

No new recipes to blog though.....I no longer have my camera to take pictures. :(

I'll have to steal my sisters camera and start blogging the recipes again. There are a few new ones that I would like to share with all of you!

In the mean time, please keep trying the ones that I have already posted.

Happy Cooking!

No I haven't given up!

Yes, yes...I know I haven't written anything in a long time. And really the only excuse I have is, my husband was getting fed up of me trying out new Weight Watcher recipes on him that I had to make a couple of "old stand bys' for awhile. That, and we all came down with that terrible flu that has been going aroud this winter.

In any case; I have managed to lose more weight! I am now down 12.6lbs! There is no weigh in this coming Saturday so I have 2 weeks until I weigh in next, and am aiming for the 15lbs mark when the time comes.

I have joined Curves! Which I LOVE....I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Zumba class that is offered on Tuesday and Thursday Nights. I have also managed to get my Mother to join Weight Watchers with me. So now there are 6 family members that are all doing Weight Watchers! WOW...talk about motivation! Since I brought my Mom to the last meeting, I was given a new cookbook! There are some really nice recipes in there, so this week the shopping is going to be catered to some of these recipes! I can't wait to try them and see the scale move some more!

I promise to begin blogging the recipes again!

Here's to healthy eating!

Happy Cooking!

Kitchen Witch!

Caribbean-Style Pork Tenderloin

I'm all for spicy food. Everyone in my house likes it, even my 2 1/2 yr old! So when I read this recipe I thought it would be a good it.

It was easy too!

Serves 4

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Pinch Cayenne

1 (1lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed

1. Combine orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large zip-close plastic bag; add pork. Squeeze out air and seal bag; turn to coat pork. Refrigerate, turning bag occasionaly, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 450F

3. Lightly spray roasting pan with nonstick spray. Place tenderloin in pan; drizzle marinade over top. Roast 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F and roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of tenderloin registers 160F for medium, 15-18 minuts. Transfer to cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 12 slices.

Per serving (3 slices) 130 grams: 176 Cal, 7g Total Fat, 2 g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 65mg Chol, 342 mg Sod, 5g Total Carb, 2 g Total Sugar, 1g Fib, 23g Prot 27mg Calc.

Happy Cooking!

Ragu Bolognese

Yesterday (February 1st, 2011) was the first day since last Thursday that I have felt like eating or even cooking anything. I probably have blown my weight loss since last week, because of not feeling well I have just been grabbing whatever has been handy to eat. NOT GOOD!

I tried to stay on track all day, and it just didn't work. So I countered it and did a bit of a work out. Tonight though I am going to be going to a Zumba class! I need to spice up my workout routines, and I don't have the money to buy a gym pass at this moment. So for $10 tonight I get to try something new!

Again, it was Tuesday...lol...which meant I could try something new to eat and not have to worry about my husband crinkling his nose up at it. So I made Ragu Bolognese...or Spaghetti.

This dish was not that spectacular. I didn't even really enjoy it. I like my spaghetti sauce to stick to the noodles...this did not. Even when it thickened up a bit, it still didn't stick. It was tasty, don't get me wrong. But I think I will stick to my regular spaghetti routine.

Here is the recipe:

Serves 6

2 tsp olive oil

1/4lb lean ground beef (7% fat or less)

1/2 cup of dry white wine

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/2tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1/2 cup low fat (1%) milk

1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1) Heat oil in large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, breaking it apart with wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring until evaporated. Stir in onion, carrot, celery, oregano, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, sitrring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 12 minutes. Stir in milk and cook, sitrring, until creamy and thickened, about 5 mintues longer.

2)Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions, omitting salt if desired; drain well.

3) Add pasta and Parmesan to skillet and cook, tossing, until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.

Per serving (about 1 cup) 288grams:

298 Cal, 6g Total Fat, 2g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 38mg Chol, 595 mg Sod, 38g Total Carb, 8g Total Sugar, 7g Fib, 20g Prto, 112mg Calc.

PointsPlus value: 7

I know that it looks like a lot of spaghetti in the picutre, but I measured it out....that's 1 cup!

Happy Cooking!

Weigh Watchers Update!

I had another weigh in yesterday (Saturday January 29th)...and..I was down 3.6lbs! For a total of 10.8lbs gone!! YAY ME! Only 89.2lbs left to go!

I only have 2 more pounds to go before I get to my 5%. So as a treat to myself I bought the bigger Weight Watchers Cookbook that you can purchase at Walmart for $21.57.

So keep watching this week. I have 6 new recipes....(well 7..because I didn't do the Coconut Shrimp one last week I am going to do it this week) that I am going to post. 5 dinner ones and 2 lunch ones!

Happy Cooking!

Creamy Fettucini with Asparagus & Mushrooms

Pasta! Who knew that pasta could taste good, and still be good for points on Weight Watchers? My favorite is a BIG bowl of Spaghetti & Meatballs, with a side ceasar salad and garlic bread....TONNES of garlic bread! (can you see the trend that led me to my round fluffy body type?..lol)

It was Tuesday....I loath Tuesdays....*sigh*....Tuesday means that I am home all day and all night alone....I know, I shouldn't complain but seriously sometimes a Stay-At-Home Mom needs a bit of a break; and on Tuesdays I don't get it. During the day I watch 2 other little boys...the youngest just turned 1 and the other one will be 2 in May. So with my 2 kids...yes that equals 4 boys....all aged 5 and under....well...5 1/2, 2 1/2, 1 1/2 and 1.....ya I needed some carbs tonight..lol.

Tuesday also means that my Hubby goes out and either plays darts or he heads over to his Buddy's house to play Final Fantasy on the computer. He usually goes right from work, with about a 10 min stopover to get the laptop from home. (Thus leaving me home all day and all night...because he never comes home before midnight!).

So since Hubby wasn't going to be home, and he absolutley DETESTS Mushrooms...he also won't eat Asparagus or Whole Wheat Pasta. What a perfect night to make myself a dish that has some of my favorite foods in it. Mushrooms & Asparagus!..lol (yea...I think I need to get Hubby to try these foods again, I love to cook them) The kids aren't to excited about Mushrooms or Asparagus either....they wanted KD...and KD was what they got!.. (I wasn't in the mood to make them anything fancy either..lol....it had been a looooonnnnnggg day!)


This recipe was easy! The longest part was chopping the mushrooms and waiting for the noodles to cook! It smelled wonderful and was great as leftovers for lunch this afternoon! I paired it with a gren salad and creamy cucumber dressing! It's definatley going to go on my make again list (but only on a Tuesday...lol).

Here is the recipe:
Level: Basic
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 20 min
Serves: 4

6 oz whole wheat fettuccini or spaghetti
1 bunch of asparagus trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (I just used the frozen asparagus and left them whole...why not...I was the only one eating..lol)
2 tsp Olive Oil
6 shallots thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms sliced
1/4lb shiitake mushrooms, tough stems removed and sliced
1 Tbsp reducde sodium soy-sauce
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fat free half & half
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
3 Tbsp shaved Parmesan (I'm not a big parmsean fan, and since this is just grated ontop after I omitted it)

1) Cook pasta according to package directions; adding asparagus during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain

2)Meanwhile, heat oil in large non stick skiller over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until shallots are softened, 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and soy sauce and cook, stirring occationally, until tender, about 6 minutes.

3)Add flour to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly, and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Add half-and-half and cook until heated through. Add pasta mixture and thyme and toss to coat.

4)Divide pasta among 4 shallow bowls: sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Per serving: 1 1/4 cups
356 Cal, 5g Total Fat, 1g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 3mg Chol, 242mg Sod, 66g Total Carb, 9g Total Sugar, 11g Fib, 17g Prot, 149mg Calc.


PointsPlus per serving: (1 1/4 cups) 9
Happy Cooking!

Roasted Garlic-Beef and Vegetable Stew

So I've weighed in...I was up by .2 of a lb this past week. Time to buckle down and get this scale moving. I have 93 more pounds that need to be shed off before I reach my goal. I have found tonnes of insipration on the Weight Watchers Canada Facebook page. There are women and some men on there that have lost over 100lbs! There is one lady who has lost 143.5lbs! Can you believe it? That's a whole person!!! So inspiring, not only because they are older and are doing this. But because THEY DID IT! If these people can shed the weight this way, so can I!!


I am also super excited to have a Partner in Crime (so to speak) for this journey. I won't mention any names or anything because I am not sure if I can tell anyone else. When I am positive that they will allow me to tell, then I will!!! (sooo excited...lol)

Like I have said before I LOVE COMFORT FOOD! So when I picked up the Weight Watchers Cookbook at my meeting on Saturday and saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I like stews, my Hubby LOVES stew, and the kids...well they can take it or leave, pretty much typical.

This recipe was pretty easy. I loved the way it made the house smell while roasting the Garlic (yes this was my first time roasting garlic). It was really fast too, it didn't take the hours, and hours of simmering the way the stew was done when Grandma used to make it! And the portion size of only 1 3/4 cups of stew was MORE than enough. I had enough points too that I could have a piece of bread with it!

Please try this one! It's delicous!

Here is the recipe:
Level: Basic
Prep: 20 min
Roast/Cook: 55 min
Serves: 4


2 heads of garlic
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1lb beef bottom round steak, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm pieces
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 onions, chopped
12 baby carrots (orange and yellow).....I just used Orange ones...our supermarket didn't have the yellow ones.
2 large parsnips, peeled and diced
1/2 lb small red potatoes, halved
2 cups reduced sodium beed broth ( I also added some water because by the time it had boild for a few minutes, it had reduced quiet a bit)
3 fresh Thyme sprigs or 1/2 tsp dried Thyme
1 cup frozen green peas
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley



1)Preheat oven to 400F. Wrap garlic in foil and roast until soft and fragrant, 50-60 minutes. Let cool. Squeeze out garlic pulp and reserve.

2)Meanwhile, place flour on sheet of wax paper. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper; coat with flour, shaking off excess. Reserve remaining flour.

3) Spray Dutch Oven with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook, sitrring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer beef to plate. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, potatoes, broth and thyme, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

4)Return beef and any accumulated juices to Dutch oven. Stir in garlic pulp. Remove 2 Tbsp cooking liquid to small bowl; add reserved flour and whisk until smooth. Add to Dutch oven and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1 minute. Add pes and simmer 1 minute longer. Stir in parsley



Per serving: (1 & 3/4 cups)565g

443 Cal, 8g Total Fat, 3g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 88mg Chol, 447mg Sodium, 55g Total Carb, 15g Total Sugar, 10g Fib, 38g Prot, 134mg Calc.

PointsPlus Value: 11 points serving.


Enjoy!
Happy Cooking!