When Dinner is Just Salad…

Posted on February 3, 2012 by jacqui722

Mark and Lacey are working late tonight so it’s just me and the cat home for dinner tonight. I decided to make a nice, filling low-point salad for dinner, but not just any salad- one that’s interesting so I don’t get bored with my diet. Weight Watchers is a wonderful eating plan, and now that the “honeymoon” of starting a successful diet and losing 10 or so pounds is finished, it’s time to start stepping up my game.

Tonight’s dinner is based on a recipe in the cookbook “My French Kitchen” written  by Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat).

White Bean and Tomato Salad

This makes one filling and healthy serving, 9 Weight Watchers Points Plus

Start with 1 medium potato, 1 beautiful red tomato, a small shallot or other mild onion, 1 lemon (mine is a Myer Lemon which is in season here in Florida), a couple of chopped slices of a hot pepper (either Jalapeno or Chile), 1/2 cup of white Cannelli beans rinsed & drained, a bunch of parsley, Olive Oil, salt & Pepper.

Cut the potato in half and leave the skin on. Bring salted water to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and let potato cook for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile…

Add 3 teaspoons of Olive oil to a bowl, add chopped shallot and sliced peppers, then squeeze in the juice of 1 small lemon.

Add some sea salt and ground pepper and mix well with a small whisk.

Add the chopped parsley and a little lemon zest, stir it all up then just let it sit and marinate for a while.

meanwhile take out your boiled potato and cut into soft wedges.  At this point, you can either drop the tomato into the boiling potato water then peel, chop and seed it, or just chop it up, seeds and all.  I opted to take the easy way and just chopped up the tomato.

Toss together the tomato, beans and potato. I also added some left over quartered artichokes I needed to use up.

Pour over the "dressing" (shallot, olive oil, parsley, pepper, lemon mixture) and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Yup, just me and my ipad...and my delicious, filling 9 point dinner salad. The jalapeno gives it just a bit of a kick and the flavors go together in a wonderful way. Bon appetit!

Tomorrow morning’s my weigh in…wish me luck!

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Up, Up & Away! The Fifth Dimension

Posted on February 2, 2012 by jacqui722

There was lots of excitement at the clubhouse about last Sunday’s show. We welcomed none other than the fabulous duo from The Fifth Dimension– Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. Married and starring in their own  roadshow, you just know they were wonderful. I remember The Fifth Dimension as a little girl in the 60’s listening to my parents radio to their hits – who can forget Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, Up, Up & Away to name a few!  They were really lovely people as well.  Such fun to sing along with too.

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr

It’s been kind of a crazy non-stop kind of week- no time for cooking or arts & crafts.  I’m hoping to catch up on my homemaking this weekend. Still on the diet too, and doing well.   I’m going to my sister’s for a Super Bowl party, so some cooking is in order.  Still planning it all, but Mom did manage to find a great deal on raw oysters at Joseph’s Italian Market.  We love oysters.  The best we ever had was when we were visiting my cousin Diana on Martha’s Vineyard, and she took a trip to the fishing village of Menemsha (famous for the movie Jaws) and bought a huge bag of clams and oysters.  The clams on the half shell were great, but ohhhhhh the OYSTERS…we still talk about how wonderful they were to this day.  So, we are basically attempting to catch a little of that past magic this weekend.

I’m ready for February- we’re just about half way through “season” here in Florida.  The weather is beautiful!  But the masses are everywhere.  So, it’s a toss up really.  Either it’s hot as hell with no one crowding the streets and restaurants, or it’s beautiful weather and I’m working 95 hour weeks!  Anyway, I’m grateful for the little things…weekend cooking, singing in church choir and spending free time with my family.  That’s my life.

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Presenting: Amazing (pasta free) Veggie Lasagna

Posted on January 25, 2012 by jacqui722

I love to watch Dr.Oz. Last week he had the spokesperson for Weight Watchers on, the beautiful and insanely talented Jennifer Hudson. She was talking about how she changed her eating habits, the usual weight loss jazz. Then Dr. Oz led her to a table laden with all kinds of her “better food choices”. As they went down the line of food, they stopped at a tray of lasagna. This definitely caught my attention, as I am an Italian who loves her lasagna. It looked wonderful, but the best thing about it was that a nice big square was (get this) only 5 points!  This is A bit of work, but worth it- trust me:)

Here we go...

Gather your ingredients. It helps to have a mandoline, but if not you can slice the veggies into thin rounds.

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees in preparation for roasting the veggies. Take a medium sized eggplant and slice thinly. Lay it out on a baking sheet and coat with Pam.

Do the same thing with the zucchini. Pop into the oven and roast for 8 minutes or so. Turn the veggies over, spray with Pam and roast for another 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, add a container of part skim ricotta to a bowl.

Add 1 egg and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Mix well, set aside.

OK, now we're ready for the assembly. Lower your oven to 350.

Start by coating the bottom and sides of your lasagna pan with Pam.

Add a thin layer of marinara sauce (canned is fine- I use Hunt's) to the bottom.

The next layer is the eggplant. Use it all, overlapping if necessary.

Add another thin layer of sauce.

Add 1/2 the ricotta mixture and sprinkle 1/8 of a cup of Parmesan and 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella on top covering evenly. And yes, I did take the extra liberty of adding a handful of mushrooms just to make things interesting.

Repeat the layering, this time starting with the zucchini, then the sauce, ricotta mixture, Parmesan and ending with the mozzarella.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until bottom is bubbly.  Take it out and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.  Recipe makes 12 5-points plus servings.

Best 5 points plus EVER. Enjoy!

Here’s the link to the “official Recipe” from Dr. Oz.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/weight-watchers-no-noodle-vegetable-lasagna

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Fennel Mushroom Salad…Try it you’ll like it!

Posted on January 24, 2012 by jacqui722

Ok, so I get bored with the same old same old. Here’s a tasty little low point salad that’s delicious and flavorful.

Slice a fennel, cutting away the core. Thinly slice a couple of mushrooms. Chop up 1/8 of a cup of Italian flat leaf parsley. Combine in a bowl. Toss with the juice of a small lemon and 3 teaspoons of Olive Oil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, a grind of the pepper mill and a good shake of paprika. Mix, taste & adjust seasonings.

This healthy salad will only cost you the price of the 3 teaspoons of Olive Oil- 3 points.  TOTALLY worth it!  Be daring…try it!

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Low Point Cucumber and Yogurt Soup – Fired or Iced

Posted on January 22, 2012 by jacqui722

I know, sounds kinda weird, making a cucumber soup in the dead of winter, but hey! I live in Florida and right now it’s about 72 degrees, so this is a good dish for my Weight Watchers tracker.  This soup is great hot or cold…but I think it’s best cold…or hot you choose!

Gather your ingredients:  2 cucumbers, peeled and diced, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 small shallot, 2  cloves of garlic, 3 cups of chicken broth, 1 oz of white wine (whatever you’re drinking) and 1 1/2 cups of plain non-fat yogurt.

Add 1 teaspoon of Olive oil to your soup pot and heat.

Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic and one small shallot

Saute gently in the olive oil until transluscent

Add the diced cucumbers

Here's my secret weapon. The most wonderful, flavorful chicken stock, recipe from my friend Susan Branch. You can find this recipe in her "Autumn" Cookbook.

Here’s the link to Susan Branch http://www.susanbranch.com/

Saute cucumbers until nice and soft, add 1 oz of white wine. Raise heat, let mixture cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock.

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes

Get your yogurt ready. Let the mixture cool a little before adding the yogurt

Add your one and 1/2 cups of plain, non-fat yogurt

Get out your immersion blender

Let 'er rip until all the cucumber, garlic & shallots are pulverized.

add salt to taste plus a big pinch of dill

Now, either have a bowl hot….or chill for future consumption in the fridge.

For me, it's all about bringing it to work so I can stay on my Weight Watchers plan.

So, to sum it all up:  Dice a small shallot & 2 Cloves of garlic.  Saute in 1 tsp of Olive Oil until translucent.  Add an ounce of white wine to deglaze the pot.  Add peeled & chopped cucumbers, 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Let it cool a bit and add 1 and 1/2 cups of non-fat plain yogurt.  Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.  Enjoy hot or refrigerate for a cold soup.  Makes 4 servings, 2 Weight Watchers Points-plus each.

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Can I Get a Drum Roll Please?

Posted on January 21, 2012 by jacqui722

Saturday and it’s my “weigh-in” day. I’m following Weight watchers online, so my weigh in takes place in my own bathroom early on Saturday mornings. Today is a wonderful day…the birds are singing, beautiful Florida morning around 69 degrees. But it’s especially wonderful because this morning when I stepped on the scale…….this is the drum roll part…….I was down 2.7 lbs, making it a total of 9.7 lbs since I started on January 3rd. This makes me happy. Very happy. Later today I’m going to do a bit of low-fat cooking and I’ll post the recipes for anyone who is interested. For now I’m off to Whole Foods & Bedners Farmer’s Market.

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Singing burns calories…who knew?

Posted on January 19, 2012 by jacqui722


Yup, I knew singing in a church vocal group was good for my soul, but it’s also earned me a couple of “activity points” on my Weight Watchers plan. I’ll take them. Actually, I’m thinking any kind of activity is good for you and a smart alternative to crashing on the couch after work. I’m vowing to find a little something to keep me moving for a bit when I get home from work, instead of grabbing my laptop and going straight for the chaise lounge. It’s the little things.
I kind of miss cooking and posting recipes, so this weekend I’ll make some wonderful low-fat and healthy food to blog about. Stay tuned…and in tune!

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Jacqui Visits the Gym

Posted on January 18, 2012 by jacqui722

The mindset is here folks. I am on the mark with my diet after 2 years of half hearted attempts, lots of home cooking and minimal exercise. It’ all a state of mind…and apparently  I lost mine for a while. ANYWAY, I have stayed true to The Diet for over 2 weeks now, and it was time to take the next step…EXERCISE.
Stepping into LA Fitness after a long leave of absence takes determination and really, some bravery and guts. I got home from my grueling work day, and imagine this…a little thing called “motivation” in my mind kind of awoke after a lo-o-o-n-g nap and said “get out your workout wear and get thee to the gym!”. So I did. I printed out a schedule of classes for LA Fitness, saw there was an all-over body toning and cardio class, dug up some workout clothes from the bottom of the drawer,  put the top down on my Sebring and well…just WENT.
That class kicked my ass. This was a class I could have just sailed through in fitter times, but I LABORED through it, and I’m paying the sore muscle price today. But it feels GOOD to finally use the old muscles. And the first day back is always the hardest.  I am on my way. Let the journey begin…really.

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27 points Plus

Posted on January 12, 2012 by jacqui722

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Ready for Health

Posted on January 11, 2012 by jacqui722

Sometimes, you’re in a mindset where you can stick to a healthy eating plan. This elusive condition doesn’t come easily, it’s like something goes off in your brain, and finally, you’re ready to commit. For real. Not just saying it to everyone, not just falling off the wagon after 8 hours, but actually making a resolution and sticking to it.
I am very blessed to be in the right mindset at this moment in time. I have managed to stick to my guns for a week and 2 days, and really feel like I’m going to stay with it. I know there are many of you out there in the same boat with me, and I wish you all the best with your healthy endeavors. I’ve been following Weight Watchers online, and it’s working for me. I’m just about ready for step 2- dusting off my gym membership and actually walking through the doors of LA Fitness!
So…maybe I’ll be looking good for my Sister’s cruise wedding this April- a nice incentive 🙂

Ciao for now

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