WW Rambling

It's humbling to be an Inspiration to someone else - But using WW people do ask what my secret is - let me tell you - it's not a secret - I follow the plan. I never give up. I gain and then I lose and then I gain and then I lose, but in the last three years from the weight I started on day one to the weight I am today, I've lost 126 lbs. I feel so much better.  I'm happier.  I'll never quit going to WW.  I'm a Lifetime member and it will always be part of my life. 

My friend's daughter, (actually she is my friend too) just joined WW and she asked for my input - this is what I sent her:

Take pictures for before and after shots

Track every bite, lick, taste

Measure and/or weigh all foods

Zero point foods are not free - when you look a food up it has a recommended serving size

Whatever foods are important to you, find a way to have them. I wanted a glass or two of wine every night with dinner. So, I did. Then my sister came for a visit and I saw how much food she was eating. Cut back on wine lol. I also pretrack a nightly snack.

I'm a volume eater - so when I look for snacks I want the ones that have a high number per serving.

Everyone is different - that's why WW works. My coach can eat tons of watermelon. I gain if I eat too much fruit. I can eat tons of peppers though.

Prepping my food is the key for me. I have 

A 11 x 16 Rubbermaid container that I line with paper towels, fill with salad (do not cut tomatoes just use small grape tomatoes). Top with paper towels and close it. Store in refrigerator. Enough salad for 8 -10 large servings.

Use a good olive oil - don't get rid of oils all together your body needs good fats

I'm really good at replacing items in a recipe to make it lower in points - let me know if you need help with any.

Before I go to a restaurant I look up their menu online and if it is a chain I look it up in the apt too. Then I make a plan. I put the items in the tracker. Go to the restaurant and always ask for dressing on the side (or I ask for lemon wedges instead of dressing) baked instead of fried, etc. Then afterwards I use the option to make the entry a meal. I name it  (begin with number 1 to keep all meals at the top - then the name of the restaurant to keep all the meals from each restaurant together then describe well. Then I have choices already figured out on a moment's notice. 

Groceries - mostly Meijer

We eat salmon a lot - we get the one with Crab Stuffing and put TJ Chili Lime seasoning on it

Fage FF Greek Yogurt - best consistency

       Use it for parfaits, sauces, 2 ingredient dough

Laughing Cow Cheese

        In place of cream cheese - on sandwiches, 

        in sauces, in scrambled eggs, in dips

G. Hughes products

         Ketchup, BBQ sauce, marinades, sweet chili

         sauce - salad dressing but I haven't found it

Ka-ME Hokkien stir fry noodles 

          Only found at one Meijers, but I love them.

           2 packets - I use one for the two of us

Walden Farms salad dressing

           Either you hate them or love them, but... 0 pts

           and you can add them to yogurt with Laughing

           Cow Cheese and spices to make dip. I like

            The Honey Mustard on my salad

All the fruits and vegetables you can buy

            I peel, cut & roast 6 pounds carrots each week

            Roast corn right in the husks (Pinterest Sides)

            Then  store in refr right in husks & microwave

Snacks

             Nabisco Corn Thins

             Popcorners Flex BBQ protein crisps

             Snyder Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks

              Popcorners Spicy Queso

              ActII popcorn

Amazon

              Devotion Angel Food Protein powder

                     I add this to whatever I'm baking

               Jordan's skinny coffee foam

                      Sugar free salted Caramel

Trader Joes:

Black Bean and corn enchilada frozen

Cibatta rolls - worth every damn point

Chicken wantons frozen - add to stir fry or soup

Everything but the bagel EBTB spice

Chili Lime seasoning

Olive Oil with attached spout

Krinkle cut squash to make fries

WW Zoom

Go to Google play or Apple Store
Download Zoom
Go to

 go to 888-3-florine.com

Usually an announcement comes up, x out of that and click on active member.

Fill out the member information
When you click on birthdate it gives you a calendar - click on 2020 and scroll to choose your year - can't tell you how stupid I was the first time.

Click on Michigan schedule

It lists drop ins to just go to a building to weigh in, in person to go to a building for a live class or virtual to go to a Zoom class. My friends even have gone to Hawaii classes! Open your Zoom app and Click on anyone that fits your time. If you don't find the leader interesting find a different one the next time.

Let me know which one you choose and I'll go too!

Yummy Cupcakes - 2 pts!

These are delicious - I do use Devotion Angel Food Protein powder. You can leave it out of the recipes, but I think it makes them better tasting and more nutritional. I freeze them and microwave one for my nightly snack with 0 pt ReddiWhip.

I go through a large 2 lb container each month, but they aren't showing that on Amazon at the moment. Here is a single serving one (click on picture to go to the link).

I make cherry chocolate or strawberry rhubarb but you can switch out for different fruits.

Barb Green's Banana Bread

This is a game changer! Eating this every morning. Lost 4.6 in three weeks. I add a scoop of protein powder. I also bake it for 45 minutes.

Shrimp with Chardonnay

Oh Yum!

Looked in the freezer for something to make.

I had peppers, butternut squash, corn and raw shrimp.

This is what I made.

1 cup cooked and cubed Butternut squash
1/2 cup Corn
1 cup Peppers
1 container Rice
1 can Black Beans
12 Frozen Shrimp

Saute shrimp in a tsp oil. Salt, pepper, chili lime, red pepper flakes. Flip when begins to turn pink.
Add 1 oz Chardonnay and 2 TBS G. Hughes mustard sauce. Set aside.

Stir fry everything else with salt, pepper, chili lime, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning. Spoon into bowls.

Top with shrimp and sauce.

4 pts Blue

National Pancake Day!

Today is National Pancake Day - YUM!

After my Grandma Shea died I took her cookbooks and hand written recipes home. I was 18 and a senior in high school; I put them in a box and forgot them. When my Mom moved to an apartment I found them. At that time,1975, I was a new mom with time to look through the box. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my Grandma had written notes by many of the recipes. Most were "good" a few were "not good" but some were "very good."

This recipe is inspired by one of her "very good" notations. It was called French Pancakes. The eggs are separated and the whites are beaten with a mixer until peaks form. After mixing the rest of the ingredients the egg whites are gently folded into the batter. This causes tiny air bubbles to create light and fluffy pancakes that melt in your mouth.

I added different ingredients until the flavors were scrumptious and there was enough batter to make pancakes for both my husband and me. It was also important to keep the points as low as possible.

French Berry Pancakes aka Berry Cloud Pancakes

Preheat griddle sprayed with Pam

2 eggs, separated - whites beaten to peaks

Yolks in separate bowl

Add to the yolks:

1 banana

Lots of Cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup Kodiak Pancake mix

Separate egg yolks and egg whites. Mix whites on high until peaks form.

By hand gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Do not over mix.

Spray a hot griddle with Pam.

Spoon batter onto griddle and if you want berries add to each pancake after they are on the griddle. It doesn't take them long to brown, so work quickly. Then flip the pancakes. Push any of the batter or berries back into each pancake.

Hint for flipping: I use two metal spatulas. One under the pancake and one at the back edge of the pancake making a 90° angle with the griddle.

Cover loosely with foil.

We love Al Fresco Chicken Bacon. Sprinkle a paper towel lightly with water. Put 2 pieces on the towel, fold over, 2 more, fold over, 2 more, fold over, last one, fold over. Microwave for 20 seconds.

Wash dishes. (My scientific method of perfect timing.)

Plate and eat - a scrumptious 2 pt breakfast and an extra bonus is that I never get hungry after eating this.

My favorite breakfast... Enjoy.

Squash and Vegetable Soup

Leftovers! I had roasted squash, cooked chicken, frozen corn and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. There are at least 4 servings in the soup kettle, but it depends on how many leftover vegetables and chicken broth you add.

This is delicious!

In a soup kettle
Smash leftover cooked squash
Add can of  Campbell's Healthy Request condensed cream of chicken soup
Can of drained pinto beans
Add a bag of frozen vegetables
Dice cooked chicken, add
Add Chicken broth
Add lots of baby spinach

Add salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash, curry

The only points - 5 from the can of soup. So divide that by the amount of servings you end up with.

Chicken and Biscuit Dumplings

Instant Pot Recipe - testing Tuesday

Apple Crisp

This was yummy. I saw a package of sugar free lemon Jello on my shelf and used half in the topping and half in the apples. Delicious!

Cranberry Surprise

We went to the Kilted Cook for lunch in December and we had a delicious roasted vegetable dish. I've been looking for cranberries to make it every time we went to the store. I knew fresh would be hard to find after the holidays but thought I would find frozen. Finally found them. I guessed at the herbs - turned out pretty good. Served it with salmon one night and chicken the next. 

The sweet roasted vegetables and the tart cranberries are a delicious combination.

Carrots

Turnips

Onions

Cranberries

Olive oil and Pam

Salt

Pepper

Sage

Rosemary

Mrs. Dash

Mix and spread on cookie sheet

425

Stir after a half hour

Roast until it looks and smells good

Depends how small you chop veggies

The only points is for olive oil so it depends on how much you use.

Parfaits

The best purchase for this WW journey was 4 oz glass parfait cups. It gives us just the right amount for a sweet treat.

I love the little cookies from Trader Joe's, but you can switch them out for 1 point worth of cookie crumbles of any kind of cookie.

The combinations are endless, but these two are my favorites.

Tropical

Bailey's

Whitefish Pizza Step-by-step

This is my go to recipe. I've taken it pre-baked to a dinner and even baked as an appetizer to a party.

6 points for two of these delicious pizzas.

You can prepare all of this at once or break it up during the week. I've sauted the vegetables two days before and refrigerated, made the dough the night before and wrapped the divided 1.6 oz balls in waxed paper and refrigerated. I wouldn't suggest mixing the Alfredo base before because it could get hard on top and you want every bit to use.

Spray Parchment paper with pam

Divide dough into 1.6 oz balls (can refrigerate overnight at this point)

Spray wax paper, put ball of dough and fold over wax paper. Roll out thin.

Place on sprayed parchment covered baking sheet. Bake until just a little brown. About 8 minutes.

Spread Alfredo base and top with sauted vegetables.

Add 1/2 TBS bacon bits and flaked whitefish

Top with cheese and yogurt mixture.

At this point I cover with foil, refrigerate (one sheet on top of the other is fine) then I take to our friends' home and bake there.

Bake 400° until cheese is melted.

Turkey Meatloaf

This is yummy turkey meatloaf. We've had it often and served it to company.

Lasagna

Lasagna - 4 Freestyle Points

10 inch pie plate - each serving 1/4 of pie plate

This was very filling and delicious

Inspiration

Fr. John Thomas, also known as papi48 on WW Connect, writes an inspiring homily on Sunday.  Each week I read it on my way to Mass.  It touches my heart when I realize at church how much more I pay attention to the readings.

This past week when I read the homily, I knew immediately that it needed to be a part of the book I am writing, "Enough Kindness to Fill an Empty Heart."

Thankfully, when I asked him for permission, he agreed.

Chicken Butternut Stew

Dinner tonight was delicious. Leftovers are my favorite starting point for creating a new recipe.

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (0)
2 cups cooked butternut squash (0)
1 can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup (5)
1 can Pinto beans (0)
1 cup zucchini, chopped (0)
1/2 cup celery, chopped (0)
1/2 cup carrots, chopped (0)
Half a yellow onion, chopped (0)

In a slow cooker, mash squash, mix in condensed soup. Saute chopped vegetables in Pam sprayed pan. Salt, pepper, lots of sage.

Add chicken, vegetables and beans to squash mixture.

Cook on low 2-3 hours.

3 large servings - 2 Freestyle Points each

Smoothie Changeup

So, even though WW makes you count points if you drink your fruit, I've decided to try adding a smoothie for breakfast.  I'll take the hit for 1/2 the points.  So a large glass of smoothie for 4 pts.

1/4 cup carrots
1 small apple
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 cup orange juice
2 stalks celery
1 Tbs Ginger
3/4 scoop Vega Vanilla flavor protein powder

It was delicious.  I'll see how this works for breakfast every other day or so.