W.I. Tuesday from WI

So...since I am in Wisconsin for the next three months (72 days -ish), I won't have access to a gym (which totally sucks a fat one), nor a scale.  So, I got a WW scale.  I am not going to lie--the past 7 days (not today) have been horrendous--as far as food choices and no working out.  Today, while I ate few points, I think the only healthy check I made was the water one.  Tomorrow I am going back to really being conscientious of what I am eating, and now that I have fully stocked my sister's kitchen, I will be able to cook. 
Ok. On to the weigh-in (which I totally anticipated being + pounds):

251.1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Now, I am not getting too excited, because it could very well be because of the new scale, but I am going to do a happy dance anyway. 
Since I started WW--I am down -15.9 lbs!!  YAY!!
Now, I just need to start working out again!

It is very easy

to abandon new, good habits for the old, unhealthy habits....

Yesterday was a disaster. 
I am not beating myself up, but I do recognize how crappy I feel today and how the moments of fatty gratification ultimately were not worth it.

Today is a new day!!

Adventures in Cooking...and not really WW friendly...

So J left this morning...And I am easing my body back into the routine of eating what it should.

Farmer's Market Conquests!

Before she left I wanted to cook a meal for her, and last night was truly delicious.  Not point friendly, but extremely healthy and I felt really good after this meal for the natural ingredients we used and ate.
First, we planned the menu at the Farmer's Market--starting with dessert (of course), and the basis of our meal--homemade pesto.


Easy and Delicious Pesto
2 c fresh Basil
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c pine nuts
1/2 c parmesean cheese
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste (important!) 
8 servings=5 pts/serving (I know--but it is SO good and good for you!!) I don't know how big the servings are--but we doubled the recipe, so we actually had 16 servings, and I had to freeze A LOT of it!!

Pre-turning the food processor on!

Wow. Fresh and Delicious!!!

Grilled Artichoke and Dijon Aoli

Our appetizers were grilled artichoke with mustard aoli and grilled tomatoes on grilled ciabatta. J and I decided at the farmer's market that since neither of us have ever made a fresh artichoke, we'd do it together.  This was definitely an interesting experience!!

Grilled tomatoes with Grilled Ciabatta (and fresh basil!)

For our meal we had a fresh arugula salad with a Dijon vinaigrette and pesto on homemade pasta.  Fantastic!!

Arugula and vinaigrette

Fresh homemade EVERYTHING!! Pasta & Pest

Dessert (which I had no room for) was J's choosing--ultimate chocolate Trader Joe's ice cream and blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, strawberries, and mango.  I do not have a picture of the dessert, but I DO have pictures of J taking pictures of her dessert! :)

Accountability... (**With Updates and Photos!)

I have a friend in town.  I LOVE IT!!!  Problem?  Dining out is the option of choice--which, I don't mind--but it makes recording point values challenging.  I don't plan to fall completely off the wagon and throw all my hard work away, but I do know that until Thursday I will be existing in a huge challenge to fight the urge to revert back to old habits.

Monday:
(no breakfast--I KNOW.)
Deschutes Brewery : J's number one mission was to have marionberry cobbler.  As she put it, "I've been thinking about it for the last year and a half." So, instead of hitting up food carts (hey, I thought to bring her to do something different!), we ate lunch here as soon as she arrived.

Pretzel and cheesey beer mustard deliciousness!

What we ate:

Marion Berry Cobbler.

Split the large "house baked pretzel" and cheesey/to die for dip of deliciousness.
I ate 3 pieces of the 6 pieces of a cheese thin-crust, brick oven pizza (the pizza was the size of a dinner plate)
Split the marionberry cobbler that had a scoop of ice cream on top.


 Dinner:
Mio Sushi : J LOVES sushi, and L loves it too. I enjoy watching people eat it.  I usually get a bento--in the old days I would get tempura.  Not this time!
What I ate:
About 3-5 calamari pieces (yes, panko and salt-n-pepper coated/fried) (2-3 dips of some sort of sauce), and several styrofoam, I mean rice, noodles.
Delicious Miso soup.
In my bento: salad with an orange-y citrus dressing; 2 veggie gyozas (probably not healthy), chicken teriyaki, ~1 cup white rice, and veggie teppan (there was tofu in it too--the first tofu I've ever enjoyed!!).

My Bento!

1 roll --I don't even remember what it was because I was so traumatized. I DO NOT LIKE SUSHI.  But, at least I tried!!!


Overall, I don't think I totally sucked a fat one as far as point consumption goes, however, if I am realistic, the dipping sauce for the pretzel and the marionberry cobbler probably were my points allotment for the day.  :(  Oh well. At least I can workout again starting Friday!!

Today's plan? (i.e. Tuesday)
Breakfast = (I ate 4 perogies--HEY!! I KNOW, BUT--I've been up since 4:30 this morning)... Not sure what we will do for real though...  (**I wound up eating one of the leftover pizza slices from Monday's lunch!!)

Scallops and fries.  I ate it all.  I know, I know....

The beach = SEAFOOD OF AMAZING!!!  (**And, it was even better than I remembered!!)


And dinner, if we are back = Roxy's (Hawaiian!!!)

Roxy's delicious Sho yu Chicken (plate lunch w/ macaroni salad--I KNOW...but SO GOOD!!!)

And Wednesday?
Breakfast = ?

The Oregonian= Grilled Challah bread, Oregon hazelnut butter, Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese, and Marion Berry Jam.  YUM!!!!

Lunch = PBJ's food cart .  Yes, I am aware that the options are the least healthy on the planet, but I am dying to have the full experience from the bite I had when I was at The Bite of Oregon!  AND, J seemed pretty excited when I told her about it!!!  :)

She IS the guest!!!

CUPCAKES!!!

One thing about L's family living so close is that I can usually get designated to bring dessert.  I am an awesome pie-maker, and I like to try new recipes out on the family.  Tonight there will be a BBQ, and I was asked to make a WW friendly dessert (L's mom just started up with the program a few weeks ago--that ROCKS!!).  Here is what I made:


Cherry Awesome
 (*Note that this is a cake recipe--I just made it into cupcakes!)
4 cups mini marshmallows

All the steps

1 box yellow cake mix (I actually used cherry chip cake mix)
2 egg whites
10 ounces diet sprite (I used A & W Dt. Cream Soda)
1 can light cherry pie filling

Heat oven to 350.
Spray 13x9x2 pan with cooking spray.
Layer marshmallows on bottom of pan.
Mix cake mix with sprite and egg whites.
pour mix over marshmallows, then spoon cherries over top of cake. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Cherries will sink to the bottom and the marshmallows will rise to the top of the cake while baking.
26 cupcakes (actually 24 + a mini bundt cake) = 2pts/cupcake

See--they are pretty ugly...

These were really hard to tell if they were finished baking.  Because the marshmallow got all nice and toasty brown on top, it was hard to see if the actual cake batter was done cooking.  They don't look like I'd like them to--they are sort of ugly--and the jury's still out on the light cherry pie filling.  I will say the cherry chip cake mix helps the flavor--or maybe it hinders it?--I'll ask L when he tries one.  The gooey cherries sink to the bottom, and in order to get it all (don't want to waste any dessert food!), one must lick the bottom of the muffin paper.  I don't mind this exercise, but some might find it distasteful. 

Key Lime

For the batter:
1 white cake mix
1 cup fat free half and half

Layer 1 & Center Limely-Blob--waiting for Layer 3

3 tablespoons key lime juice (+more)
6 egg whites
*+lime zest
For the filling:
1 can fat free eagle brand
3 tablespoons key lime juice (+more)
*+lime zest 

*My personal addition!

Mix the batter ingredients until smooth. Put 1-2 Tablespoons of batter into cupcake pan. Put 1 tablespoon of filling on top of batter, then put 1-2 tablespoons of batter on top. This makes a creamy center inside the cupcakes. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Top with fat free cool whip.

I got 21 total cupcakes so it worked out to be 3pts/cupcake.

These are delicious. I ate one warm (they will be MUCH better cold/cool), and they are super moist, and not too strong of a flavor--I'd probably go a bit more heavy on the key lime juice next time.  Much easier to tell when these were done too! The points might shift a little if one were to use a different cake mix--this one was worth 44 points--or even make them smaller to get more out of the batter.  I wanted bigger cupcakes, and I don't mind the increase in points. 

SO PRETTY!!!!

Before it went INTO MY BELLY!!!

Both of these recipes are pretty labor intensive.  I am a baker, and yet I was involved in this project for about three hours.  Now--it could be because I have only ONE muffin pan (+a mini-6 muffin tin) and I did BOTH of these recipes at once, but just try to keep in mind there are a number of steps to each of these recipes--it won't be: stir pour bake.  I loved making these--I like bigger more intricate baking projects--they soothe me!

Entertaining (i.e. Book Club) With 2 Recipies

Have I mentioned how much I love to have people over?  And to cook for them?  
Well, I do. A LOT.  
At the beginning of this year I was lucky enough to join a bookclub with the most amazing women ever.  We have met every month (except 1) to discuss books ranging from bodice-ripping and husband poisoning to the Donner Party to an African female detective.  It is like a college class taken to a different level with bits of  tangent conversations ranging from birth control to our jobs/professions to "ponies." We choose our books a few months in advance because many get their books from the library (and our last book there was only one copy that a few had to fight to acquire!), and we volunteer our homes to host.
I love to host bookclub.  And not just because a great amount of wine is consumed (usually averaging one BOTTLE per person, though last night we were pretty controlled!) But I love the opportunity to cook and entertain.  I don't have many friends --especially ones who actually live within a reasonable driving distance-- so I don't have the opportunity to have people over as much as I would like (though I think L is ok with it!).  I love taking care of my guests, and I love trying new recipes that I don't have to eat myself.  
Yesterday was no exception!  Bookclub was amazing, our discussions were phenomenal, and I can't wait for September's meeting!
Here are the two new recipes I made for the ladies last night:

Pre oven

Brie Kisses

8 ounces Pillsbury Reduced-Fat Crescent(s)

Post-cooking

8 ounces Président Brie light, cut into 16 pieces (couldn't find Brie Light, so I used regular--didn't use the full 8 ounces either)  
16 teaspoons apricot preserves (I used a 3/4 teaspoon measure of these preserves...not a full teaspoon)

Cut each crescent triangle in 2 pieces. Put a piece of the Brie and a teaspoon of the preserves in the middle of each piece of dough, then fold the triangle pieces over one another so you have a puffy little triangle packet. Bake according to instructions on crescents.

16 servings/2pts. each serving

Cheesey Stuffed Musrooms

16 ounces portobello mushroom(s), fresh baby caps, (about 24)
1 cup(s) spinach, fresh, finely chopped
½ cup(s) feta cheese, crumbled (I used reduced fat--it didn't get as melty, but kept the points low and still tasted good!)
¼ cup(s) dried bread crumbs, Panko variety
2 tablespoons scallion(s), chopped
⅛ cup(s) white wine, or reduced-sodium chicken broth  (2 Tbsps. white wine I used)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon olive oil, or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons water

**I cooked the mushroom stems with the spinach and some shallots, the olive oil and some added minced garlic--it turned out pretty awesome, so I would do this process again!!!

**Finely chop the mushroom stems. Combine the chopped stems, the spinach, cheese, bread crumbs, scallion, wine, oregano, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

YUM!

With a small spoon, stuff each mushroom cap with about 1 tablespoon of the spinach mixture; place in a single layer in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. (Can be made ahead) Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. (**I DID NOT DO THIS!!) 
Return to room temperature before baking.)

About 30 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 375°F. Drizzle the water around the mushrooms in the pan.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot, 15 – 20 minutes. Serve at once.
24 servings
1 mushroom = 0 pts.  (if you only eat one!!)
2 mushrooms = 1 pt.
3 mushrooms = 1.5 pts.


The book club ladies loved both dishes--the Brie kisses, while a pain to make, were a HUGE hit, and barely lasted 3 minutes out of the oven!  Overall, I am super happy I made both of these dishes, and will make them again. 

A "treat" + consequences...

This is only 1/2 of the screens.  Seriously. Heaven.

I have been pretty serious about this significant life change since re-starting WW.  I have been sticking to plan, recording EVERYTHING I eat, and staying away from trigger foods (fattening, calorie-filled, unhealthy choices).  Last night we went to my new obsession:  Big Al's for dinner and bowling with L's stepsister and brother-in-law.  Big Al's "dining room" is my idea of the holy promised land  The food selections?  Not so much.  I was going to try a "healthy option," but the calorie count for these 3! dishes were astounding in their own right (averaging 13 points per dish), so I thought I'd "treat" myself to something I haven't eaten in over a month of hard work.

I got a cheeseburger.
I wanted the Hawaiian burger with teryiaki and cheese and pineapple, but I just got the cheeseburger...Yay me #1.

I wanted the french fries (SO MUCH), but I got a side salad--and even asked for italian dressing on the side.  The salad arrived drenched in salad dressing, but hey, I tried. YAY me #2.

The burger came on this THICK delicious multi-grain flavorful savory toast-ish that of course was drenched in butter.  Not to mention, the top 1/2 was coated with mayo.  So, I left the burger open faced, and used my fork and knife, and ate the burger on the bottom bread.  No mayo.  YAY me #3.

I ate the entire salad AND NOT ONE CROUTON.  Now, anyone who even knows me a little, knows that me and bread--any kind of bread--are best of friends. I could eat bread ALL DAY LONG.   YAY me #4.

I didn't eat the entire bottom bread, but I did eat all the burger.  (I probably ate 2/3 of the bread.) YAY me #5.

L saved room so he could order a mud pie while we bowled, and R ordered a Heath Bar shake that she shared with D.  It came with a mound of whip cream that made me salivate, but I just drank my fizzy water from my new water bottle that I brought with me to fight temptation.  YAY me #6.

So, with all these YAYs, how did my body reward me?

Well, my guts felt like they were being ripped up and stabbed with several knives for several hours...

Awesome.

I guess my insides are enjoying my healthier choices and wanted to remind me that eating greasy, fattening, delectable food is what got me into this predicament in the first place.

So for breakfast this morning I had a stuffed corn muffin (new and improved batch-2 pts), a bowl of kix (1c=1 pt.) 1/3 c milk (.5pts.), 1/2 tsp. butter on the muffin (.5pts.), and a 3 oz. pork loin that L grilled last night before he found out we were going to bowl AND eat.  (well, and a coke zero)....

YAY ME!!!

ONE WEEK

No lower body.
ARGH.  I have been on such a roll.  I was going to take the MuscleBlast class this afternoon too.  I know that I can do upper body, but I am also wary of this stretching out longer than it has to. I want to start jogging again...I think I will at least take this week off and see what happens.  With my friend coming on Monday, I know I will be walking a good amount, so if I do nothing for the next four days, hopefully that will be ok.
SO. FRUSTRATING.

And my doctor is the most facetious man ever.  And, when I mentioned I "happened" to also be doing squats after he wondered why after just walking and the elliptical I was hurting, I got the look of death.
Ooops.

Serves him right for saying "It looks like we've got a knee" as he was showing me my X-Ray.

At least I don't have arthritis, I have good space in my joints, and basically, my knee is fine.


I just wish it would stop hurting!!!!

Knee=frustrating...

Argh.

Dear knee, I hate you. Seriously. And, clearly I have too much time on my hands...

Woke up this morning, and the pain was like it was when I was doing C25K.  AND I HAVEN'T RUN SINCE I WAS AT THE DOCTOR.  BLARGH.  I am headed to the doctor in an hour...I really hope he will say--just keep pushing through the pain--it will go away eventually.
I don't think that will happen the way my luck has been panning out as of late.

Chocolate-Butterscotch Haystacks

I was craving sweet and chocolate, and finally found a haystack recipe that I was totally excited about--and, if the taste I had from the spoon is like the full-sized version--YUM-O-RAMA!! (P.S. I even logged 1 point for the spoon-licking endeavor!!)

FINALLY--actually got the portions/servings right!

2 cups of General Mills Fiber One4 tablespoons of Nestle Milk Chocolate Morsels (I used semi-sweet)
8 tablespoons of Nestle Butterscotch Morsels

Melt the chocolate and butterscotch morsels in a saucepan or in the microwave. Stir and mix in the Fiber One until the cereal is evenly coated. Scoop 12 evenly sized haystacks onto a plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

**I ate one before the 30 minutes was up--OMG--it was PERFECT for my craving--sweet, crunchy, chocolate, and the butterscotch wasn't overpowering.  YUM YUM YUM!!!

They turned out to be good-sized too!!

12 haystacks=2pts/haystack

You know I am serious...

When, at 3:30, I am hungry, and my snack is this:

Yep. Baby Spinach, strawberries, balsamic vinaigrette (1tsp.) and a slice of turkey breast.

willPower and grace

Check it out!!

I went for class #2 today and my friend CN came with me--it was awesome.  I feel like I got hit by a bus but I could take someone on in the ring and win.  I am definitely going to keep going to this class and make it a priority.  YAY!

WI Tuesday!

255
-2.1 for the week

Total: -12lbs!

YAY ME!

Hunger vs. Boredom

I can't tell the difference today. There are many days where I encounter this problem, and today is hitting me pretty hard. I've been eating about every two hours--veggies, air-popped popcorn, healthy protein, and portion controlling everything--drinking all my water--I have almost all of my healthy checks in for the day, but I still can't stop wanting to eat.
I can't figure out if it is because I am really hungry, or bored, or depressed and gloomy at my job situation...I'd go for a walk but it is hotter than balls here, and I did spend 50 minutes in aerobic activity today--thanks to the trainer who last week offered up an invitation to a trial class this morning at 9am,  but, surprise surprise, when I got there at 8:38 and waited until 9:10, I realized there wasn't a class.  So I did 30 minutes on a bike (my butt is sore), and was going to do 30 on the elliptical, but my knee started to hurt so I only did 20.

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers & Creamless Creamed Corn With Mushrooms and Lemon

Thanks to Food and Wine (and one of my favorite Top Chef contestants--Kevin Gillespie) for this corn recipe**!! **L made this dish to go along with my burgers, and I had no idea what the point value was as I was shoveling it in--DELICIOUS.  Fresh, creamy, summery, yummy!!!

Creamless Creamed Corn With Mushrooms and Lemon 
Recipe by Kevin Gillespie

Close up in the pan!

(the anticipated time for making this was 40 minutes--it took L way over an hour--he is very thorough and wants to do things right.  It was totally worth the wait!)

Ingredients

6 medium dried shiitake mushroom caps

Boiling water

10 ears white corn, shucked

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a bowl, cover the shiitake with boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, set a box grater in a large bowl. On the coarse side, grate 5 ears of the corn all the way to the cob. Using a serrated knife, cut the kernels from the remaining ears of corn. Using the dull side of the knife, scrape the juices from the cobs into the bowl.

Drain and mince the shiitake. In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add the shallots, garlic and shiitake and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to high and when the oil sizzles, add the corn and its juices. Cook, stirring, until the corn is thick and shiny, 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice, season with salt and pepper and serve. 

6 Servings ~1c/serving--4pts/serving (too good and a solid serving of yummy veggies to be too disconcerting)

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground lean turkey

1Tbsp minced garlic (+more)

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 c teriyaki sauce

1/4 c scallions chopped (+more)

1 large egg white

Pre-bite deliciousness.  I took one picture so I could hurry up and take a bite!

Directions

Mix all ingredients together until just combined.  

Make sure grill is ready to cook meat. (spray grill with cooking spray--not the actual patties...learned THAT one the hard way!)

Make into 4 LARGE or 5 medium patties (I actually used a scale and made two 4oz. patties and three 5oz. patties.)

Grill burgers until fully cooked about 5-7 minutes per side.   

5 burgers = ~5 pts/burger

This my own variation of a WW recipe, and I thought these were excellent.  L grilled them perfectly--they weren't too dry--which can often happen with ground turkey.  The meat was VERY flavorful with all the added deliciousness, and I had mine with a 1 point sandwich thin and added sauteed mushrooms and onions--totally not needed.  L, who normally LOADS up his burger, ate his "naked."  YES!!!!!

I was super hungry, so that is why there is a bite out of it.  Also, yes, this is in a serving dish.  Every single one of our plates were dirty so we really did this meal up in style.  L's meal was on a serving platter.  We are really the most sophisticated eaters ever. 

Fighting the urge to eat in consolation...

Yes, I was one of the two final candidates.  Yes, they did call for references for me.  Yes, I was up against a long-term sub who they were familiar with.
Yes, I have a temporary job awaiting me--1926 miles away--for 6 weeks. 

I am still totally sad that I didn't get the job.  It is a really awesome district.  I want to teach.  I don't want to leave OR.

I am trying to avoid eating. I want to though. I really want to.

Dear four beers in the sun after an interview with awesome friends,

You are not WW friendly.
That is all.

Quiet on this end...

So here is some rambling and reflecting...
Yesterday I made myself go to a new class (willPower and grace) at the gym, spent 40 minutes in the sun, and then spent the rest of the afternoon/evening getting ready for an interview that I have today.
I realize now that if I am focused on something else and busy (or I go outside), I don't eat as much--or even think about eating/food as much.  (Also, if I get in my 1-2 servings of healthy oils I am not as hungry during the day.)
In the past, I would shove food in my mouth endlessly to calm my nerves.  I would REALLY like to continue this pattern this morning, but I have been reading the WW message boards incessantly, and love the reoccurring message that I've read: "nothing tastes as good as looking good feels."  And it's TRUE!  Even though I've had only  small losses, I am very proud of these losses.  I am very proud of sticking with the gym since April, and being consistent these past three weeks on WW.  I have a LONG way to go, and I have to celebrate these little losses.  And it feels good.
So even though I am BEYOND nervous and freaking out on the inside, I ate a healthy 4 point breakfast (Thomas' bagel thin (PLAIN!), 1 egg & 1 egg white mixed with veggies cooked in olive oil--zucchini, garlic, mushrooms, and onions), and am going to FORCE myself to go to the gym and take a class at 9.  Then at least 2 1/2 - 3  hours more of my morning will be filled with non-eating activities. 
YAY!

Go-to food.

Pre-WW, if I woke up with a migraine (or if it was Saturday or Sunday), I'd have 2 strawberry toaster strudels for breakfast with 1-2 coke zeros. 

Then, I noticed that (of course) toaster strudels are on the "not that" side thanks to the book of shattering the dreams of food addicts.

So, this morning I woke up with a migraine, and I am doing all in my power to avoid bad habits.  I'm having a piece of my cold veggie "pizza" and if I feel better after some Excedrin Migraine I'll make some eggs.

Days like this make the battle less fun.

Not going to lie...

It's AWESOME!!!  (Dessert total=5 points--not too shabby!)

Shown here with 1/2 c strawberries & 1/3 c cool whip free

Angel Food Cake (from scratch! Thanks Alton Brown!)

I have strawberries and was debating shortcake vs. angel food cake.  I emailed L asking him (without additional discussion) to choose one or the other, and he chose angel food cake.  So I began.  I'm actually glad because the shortcake recipe I was going to use would have been 6pts/biscuit!!! YIKES!

* 1 3/4 cups sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup cake flour, sifted
* 12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better) (Um, if you are like me, come up with a good system of counting because on several occasions I lost count and had to recount the shells in the sink, and I am worried I didn't even count those right! I let them sit out for at least 2 hours.)

I was hoping that these were "medium" peaks!

* 1/3 cup warm water
* 1 teaspoon orange extract, or extract of your choice (I didn't have orange, so I just used vanilla)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

Pre-baking

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Cook's Note: Since they're easier to separate use the freshest eggs you can get. (This is super true--and something I learned today!)

12 servings = 3pts/serving
10 servings = 4pts/serving

Embarrassing to say the least.

Out of the oven! My angel food cake pan sucks balls and the only bottle that would fit in the hole was a Hickory Seasoning bottle that is slightly dwarfish and pretty pathetic. 

A little heavier than I'd have liked...I don't think I reached "medium" peakage.

Veggie "Pizza" (Cold)

This is one of the first WW recipes I ever tried.  I LOVE IT!!!

Full tray of awesomeness!!!

8 ounces low-fat refrigerated crescent rolls
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 c reduced fat mayonaise
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing powder
**I also add dill weed and garlic powder**
~~~
chopped veggies to your liking
(I used green onions, carrots (thank you Nelson for the awesome mini-Cuisine Art chopper--it worked AWESOME for this!!), and broccoli.  I thought about using tomatoes and green peppers, but I wanted to avoid potential sliminess.) 

Preheat oven as per package instructions.
 Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet, and
pinch together edges to form the pizza crust.
Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. O
Remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.
In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Ranch dressing mix (and any other spices).
Spread the mixture over the cooled crust.
Pile the veggies on!!

Close up with a piece taken out (YUM)

I got 12 square slices 3pts/square.
There is a little bit of excess "sauce," which I think could reduce points/calories by reducing the cream cheese/mayo amounts.  
I love this recipe.  It is crunchy, yet slightly sweet and slightly salty.  YUM!!!

WI Tuesday!

Note to self:  get on the scale AFTER CLASS. NOT. BEFORE.

257.1!!!!

-9.9 lbs. since starting (tomorrow = 3 weeks)
Since starting to be consistent at the gym in April, I have lost 17.9 lbs.

Basically, there are no excuses anymore.  Working out, eating better, portion control, and being conscious of everything that goes in my mouth WORKS. Period.

Day by day by day.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Pre-oven

1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
1 pound(s) button mushrooms, about 24 large mushrooms (I am not sure how that many fits in a 1lb package, but whatever. L got me one package with 13 mushrooms)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
*3 cloves garlic chopped
*1 shallot chopped
¼ cup(s) onion(s), chopped (I used red)
¼ cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), chopped (I didn't use these)
10 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I used fresh that I chopped--probably about 4 ounces of fresh? I suck at measuring though)
2 ½ slice(s) whole-wheat bread, chopped into bread crumbs (No bread--mine went moldy (gross), so I used 1/4 c Italian seasoning Progresso bread crumbs)
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or Cajun seasoning (didn't use)
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (didn't use)
*my personal additions
•Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
•Remove mushroom stems from caps and finely chop stems; reserve caps and set aside.
•Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. **This is also where I sautéd the shallot and garlic**Sauté mushroom stems, onion, pepper and spinach until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until well-combined.

 Also pre-oven--close up!

•Stuff each mushroom cap with 2 tablespoons of filling mixture. Place mushrooms, stuffed sides up, on jellyroll pan. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes; serve warm. Note: The mushrooms can be stuffed in advance, covered, refrigerated and then baked later in the day to save on last minute preparation time.)

13 mushrooms = 1 pt./mushroom (GRRRRR--if I would have used less bread crumbs, it could have been less!) 

Post-baking. YUM YUM YUM!! L even liked them!!!

Delicious.  Definitely didn't need all the breadcrumbs, but they are a nice addition.  YUM! I am going to definitely make these for the girls of book club!!

Zucchini Fries

ZERO POINTS ZERO POINTS ZERO POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

4 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (didn't have this, so I threw some garlic powder and oregano and onion salt in)
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoons table salt
¾ cup(s) dried bread crumbs, panko-variety suggested (I used 1 c panko)
2 medium zucchini, about 7-inches each, cut into 4 chunks, then each chunk halved (almost too much--I have extra zucchini slices after I ran out of egg whites and panko)
2 large egg white(s), whipped until frothy (almost soft peaks)

Pre oven

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.

Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray.

Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes.  (I forgot to turn them, but they still turned out good.) Use this technique with any summer squash or eggplant. It also works great with thick-cut onion rings or even green tomatoes.
Crispier?  Crank oven to 500 degrees and decrease time by 2 minutes. (I did it this way--YUM!)

Post oven

I got 24 slices of zucchini.  DID I MENTION THAT EACH SERVING IS ZERO POINTS?!?!?!  
AWESOME!!! 
YUMYUMYUMYUM!!!!!

Almond, Toasted Oat and Cherry Trail Mix

Ok. I hate nuts.  Occasionally, I will eat a honey-roasted peanut (or toffee coated, or dark chocolate covered) or a macadamia nut.  If there is beer and a live baseball game involved I will even eat peanuts in the shell. I do like peanut butter, but it has to be creamy--I am pretty grossed out by the texture.  My gramma b. used to "disown" me when I would spit out the mini pistachio pieces in her jello fluff desert she'd make for Thanksgiving.  
That said, I know that nuts are good for me.  Almonds especially, are an amazing snack that many of my fellow educators stash to eat in small amounts throughout the day.  I need something like that. So I am going to teach myself to like nuts.  Here is my first attempt!!  



1 cup(s) uncooked old fashioned oats
⅔ cup(s) dried cherries, chopped
¼ cup(s) slivered almonds
¼ teaspoon table salt (I used Kosher)
1 tablespoon Land O Lakes Stick Light Butter, or similar product, melted (I used whipped--same points)
¼ cup(s) honey

Out of the oven!

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sided sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together rolled oats, cherries, almonds and salt. Drizzle with butter and honey and toss thoroughly.
Spread mixture evenly on sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, about 20 to 25 minutes; let cool. Yields about 1/3 cup per serving. 8 servings
3pts/serving

A few of these pre-measured bags are headed for the car to have after working out!

Stuffed Corn Muffins

Again, a huge thanks to Krista for her recipe!!! I am fortunate to NOT have to be on an elimination diet, so I was able to use "normal" ingredients.  Her recipe includes her gluten-free/dairy-free adjustments.  Yeah, she's pretty awesome. 

* 1 cup cornmeal
* 1/2 cup flour (I use better-for-bread flour)
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 cup milk (skim)
* 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, melted (I used olive oil)

If tins are filled less, recipe will yield 12 muffins

Sift and mix the dry ingredients.  Add the milk and shortening. After mixing the wet into the dry ingredients add any extras. (I added 2 ears of grilled corn I had left over from the weekend; Krista added sausage--many possibilities).

Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

(I got 11 muffins which works out to 3 pts./muffin--if I had gotten 12 muffins, each muffin would be 2 pts.!!!!)  MAKE 12 MUFFINS!!!

YUM

Honestly, I could eat the whole tin of these. Delicious.  I love the fresh corn addition, and this is my first time using cornmeal--I love how it is still sort of crunchy even after cooked.  (At least I hope that is the way it is supposed to be, otherwise I might sound like a total dolt!)
I had one with a Light & Fit yogurt, and it was satisfying and YUMMY!!!

Thanks again Krista!

The damage...

As I was in the shower tonight (it seems that many of my ideas/revelations occur there--I wish there was a more convincing way to record these moments of brilliance though) reflecting on what I ate today, I realized I should have photographed everything in a way to hold myself accountable.  ARGH.  That would have been brilliant.
As I am digesting, I am kicking myself for merely eating the deliciousness rather multitasking by archiving the experience as well.
This won't be the same...

At The Bite of Oregon:
mini-plate: 5 bean salad with prosciutto & one seared smoked (AMAZING) scallop--shared bites with everyone..
bite of hush puppy
taste of gespacho
skewer of marinated chicken (shared a bite with everyone)
fried spring roll (large) (delicious, but not ww friendly)
1 grilled shrimp
bite of crab meat
bite of mini-shrimp
bite of challah bread, marionberry jam, blue cheese, and hazelnut butter--all grilled. (OMG--I could have eaten about 40 of these sandwiches--delicious!!)(Here is the food cart and menu they offer--check it out!!!)
marrionberry cobbler--no whip cream & no ice cream (YAY ME!) so basically, marrionberries and a biscuit.

At Portland City Grill:
mojito
*baby arugula salad with orange vinaigrette with 1 strawberry and some blueberries, and a teeny bit of goat cheese (baby arugula is peppery--my mouth was on FIRE after eating this!-but it was GOOD!)
*3 salt and pepper seared scallops over a bed of delicious creamy risotto with asparagus and spring peas (I EVEN ATE PEAS!!!--super proud of myself, but as L said, I couldn't taste them!) garnished with a few flakes of parmesean cheese.
*A bite of L's halibut cheeks & rice (YUM)
A bite of R's fillet (OMG--that steak was like butter--melted in my mouth--YUM!!!)
Glass of amazing Pinot Noir with dinner
split "Sin" with K--OMG chocolate cakey/saucy deliciousness with crunchy toffee bits hidden inside and ice cream
Two bites of the lavender donuts (OMG.OMG.OMG. YUM)
*these were chef specials for the day/week(?) SO GLAD!!!!

Super full and super happy after dinner--it was awesome going out and having awesome conversation and food with other grown-ups, AND I didn't feel guilty as I ate.  I ate slowly, enjoyed what I put in my mouth, enjoyed the atmosphere and company, and I knew that I would workout this coming week, make some meals in advance, and make the effort to do the best I can every day to improve my choices and eating habits. 

Pretty darn good day if you ask me!!!

Let's say it all together...

MO-DER-ATION

Today will be a challenge like I haven't seen for a while.  This morning L, his parents, and his step sister & brother in-law are headed to the Bite of Oregon for lunch.

And tonight L's friends invited us here. Sure, I could have the king crab legs at 3 points/leg--but I AM UNEMPLOYED.  ARGH.  If I liked chili I'd have the scallops.  L said I should have the pork tenderloin, but that is something I can have at any time (well, you know what I mean). I think I am leaning towards the Dungeness Crab Stack Salad though...we'll see.

The plan was to get up early (or normal if you live in my body), go workout, have a filling breakfast, and then head to the Bite armed with no hunger.

The problem?  Well, I've been up since 3AM.  I think I fell asleep for 20 minutes on the couch, but other than that, no extra ZZZZs for me.  I am exhausted.  I can't get enough together inside to workout, AND I can't let enough go in order to take a nap before we leave!!  AWESOME! 

Working out...

I am an athlete at heart.  The additional pounds only make it frustrating that I am no longer in the shape I was at my best.  I do need to keep in mind that my best was when I was about 17 years old, and I have a considerable amount of damage to my body/health that I have to account for and improve upon.
So it is a day-to-day battle. 
I have noticed that I feel very different if I don't work out. I am lethargic, down, and much more sluggish--and not from doing anything either--I am taking full advantage of this summer for the first time in three years as an educator.  Being unemployed doesn't help with the "down-ness" I experience, but I can combat it with working out.  Two problems get in my way at times--1. Motivation and 2. My knee pain.  Motivation is a daily battle.  As I type this I should be putting my shoes on to drive to the gym. And since going to the doctor last week, I have been taking it easy--I haven't walked/jogged for the C25K program, haven't hit the elliptical, and yet I still have pain.   Which is frustrating in itself because I was finding a good place--I was being consistent, I was motivated by just proving to myself that I could do the program and succeed, and I had begun to change my eating habits.  I worry that my knee won't ever feel right--and worse, that this is just some excuse my whacked-out brain has come up with to help me avoid what is good for me.
So I fight.  I will go to the gym and lift weights.  I won't do legs (even though I want to), and I will come home and do yoga.  I ordered my 2 favorite yoga programs on DVD (I used to have them on VHS, but you know how technology is--and I think they got sold in the "entire life" garage sale I had before moving out here three years ago).  Sara Ivanhoe is down-to-earth, not too granola-cruncher-ee, and even though the fat gets in the way of my flexibility, I don't feel like she is judging me or being condescending. Yes, I am aware that I am watching this--I never said I was sane!
So, enough procrastinating.  I am off to kick my muscles' asses. 

New video to try today!

Love this one--VERY relaxing.

Fat burning yogs=holy sweaty and leg workout! (Joy of Yoga = good for beginners)