Taco Stuffed Sweet Potato

Hey everyone! If you like sweet potatoes then you have GOT to try this recipe. We absolutely loved it at our house and it will become one of my go-to super quick weeknight meals. I adapted it from the Biggest Loser website. Of course, you could do different variations like adding black beans instead of meat, add corn, etc. There are really so many options! Hope you enjoy!

 

Taco Stuffed Sweet Potato

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) sweet potato
• 4 ounces extra-lean ground beef or turkey
• 3/4 teaspoon all-natural salt-free fajita or Southwest seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash's seasoning)
• Salsa (however much you like)
• 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

Directions

• Using a fork, poke 5 holes on each side of your sweet potato. Wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 3 minutes. Carefully rotate the sweet potato in the microwave to the other side and microwave an additional 3-4 minutes or until the potato is tender.
• While the potato is cooking in a skillet over med-high heat brown your meat with the fajita seasoning.
• After potato is cooked cut an opening and put 1/2 of your salsa in first followed by meat then the rest of your salsa. Then, add your fat-free greek yogurt on top!

 

And there you have it! Super quick, super cheap and super healthy!

 



Weight Watchers Cheeseburger Pizza!

Hello guys!!! So, I don't know about you guys, but pizza is a favorite at my house; especially a favorite of my husband's! Justin loves cheeseburger pizza at CiCi's so this is a lightened up version of one of his favorites adapted from Emily Bites! I hope that you enjoy!!!

Weight Watcher's Cheeseburger Pizza

 

Ingredients

• Boboli 12” Whole Wheat Thin Pizza Crust
• 3 Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle Wedges
• 3 oz cooked 95% lean ground beef
• 2 Roma Tomatoes; chopped (If you don't love tomatoes I would recommend not using this ingredient at all
• 1 Scallion, finely chopped
• Ketchup
• Yellow Mustard
• ¾ c reduced fat 2% shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Spread the three Laughing Cow wedges evenly across the pizza crust, leaving about a 1/2 inch edge around the crust not covered.
3. After browning and draining the fat from your cooked lean ground beef, sprinkle it evenly over the pizza. Then sprinkle the tomatoes and scallions.
4. Squirt ketchup and mustard back and forth over the width of the pizza about 4 times. Top the pizza by sprinkling the cheese on the top.
5. Bake the pizza on a pizza stone for about 10-14 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Breakdown

• I cut this pizza into 8 slices. Each slice is only 4 WW Plus Points!



Weight Watchers Taco Stuffed Peppers

If you are like me, you could seriously LIVE off of Mexican food. There are very few things in this world that I like better than chips and salsa (that's not an exaggeration...)  So, whenever you get the craving for tacos this is your go to recipe. With out having to waste your points on tortillas, it allows you to have much more meat, cheese and toppings! Lets get started...

 

Weight Watchers Taco Stuffed Peppers

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 green bell peppers, cut in half and seeds removed
• 1 lb lean ground beef (or meat of your choice)
• 1/4 cup salsa (plus more for topping if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup reduced fat Mexican Cheese (plus more for topping if you prefer)
• 1 tbsp. taco seasoning

Directions

1. Brown your meat, drain the fat and add taco seasoning and preheat oven to 350.
2. While your meat is browning, cut your peppers in half lengthwise removing the stem and all of the seeds. Place 2 halves at a time in boiling water in a small saucepan for 3-5 minutes each. Make sure to use tongs to remove the pepper halves and place on a small baking sheet
3. After meat has browned and seasoning is added; add your 1/4 cup of cheese and salsa; mixing thoroughly.
4. Fill all 4 halves of your peppers with equal amount of the meat/cheese/salsa mixture. Place your baking sheet of stuffed peppers in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Top your peppers with more salsa, cheese, fat free sour cream, or guacamole. Just make sure to add your toppings to your point value.

Breakdown

• Each half of meat stuffed pepper is 5 WW Points Plus. Make sure to factor in your toppings in your final point value

Italian Chicken Sausage and Potatoes

Hey guys! I have a recipe that has a little big of a kick to it, and it is great to eat now that the weather is getting colder outside! It is very yummy and if there is any left it does make for great lunch left overs at work! Enjoy!

Italian Chicken Sausage and Potatoes

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 lb Chicken Sausage (casings removed)
• 1/2 sweet onion; chopped
• 1 lb small red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves; minced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes; sliced in half
• 1 tbsp. chopped basil
• 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Heat Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cover and let brown turning once. Once sausage is browned, add potatoes, onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and stir often
2. Remove the sausages after they are cooked through. Let the potato and onion mixture cook covered for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Slice sausage into smaller pieces and return to pan. Add garlic and tomatoes. Cook about 5 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked. Add basil and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!

Breakdown

• This can either be a 4 serving or 6 serving meal. 4 servings makes it 8 WW plus points; if you decide to have a larger portion of this meal I would suggest pairing it with a small salad with fat free salad dressing to not add many more points. For 6 servings, you will spend 6 WW Plus points for a serving. You can pair it with some vegetables, salad, or even some bread! (gasp!)



"Meat"ball Casserole!

 

 

Well you guys fall is here and that means that it is time for one of my favorite things....comfort food!!! I love meatball subs, but not all of the calories that go with it so I made a lightened up meatball casserole! I bought some Morning Star veggie meatballs a few weeks ago at Publix when they were BOGO and I wanted to use them in something other than just plain spaghetti! I hope that you enjoy!

                                          

 

 

Meatball Casserole



Ingredients

• 1 small whole wheat baguette
• 15 – 18 frozen veggie meatballs (You could use actual meatballs, just make sure to adjust your WW plus points) 
• 2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup creamy goat cheese (I used Chavrie original goat cheese; about 2/3 of the container)
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 18 ounces marinara sauce (3/4 of a standard 24-ounce jar) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cut baguette into one-inch-thick slices and arrange in baking dish, packing tightly to fit.
3. Combine goat cheese, Greek yogurt and spices and spread mixture over bread slices. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake 6 – 7 minutes until cheese bubbles.
4. Cook meatballs according to package microwave directions. Stir marinara sauce into meatballs and pour on top of cheesy bread. Top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese and bake 5 – 7 minutes until cheese melts.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Breakdown
This recipe makes 6 servings which is plenty for one person when you serve with a salad or veggie. For each serving there are 8 WW Plus Points. Really not bad for some good, creamy, comfort food!

Crock Pot Aloha Chili

And here you have it folks! My first soup of the fall!!!!!!! I decided to try a brand new recipe that gives a little twist to regular chili! Hope you enjoy!

 

Aloha Chili

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• Two 15.5 oz. cans of kidney beans ( I used one white and one light red)
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1½ c chopped pineapple
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 T chili powder (or more, if desired)
• ½ c water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toppings of your choice: fat free sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, avocado. (Note that toppings are not counted in WW Plus Point Value for this recipe)

 

Directions

1. Brown your meat in a sauce pan and drain excess grease.
2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours.
3. Serve with desired toppings

Breakdown

• This makes approximately 8 servings but it is always hard to know exactly how much a serving is with soup. For each serving there are 5 Weight Watchers Plus Points!

Weight Watcher's Baked Mushrooms and Fish!

So, during my weeks and weeks of traveling I have genuinely missed cooking and meal planning. So, I decided to try some new recipes and I branched out and made some new fish and some yummy baked mushrooms. We really love both of these at our house and I wanted to share them with you!!

 

Cilantro Lime Fish

 

Ingredients

• 2 fillets your choice of fresh white fish (I used tilapia because we needed to save some money this week)
• 1/8 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 lime sliced into thin slices
• Seasonings of your choice; I used...
• garlic salt
• onion powder
• cumin
• lemon pepper
• 1 tbsp. melted light butter

Directions

•  Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Place each fillet on a piece of heavy-duty foil; sprinkle with all of your spices
• Sprinkle your cilantro on top of each fillet
• Put your lime slices on each fillet of fish then sprinkle with melted butter
• Fold foil around the fish tightly and make sure that it is sealed tightly. Place each on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

 Breakdown

• The WWPlus Points value for one piece of fish (moderate size of 1/4 lb) is 3 Points plus! Make sure that you know the weight of your fish and track it accordingly to be accurate.

Baked Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 8 oz package of while, fresh mushrooms washed but dried
1/4 cup egg beaters or liquid egg substitute
1/2 cup panko breakcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 475°F.
• Spray a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray
• Place liquid egg substitute in a small bowl and your breadcrumbs and spices in another small bowl.
• Dip each mushroom into bowl of egg substitute, shake off excess and then roll in the breadcrumbs mixture, and set on the baking sheet.
• Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Breakdown

• A serving size is 1/2 of this recipe which is a lot of mushrooms, but we had NO leftovers. For 1/2 of the recipe you will use 4 Points Plus!

Weight Watcher's BBQ Chicken Pizza!

Weight Watcher's BBQ Chicken Pizza

 

Ingredients

• 12 inch whole wheat pizza crust
• 1/2 cup light bbq sauce
• 1/2 lb cooked, shredded chicken. (I used left over chicken from THIS Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches so it already had the peppers and onions, and you get 2 different meals out of it! SCORE)
• 1 green bell pepper cut into slices
• 1 small white onion cut into slices
• 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese of your choice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425. I chose to cook just my pizza crust for about 4 minutes to make the crust extra crispy, but it is a personal preference.
2. Start by spreading your bbq sauce evenly on your crust. Then top with your shredded chicken, onion, and pepper. Finish by sprinkling your cheese evenly on top.
3. Place your pizza either on a pizza stone or directly on the rack depending on how you like your crust. Bake for about 8-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust begins to brown more. Cut the pizza into 8 equal slices

Breakdown

• 1/8 of the pizza (1 slice) equals 5 WW Plus Points. I ate one piece and paired it with a large salad.

This week's recipes and favorite finds!

Hello lovelies!

 

So, my relationship with Weight Watchers has been a rocky one. We first met junior year of college when I started attending meetings with two of my friends. Looking back at it, all three of us didn't have a lot of weight to lose at all, I think we did it because we wanted to try to prove to ourselves and each other that we could make some positive changes. It lasted a little while, but ultimately it wasn't the best thing for the three of us, I did end up losing about 8 pounds that time which looking back at it was probably close to as much as I needed to lose.

 

So, after I graduated nursing school I started working nights in the ER and got into weird sleeping and eating habits. I was on a different life schedule than my friends and family, and Justin was still in school in Tuscaloosa so I just focused on work and developed bad eating habits and relied on caffeine A LOT! As I continued working in the hospital on day shift I never broke any of these habits. And working 12 hour shifts made me so exhausted that finding time for a regular exercise routine was pretty much impossible. Then came our wedding, starting our life together, buying a house, getting a dog, and just life in general. So with all of the life changes I was having making healthy decisions was not top priority.

 

This year I have been so blessed with an amazing job and I have finally gotten into a great routine which is how I thrive in life. I thank my mom for being someone who loves a routine and when something changes it I sorta freak out a teeny bit! This past March I decided to join Weight Watchers again. I went to meetings for a month and I actually lost about 10 pounds that month, but for some reason I just really didn't like the meetings and I really can't come up with any kind of reason that makes sense. So, again I just decided it wasn't going to work which was the chump move of course.

 

Long story short, I decided that Weight Watchers works well for me, but only having an online account is best for me. I thought it was a cop out, but I have been doing it for a week now and it has been working really well. So, I haven't been tracking my points for too long, and I am by no means a weight watchers expert but I can say that I am super excited about the progress I have made and even more excited about the weeks and months to come!

 

With that long confession said, I wanted to share some of my favorite snacks and tips from this week, as well as my menu for 5 of my recipes this week that are all weight watchers friendly :)

 

 

1. This has been my favorite salad dressing!!! So amazing! I am a sucker for Caesar dressing, but it is just not very WW friendly. This version from Wishbone is amazing and it is only 1 WW Plus Point for a 2 tbsp. serving!
2. Sugar Free Jell-o snacks are AHmazing! It is the perfect snack in the afternoon to hold you over until dinner! Each pudding cup is 1 WW Plus Point!
3. These Fiber One brownies are the perfect little snack for a sweet tooth. It is only 2 points which is fabulous for a brownie with peanut butter chips :)
4. I have been obsessing over pineapple this week. I ate a serving of pineapple every single day and I was so sad when my container was empty! Of course as a fruit it is 0 points which makes it even better

These are 5 of the recipes that I used this week to stay on target with my points. They honestly are all very tasty and very different!

1. Bacon Meatloaf
2. Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
3. Barbeque Chicken Pizza (recipe coming soon)
4. Barbeque Ranch Southwestern Salad
5. Pork Tacos

There you have it! My little Weight Watchers insights for the week :)

Weight Watchers Bacon Meatloaf!

Helloooooo everyone! I hope that everyone has had a great week it is finally Friday!!! This has been my first week back to work after a week long vacation to the beach so life has been different! This week we have tried a lot of new recipes at home, and this one might take the cake as my new favorite! I am not a huge meatloaf fan, and I've only made meatloaf maybe 2 other times, but let me say that this will be a new staple in our house hold for sure! It is fabulous, only 6 Weight Watchers Plus points per serving, and is great to take to work for lunch leftovers! I used THIS recipe and adapted it slightly. Hope you enjoy!

Weight Watchers Bacon Meatloaf

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef (raw)
• 1 pack of real bacon bits (you could cook and crumble turkey bacon if you prefer, but by hubby isn't a fan and honestly real bacon bits save me a lot of time!)
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms chopped fine
• 1/2 cup onion chopped fine
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. bbq sauce
• 2 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray to medium heat on the stove adding your chopped onions and mushrooms. Cook until soft (about 5 minutes) stirring occasionally.
• In a mixing bowl, add your cooked veggies, 3/4 of your bacon bits, raw ground beef, crushed tomatoes, and your spices. Mix all of these together.
• Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and add your beef/veggie mixture making sure it is packed in well and smooth on top.
• In a small bowl combine your bbq sauce and ketchup then top your meat mixture evenly. Top your meat mixture with the remaining 1/4 of your bacon bits
• Bake for about 50 minutes or until your ground beef is cooked all the way through. Don't be tempted to eat it too early because it smells so good okay?
• Slice into 5 equal parts and EAT UP!

Breakdown

• With the ingredients that I used each serving (there are 5 total in this recipe) ended up being 6 Weight Watchers Plus points. I decided to use real bacon bits as a trade off, but if you decided to use turkey bacon your points would be different. This is great paired with green peas, and I had 1/2 of a baked red potato with mine as well. Also, since we had left over fresh mushrooms because the recipe only calls for 1 cup of chopped mushrooms I sautéed the rest and we had those as well as a side! 

Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches!

Here is a yummy crock pot take on a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich! This actually uses shredded chicken to give it a different flavor, but when combined with the onions, peppers, and provolone cheese you definitely get the Philly Cheesesteak taste! I adapted it from THIS recipe over on Six Sister's Stuff which has amazing crock pot recipes. I also included the Weight Watchers Plus points if you are interested in that as well!

Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Serves: 6

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can use either frozen or thawed)
• 1 green bell pepper cut into slices
• 1 medium white onion cut into slices
• 1 (14oz) can of chicken broth
• 1 (1oz) packet of dry Italian Dressing mix
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 6 buns of your choice (I used whole wheat which is what is calculated in the WWP points)
• 6 slices of provolone cheese

 

 

Directions

• Spray your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray
• Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of your crock pot and sprinkle your garlic salt on top. Top your chicken with the sliced pepper and onion
• Pour your chicken broth on top and then add your Italian Dressing mix
• Cook on low for 6-7 hours
• Right before serving, toast your buns in the oven until a little crispy (I did mine at 375 for about 4 minutes). Add about 1/6 of the chicken to a bun and top with onions and peppers. Place a slice of cheese on top and pop back in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
• ENJOY!!!!!!!! 

 

 

Breakdown

• For one sandwich including chicken, onions, peppers, cheese and a whole wheat bun the total Weight Watchers Plus Points is 8 points. This may vary depending on what kind of bun you use so make sure that you adjust accordingly! 

Weight Watchers BBQ Ranch Salad

Hey guys! I had some left over black beans from the pork tacos I made for dinner last night, so I made this all veggie salad for lunch and it was yummy! It is a very easy, low maintenance salad that is perfect to take to work! Hope you enjoy!

 

Weight Watchers BBQ Ranch Salad

*This is one large lunch size serving*

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of your choice lettuce (0 points)
• 1/2 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed (2 points)
• Handful of cherry tomatoes (0 points)
• 1/4 cup shredded fat free cheese (1 point)
• 1 tbsp. Ranch dressing (2 points)
• 1 1/2 tbsp. bbq sauce (1 point)

Directions

• In a small bowl mix the ranch dressing and bbq sauce to make your dressing
• Top your lettuce with your black beans, tomatoes, and cheese.
• Add your dressing to the salad and enjoy!

 

Breakdown

• This recipe is for one large portion. There is a total of 6 WW Plus Points for this serving. 

Weight Watchers Pork Tacos!

Okay guys I have found it! I have found a staple recipe that every family needs to have! This recipe is great if you love easy, healthy, and cheap which lets face it who doesn't?!? Ground pork is a great substitute for beef; you can get it extra lean, and it is seriously less than half of the price! It is amazing!
So, I put together this little recipe on my own and I hope that you guys enjoy it!

 

Weight Watchers Pork Tacos

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground pork
• 1/2 can of black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 can of rotel drained
• 1/2 medium sized white onion diced
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 6 whole wheat tortillas
• taco toppings that you prefer such as fat free sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, etc. Just remember to add those into your point value because I didn't include them in this recipe.

Directions

• Over medium high heat cook the ground pork and onion until cooked all the way through in a medium sized skillet.
• After the meat is completely cooked turn down the heat to low and add the drained black beans, rotel and garlic salt. Mix all ingredients well and keep on the heat until the mixture is heated through.
• Put about 1/6 of the mixture on one of your whole wheat tortillas and add your desired toppings.
• Enjoy and try not to eat all 6 tacos!!!!!!

Breakdown

 

This recipe makes 6 tacos; each taco with the whole wheat tortilla is 6 WW Plus Points. The whole wheat tortillas are 2-3 points depending on what you buy so you could have one taco in a tortilla for 6 points then have the meat mixture without the tortilla to not use quite so many points if you are in a pinch!

 

 

*The ingredients for this recipe cost me less than $6 at Publix and that in itself is something to shout about! This fed my hubby and I for dinner and Justin will take the left overs to work for lunch one day. Definitely cheaper than fast food and for sure healthier! yay!

Weight Watchers Buffalo Shrimp!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
• Dash each salt, garlic powder, and onion powder
• 8 oz. raw large shrimp (about 14 shrimp), peeled, tails removed, and deveined
• 2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute 
• 1 1/2 tbsp. (or more depending on how spicy you like it) Buffalo Sauce
• 1/2 tbsp. light butter
   

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray
• Combine flour with spices in a sealable plastic bag. Seal and shake to mix. Transfer mixture to a plate, evenly spreading out the seasoned flour, and set aside.
• Make sure shrimp are as dry as possible. (Blot with paper towels to soak up moisture.) Transfer to a bowl, top with egg substitute, and gently toss to coat.
• One at a time, gently shake shrimp to remove excess egg substitute and then transfer to the seasoned flour. Flip to evenly coat with flour and place on the baking sheet, evenly spaced.
• Lightly mist shrimp with nonstick spray. Bake in the oven until cooked through and slightly crispy, about 10 minutes, carefully flipping shrimp about halfway through baking.
• To make the sauce while the shrimp are baking combine hot sauce, butter, and a dash of garlic powder in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 tbsp. water and mix well.
• Once shrimp are cooked, carefully transfer shrimp to another bowl and set aside.
• Microwave sauce mixture for 30 seconds, or until hot. Stir until smooth. Add sauce to the bowl of shrimp, and toss to coat.

The Breakdown:
Servings: 2; each serving is 1/2 of this recipe or 7 shrimp
Points Plus Value Per Serving: 4
Fat: 3.5 g  Protein: 25.5g  Carbs: 7 g  Fiber: 0.5 g

Weight Watchers Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

Weight Watchers Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

 

Servings: 2-4 depending on if you are serving with a side



Points Plus: 5 points per serving (each serving is 1/2 of a bell pepper and this recipe makes 4)

Ingredients:

1/2 medium sized onion, diced

 2 bell peppers; any color you would like

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1, 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup water

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sweet corn

1/2 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican blend cheese

fresh cilantro, salsa, and fat free sour cream for serving (not added into the points plus value)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut both of your bell peppers in half and remove its "guts". Place them on a baking sheet skin side down and roast for 15 minutes, until the skins are softened and beginning to blister.
2. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add your onion and saute for 3 minutes, until beginning to soften and turn translucent.
3. Add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Stir in your black beans along with the water.
5. Add your corn, cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt. Stir, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer the beans for 15-20 minutes.
6. Divide the bean mixture evenly among the four halves peppers and sprinkle with cheese.
7. Broil for 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with fresh cilantro, salsa, and sour cream if you’d like.

Weight Watchers Crockpot Balsamic Chicken and Veggies!

Hey everyone! I have the perfect low prep summer meal for you to try!!!

I saw an idea on Pinterest of course to make crockpot balsamic vinegar veggies so I decided to play around and make up a recipe and of course it is very Weight Watchers friendly! Here is is!!!!

WW Crockpot Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

 

 

Serves: 4-6 (depending on how many chicken thighs you use)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 6 hours

Point Plus Value per serving: 5

 

Ingredients:

• 4-6 skinless bone in (or boneless if you prefer) chicken thighs
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 1 pint of sliced mushrooms
• 2 zucchini (chopped into bite size pieces)
• 4 squash (chopped into bite size pieces)
• 1 red onion sliced
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large crockpot place your chicken thighs at the bottom and season with salt and pepper
2. Wash and prep all of your veggies and place all of them in a large mixing bowl. Mix all of the veggies with the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce until all of the veggies are evenly coated.
3. Pour the veggie and liquid mixture on top of the chicken in the crockpot. (This is where you make a quick judgment call).... I decided to add 1 cup of water on top of he veggies because a dry crockpot just makes me a little nervous. I would recommend adding some water before cooking, this just means when it comes time to scoop out he end result you will need a slotted spoon.
4. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours.
5. Scoop out your chicken (carefully because it will be SO tender it might fall apart) and your veggies! Serve alone or with brown rice for an added treat! 

 

That is it guys! This recipe is so great because you can add or take away whatever veggies your family likes! It is a perfect recipe to use those fresh local veggies you buy at your local farmers market this time of year! And is even better because veggies are 0 points plus!!! Hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

 



Weight Watchers Polenta with Mexican Beef

Weight Watchers Polenta with Mexican Beef

 

 

Serves: 6

Weight Watchers Points Plus value per serving: 7

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb uncooked lean (93%) ground beef
• 1 small uncooked onion, chopped
• 14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes with chiles, drained but reserving 1 tbsp. of liquid
• 1 cup canned yellow corn drained (which I forgot to add...sad day)
• Black olives sliced (as many as you prefer)
• 2 tbsp. of chopped jalapeno pepper (warning: this addition makes it very spicy so it is totally optional)
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup polenta, quick-cooking
• 3 cups canned chicken broth
• 1/3 cup fat free salsa
• 1/3 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican-style cheese

 

Directions:

 

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion, stirring frequently, until meat is fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes then drain off any liquid. Stir in tomatoes with reserved liquid, corn, olives and jalapenos (if using, 1/4 tsp salt, and all of the pepper. Simmer about 5 minutes to let flavors all blend together.
2. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, combine unprepared polenta, broth, and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt; stir well. Bring to a simmer on the stove and cook, stirring constantly, until polenta is thick, about 5 minutes.
3. Spoon a serving of polenta on plate then top with 1/6 of the beef mixture. Top with salsa and cheese and enjoy!!!

Knockoff Chicken Alfredo- Cauliflower "Alfredo" Sauce

Chicken (Cauliflower) Alfredo

 

So recently I have been paying more attention to trying to find ways to substitute high fat content things with more healthy options. Cauliflower is a great substitute for creamy things needed in several recipes (let's face it who doesn't love creamy goodness right?). I tried a Weight Watchers recipe not too long ago that used cauliflower mixed in with a small amount of potato to make creamy mashed potatoes and it was absolutely incredible! So, when I came across this recipe for creamy cauliflower sauce at this awesome website I knew that I wanted to try it. She has a lot of different ideas on how you can use this sauce in recipes other than a substitute for alfredo sauce. Here is the recipe for just the cauliflower sauce.

 

We only have 2 people in our house so I didn't use as much cauliflower florets as it calls for; I just bought one bunch of it at the store and used that and we still had a lot of leftovers! What I made was probably enough for 6 servings.

 

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

8 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

5-6 cups cauliflower florets

6-7 cups vegetable broth or water

1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)

½ cup milk (more to taste)

Instructions

1. Garlic: Saute the minced garlic with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Cauliflower: Bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.
3. Puree: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower pieces to the blender. Add 1 cup vegetable broth or cooking liquid, sauteed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Serve hot! If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.

Facts: 1 serving= 1/2 cup of sauce
Calories: 50   Fat: 3 grams    Carbs: 6 grams     Protein: 2 grams

 

So after I cooked the cauliflower in the vegetable broth I kept it boiling and added my noodles straight to that pot and cooked them in the broth. I had some left over shredded chicken that I made in the crockpot for a different recipe that I heated up with the sauce and noodles after everything was finished. You could add any kind of chicken or shrimp you want, or you could always keep it meatless!

The possibilities are really endless with this awesome cauliflower sauce! Hope you enjoy!!! 



Weight Watchers Mediterranean Pasta

Weight Watchers Mediterranean Pasta with Feta Cheese Sauce

Ingredients
12 oz of high fiber pasta (I like bow tie!)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ t chopped basil
½ t dried oregano
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bit sized pieces
½ cup chopped canned artichoke hearts, packed in brine without oil
2 oz sun dried tomatoes, dry packaged & diced
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2 T light butter
2 T flour (I like to use whole wheat flower)
1 ½ cups skim milk
½ t salt
¼ t black pepper
4 oz crumbled Feta cheese
2 T garlic hummus

Directions
1. Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl.
2. While the water is boiling in step one, bring the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic, basil, and oregano and stir into oil. Cook for about a minute until garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken to the pan and stir to coat chicken with the oil and herbs. Cook for 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked completely through. Add the chicken and any remaining oil in the pan to the large bowl containing the pasta and toss together. Add the artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and olives to the pasta and toss again until ingredients are combined and set aside.
3.    Melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. When butter is melted, add flour and stir together for about one minute. Add the milk in slowly, whisking ingredients together until flour clumps are thoroughly mixed in. Raise heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a minute or so until thickened and stir. Add in the feta cheese and hummus. Continue to whisk ingredients until feta is melted and sauce is smooth.
4.    Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta mixture in the large bowl and stir together until well combined.

The facts:  Yields 8 (1 ¼ cup) servings. WW P+:  9 per serving

Chicken Salad and a New Bed for Ellie!

So, this recipe for Weight Watcher's Avacado Chicken Salad is one of my May Pinterest projects that I wanted to try. I opened up the link I realized that there wasn't much of a recipe; there were no measurements for any ingredients and I didn't use most of them haha. So here is my version......


1 can of chicken; drained
1 avacado; sliced and cored.
2 green onions sliced
Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper
*I think that you could add either hard boiled eggs or grapes and it would be yummy!

Simply mash the avacado into the chicken in a medium bowl until mixed well. Then add the remaining ingredients. Start with a small amount of lemon juice, salt, and pepper; taste it and then add more if you would like. I took this to work today and ate it with some crackers and it is so yummy! It is a great alternative to regular chicken salad. It makes about 3-4 servings and it is 5 points per serving (using the old system).




Okay, changing gears to our puppy Ellie. So About a week ago I thought that she was starting to get an ear infection so I took her to the vet this weekend to get it checked out. Of course, she has an ear infection in both ears! She was so pitiful; she would scratch and scratch her ears and cry the entire time. Well, we got them good and cleaned out at the vet and I have some antibiotic gel to put in her ears twice a day. Rewind about 2 weeks ago.... I found this awesome etsy shop that sells SUPER CUTE dog beds! I picked out an awesome chartruse and off white chevron patterned bed that would pretty much match every room in our house because we have a ton of Premier Prints chartruse colored fabric in our house. I have been anxiously waiting for it to arrive, and just after we got home from the vet it arrived!!! It is so super cute and when Ellie isn't sitting on our laps she loves it!

If you have a spoiled doggie like we do take a look at PetDesign on etsy! She uses Premier Print fabric which I LOVE since it is my favorite fabric brand ever! Click below for the link to her super cute shop!

PetDesign