Wasa-Turkey-Avocado Snack for 4 Weight Watchers Points

1 Wasa cracker for 1 point (or bread)
2 oz. turkey breast (or the serving size for 1 point)
1 Laughing Cow cheese spread wedge for 1 point
1 oz. avocado (pre-sliced, frozen, & thawed to prevent waste) for 1 point

As you can see in the above picture, I do not have any cheese on my snack.  I saved the point for later.  Therefore, it was only 3.  Feel free to add some green onion into your cheese too. 

Laughing Cow cheese wedges come in different flavors.  I like the French Onion one best. Also, many breads are only 1 point per slice, so if you aren't into the Wasa cracker, this snack is still good on a slice of toasted bread.

PBJ Wasa Snack for 4 Weight Watchers Points

A simple snack.  Wasa cracker with peanut butter and jelly.  The Wasa cracker is only 1 point. Almond butter, Nutella, and the almond butter I buy all have the same points value at 2.5 points each, so you can switch it up a bit.  Since I make my own homemade strawberry and raspberry jam, I use those.  I don't know the points value per serving of my jellies, but I only use 1/2 tablespoon and therefore give it half a point due to the high sugar content.

This snack satisfies a crunch craving at 4 Weight Watcher points, but remember, many regular breads are 1 point per slice as well if you're not into the Wasa cracker.

A Fab Grab Snack Option for 1 Point Per Cookie

I love these things.  The serving size listed is 3 cookies or thins, so it's 1 point per cookie/thin.  They have multiple flavors for which I have not Figured the points, but this Flies with me. ;)

Ham and Pea Orzo Salad for 4 Weight Watchers Points

This is one of my favorite dishes that happens to be a good passing dish to take along with you for gatherings.  Nobody even knows it's a Weight Watchers recipe. You can enjoy it warm or cold.

I buy a 32-ounce Jenny O turkey ham and cut it into 4 parts.  I individually freeze the three portions I am not currently using for use at a later time.


Ingredients:

1 cup orzo
2 cups fresh sugar snap peas (I use Frozen Baby Sweet Peas)
1/2 lb. lean ham cut into 1/2" chunks
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (I grate my own fresh)
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Boston lettuce leaves (I never use these and just eat it as a salad as is)

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to package directions adding in the sugar snap peas for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the ham, tomatoes, onion, parsley, cheese, vinegar, oil, and salt and toss to coat.  Sppon the mixture onto the lettuce leaves.

Yields: 6 servings
Serving Size:  About 8 ounces.

Points: 4 points

Nutritional Information:  204 calories, Total fat 6g, cholesterol 714 mg, sodium 24 g, total carbohydrate 24 g, fiber 3 g, 14g protein, 78 mg calcium

Spicy Chicken Wrap Lunch for 6 Weight Watchers Points

I Found this in an old Weight Watchers recipe book dug up out of somebody's recycle bin.....their loss and my gain....but that could be the other way around. ;)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons chili garlic sauce
4 multigrain wraps, such as Flatout wraps
2 cups chopped roasted chicken breast
1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 cup sliced green onions (about 7)

Instructions:

To make the chili-garlic mayonnaise, mix the chili garlic sauce and mayonnaise together and set aside. Chop up 2 cups of roasted chicken breast (Fast tip, buy one of those pre-roasted whole chickens from the store for $5.99 to $7.99 and cut up the breast meat after removing skin.) Divide up the mayonnaise mixture by spreading it evenly over half of each of the 4 wraps.  Place chopped chicken breast evenly over the mayo mixture and add remaining ingredients evenly. Roll up and secure ends with toothpicks.

Yields: 4 wraps
Serving Size: 1 wrap
Points: 6

Nutritional Info:  289 calories, 10.1 g fat, 31.8 g protein, 24.2 g carb, 9.9 g fiber, 65 mg cholesterol, 2.8 mg iron, 887 mg sodium, 63 mg calcium.

Fab Grab Spicy Sweet Mix - 1/4 cup for 2 Weight Watchers Points

I Found this at my local Meijer store in the bulk-package Food section.  This is actually delicious and very low in points.  Perfect to calm a crunch craving.  It's a sweet and spicy combo that I enjoy.  I hope you do too!

At 1/4 cup, it's only 2 Weight Watcher Points.  At 1/2 cup, it's only 4 Weight Watchers Points....you get the idea. It's also a great grab-and-go item. Yum. 

A Family-Friendly BLT or BLTT for 3 Weight Watchers Points

I fell in love with BLT sandwiches when I was in the Fourth grade.  I'm only just now getting to make them again now that my children, at ages 16, 14, and 8, have decided they are good too.  They get the BLT, as in bacon, lettuce, and toast, and I get the BLTT, as in bacon, lettuce, tomato, and toast.  (I know, that's now how it works, but it's how we refer to them today so those who don't want tomato, don't get tomato.)

I normally don't Fret over brands of certain Food items and their points values.  Being normal is worth an extra point for me here and there. Maybe that will change as my range decreases with weight loss.  We'll see.  For example, a lite or low-fat cheese is only 1 point less than the real deal.  Real bacon is only 1 point per slice and has less cholesterol in it than turkey bacon (weird, isn't it?). And our normal brand of bread is only 1 point per slice, so I stick with it.  I hate being wasteful, and if the items I need to eat will be wasted because the others in my Family won't help out in eating it before it goes bad, then that's being wasteful.

I have, however, Fallen in love with this new brand of Flat bread pockets.  Each pocket is only 1 point.  Therefore, I save a point by going with it over my regular two-slice sandwich bread.  I even toasted it by toasting on light setting and then flipping it over and toasting it again at the same setting.  The middle gets toasted the most, but it works since the pockets are wider than my toaster. All 3 kids gave it a thumbs up, which makes it Family Friendly in my book and a great choice when counting points for me.

One Smart Pocket = 1 Weight Watcher point
2 slices of bacon = 2 Weight Watcher points
1 Tablespoon of low-fat mayo = 0 points
Lettuce = 0 points
Tomato slices = 0 points

Grant Total = Only 3 Weight Watchers points!

If you want to figure the points values for another Weight Watchers system and share it, I'll make note of that for Future readers too.

Nutella-Coconut Smoothie for 5.5 Weight Watchers Points

I named this the Funky Mud Smoothie so as to be more attractive to the kids.

Ingredients: 

1/2 banana (about 2 oz.) for 1 point
1/2 cup sweetened almond milk, sweetened chocolate almond milk, or Fat-Free milk for 1 point
1 Tablespoon shredded coconut (I keep mine in the freezer) for 1 point
1 Tablespoon Nutella for 2.5 points
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract, coconut extract or both for 0 points

Remember....spinach is 0 points too and that is why mine looks Funky/muddy, and because I used the sweetened chocolate almond milk. Baby spinach does not affect the taste, however, and it's a great way to work in a serving of vegetables.

Fast Tip:  Place your banana chunk(s) topped with 1 Tablespoon of Nutella on a cookie sheet and place them (nontouching) in the freezer.  Once frozen, place in individual baggies and throw in a tablespoon of shredded coconut.  Seal the baggies and put back in the Freezer for a quick way to blend up that smoothie. Here are my Frozen bananas, Nutella, and coconut batches that I just throw into the blender as they are and add the remaining ingredients.

Zucchini Chips for 1 Weight Watcher point

I'm not a big veggie girl.  When I eat them, they must be Flavorful.  I'm not sure if my bread crumbs were stale or what, but these are worth another try with some fresh crumbs and maybe even some garlic powder/salt.  At one point per serving, who can complain though! Gets in those veggies and fills your belly.  

One tip I learned while on the NutriSystem plan, to get a nice crisp or browning effect on oven-baked goods, lightly spray the tops of the items you are baking with some cooking spray.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Cooking spray


Instructions:  Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Sprinkle sliced zucchini with salt and pepper.  Dip zucchini into egg whites and then dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to coat.  Place zucchini slices on a baking sheet covered with cooking spray (and lightly spray the tops of all if you want crisping/browning). Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes or until browned. Serve immediately.

Yields: 4 servings (approximately 7 chips)
Points: 1 point

67 calories, 0.8 g fat, 5.2 g protein, 10.4 g carb, 1.3 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 284 mg sodium, 29 mg calcium

Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce for 4 Points

This is what we had for dinner tonight.  I think I might try adding a little more seasoning to the meat/sauce part.  Wasn't very Flavorful but was still good.  The pineapple-basil salad, however, is now one of my Favorites at only 1 Weight Watcher point, and I'll be making that more Frequently.  You can find the recipe for the zucchini chips here. 

Ingredients: 

4 (4-oz.) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (1/2-inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1/2 cup fat-free less-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions:

Sprinkle both sides of chops with salt and pepper.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side until done. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Add broth to pan, scraping pan to loosen brown bits. Stir in half-and-half, mustard, and lemon juice.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 6 minutes or until slightly thick. Spoon sauce over pork. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Yields: 4 servings (1 4-oz. chop with 2 Tbsp. sauce)
Points: 4 points

193 calories, 6.4 g fat, 24.3 g protein, 5.2 carb, 0 fiber, 65 mg cholesterol, 539 mg sodium, 52 mg calcium

Pineapple-Basil Salad for Only 1 Weight Watcher Point!

I'm not really a pineapple Fan, but Mr. F is, so I thought I'd try this recipe out tonight for him.  Turned out to be very delicious and I had the whole allotted cupful of it for a single Weight Watcher point.  Felt like I should be in the Caribbean or something.

Ingredients: 

4 cups cubed fresh pineapple
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Instructions:  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Cover and chill if needed.

Yield: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)
Points: 1

91 calories, 0.2 g fat, 0.9 g, 24 g carb, 2.3 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 mg sodium, 23 mg calcium

Tuscan Chicken with Fettuccine Weight Watcher recipe for 8 Points

I go through my neighborhood sifting through people's recycle bins for coupon inserts that I donate to the military, but on one trip last summer, I scored someone's discarded old Weight Watcher recipe book for 15-minute meals.  Her loss and my gain, or vice versa, depending on how you look at it I suppose.  It had Core points listed, and I think that was before I ever waded into the Weight Watcher pool.

This is two combined recipes, so there will be two parts below.

I had to run an errand with my daughter tonight and presented the recipes to Mr. F and asked him if he thought he could cook that up while we were out.  He gave it his best shot and it was yummy.  (I just asked him if he added the Parmesan cheese or butter to the Fettuccine, and he Forgot both!  Probably would've been even better had he or I remembered that part!) I WILL NEVER complain when he cooks for me because it just never happens! I'll take it.

He cooked waaaay too much pasta, not noticing it called for 9 ounces of it, so I did the 1/2-cup measure scoop to grab mine.  Next time I will measure out my pasta serving to ensure I have enough, and I'll keep searching for the spinach Fettuccine that I could not find on my last shopping trip. 

I will make this again.  Only 3 of the 5 of us were willing to try it.

Tuscan Chicken Ingredients:

4 (6-oz.) skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. water

Tuscan Chicken Instructions:  Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap and pound to 1/2" thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.  Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken.  Cook 3 mknutes on each side or until golden.  Add tomatoes and cook 4 minutes or until tomato skins pop.  Stir in balsamic vinegar and water.  Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is done and liquid almost evaporates.

Yields: 4 servings (serving size 1 chicken breast half and about 1/3 cup tomato mixture)
Points: 5

238 calories, 5.8 g fat, 40 g protein, 4.4 g protein, 0.9 g fiber, 407 mg sodium, 29 mg calcium


Spinach-Parmesan Fettuccine Ingredients: 

1 (9-oz.) package fresh spinach Fettuccine
1/4 c. (1.3 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp butter

Spinach-Parmesan Fettucine Instructions:  Cook Fettucine according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain. Combine the cooked pasta, cheese, and butter and toss well.

Yields: 7 servings (serving size about 1/2 cup)
Points: 3 

157 calories, 5.5 g fat, 6.4 g protein, 20.3 g carbohydrate, 1.2 g fiber, 39 mg cholesterol, 128 mg sodium, 93 mg calcium

A Fab Grab Option when You're Fiending for a Crunch for 3 Weight Watcher Points

That is an entire 1-ounce serving of these Veggie Straws for only 3 Weight Watcher Points.  Talk about get your crunch on, and the serving is large enough you feel a little more satisfied at having crunched your way through them over a prolonged period of time, rather than a minute or those single-bite treats. lol

Fab Grab for Lunch Option - Only 7 Weight Wacher Points

Okay, so it's not the healthiest choice, but it's an easy choice when you are on the run or out and about and in doubt about what you can have.  You can bop on into the grocery store, or probably party store, and grab one of these wraps and just know it's only 7 points.  It is a ready-made wrap.  You just peel back the paper top and it's ready to eat as is.

If you are like me and don't like to be wasteful, yet crave a regular ol' sandwich occasionally and don't want to waste the rest of the lunch meat you had to buy to make that single sandwich, then this is an option for you that you can dress up with lettuce, onions, and tomatoes.

Beefy Black Bean Chili for 7 Weight Watchers Points

This is not a Family Favortie, but 3 of the 5 of us do love it.  The positive to something not being a Family Favorite is that I can store leftovers for Fast Grabs for myself and just KNOW the points value of it.

Mr. F actually requested I make up a double batch this time he loves it so much.  The Fact that he liked it so much in the past meant I would Frequently go for a Fast Grab leftover only to discover he had taken it to work for lunch!  That caused me some hardship trying to Figure out what to replace it with last minute. 

Ingredients: 

2 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. lean ground beef (10% or less fat)
2 (14-1/2-oz.) cans stewed tomatoes* (see Quick Tip below)
1 (19 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14-1/2 oz.) can no-salt-added corn kernels, drained
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 ripe avocado, finely chopped*
32 baked tortilla chips

Quick Tip:  I chop the whole stewed tomatoes, but to save time, I discovered that you can use pre-diced stewed tomatoes.  The quantity in 1 can is enough, but you can judge the quantity you wish to add into this dish yourself as to whether or not you would want to add 2 cans of pre-diced, stewed tomatoes.  I also freeze my quartered avocados, pull out a piece about an hour before dinner, and then dice over top of the dish.


Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add the onion.  Saute until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.  Saute, stirring constantly, 1 minute longer.  Add the beef and brown, breaking it apart about 5 minutes.

Stir in the stewed tomatoes (I chop the whole stewed tomatoes or buy pre-chopped and used only 1 can).  Add the beans and corn as well.  Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes.  Serve with the tomato, avocado, and tortilla chips.

Optional garnishes:  Chopped red onions or scallions, cilantro.  You can serve as listed here, or serve over rice as well.  Just figure out your points for the addition of the rice. 

Points:  7
Yield: 6 (approximate 1-1/3 c.) servings

346 calories, 10 g total fat, 43 mg cholesterol, 448 mg sodium 42 g total carbohydrate, 9 g dietary fiber, 26 g protein, 101 mg calcium

Fab Grab Lunch of Lentil Soup & Bagel Thin WITH Butter for 7 WW Points!

Here is another easy peasy Fab grab.  Great for taking to work for lunch for working moms.  Can't call this one Family Friendly, as I'm the only one who eats it, but I L-O-V-E this soup.  (All other lentil soups I've tried didn't even come close and were actually revolting on occasion.)

I whole cupful is only 3 Weight Watchers points.  The Bagel Thin is only 2 points, but with 1 tablespoon of butter on it is only 2 more for a total of 4.

(I buy multiple cans when on sale & label with expiration date) I always have it handy for those days when I just don't know what to make from scratch for lunch that way.

Family Friendly Taco Salad - 8 Weight Watcher Points

Yes I can and do eat taco salad when doing Weight Watchers.  Of course, as my points allowance goes down, so does the way I make some of my dishes.  Right now, however, I have a lot of points to use each day, and when my dinner is going to be around 10 points, I make sure that my breakfast, lunch, and snacks are Far Fewer in points. I doubled the below recipe tonight.

Homemade taco seasoning (zero points):

Brown your pound of lean ground beef and crumble.

Add in the following:

1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon paprika

Mix well and add in 1/2 cup water.  Cook until water evaporates to your taste. 

Assemble the following ingredients to make taco salad:

1 ounce of the seasoned lean ground beef mixture        2 points
1/8 c. (0.5 oz.) Mexican blend cheese                            1.5 points
28 grams of regular tortilla chips                                    3 points
1/2 tablespoon fat-free sour cream                                 0.25 points
about 1/8 c. diced onions is                                            0.12 points
0.8 oz. cubed avocado                                                   1 point
shredded lettuce                                                             0 points
diced tomato                                                                  0 points

TOTAL                                                                         7.87 (or 8) points


You can minimize the points by using baked tortilla chips (which my local grocery no longer carries), low-fat cheeses, and by eliminating the sour cream or avocado or both. You could also substitute fat-free greek yogurt for the sour cream as well.

It is Family Friendly because with all of the fixings set up in the middle of the table and the addition of some hard shell and/or soft-shell taco shells/tortilla shells, the kids can make whatever they want--the tacos, the soft tacos, or the taco salad. 

For now, this mixture works for me, and today I still have 1.25 points left. I'm stuffed! Enjoy!

Tuna Tomato for 6 Weight Watcher Points

You can probably manipulate the points by using a Fat-Free version of the ranch, but I don't have to right now on my current allowance, so I don't.

For this dish, all you need is:

1 nice firm and ripe whole tomato                  0 points
A 5-ounce can of albacore tuna in water        1 point/ounce (total 3.3 pts.)
3 Tablespoons of low-fat mayo                      (I add this w/the almonds to make a point)
A healthy pinch of toasted sliced almonds     (I add this w/the mayo to make 1 whole point)
1/2 Tablespoon of ranch dressing                   1 point
Lettuce                                                             0 points

My low-fat Hellman's mayo comes out to zero points per tablespoon, but I assign it a point for using 3 tablespoons and count the pinch of almonds with it as well.  Since it comes out to 5.3 points for me, I round up to 6 just in case.

I have no idea where I got this recipe from.  It was easy enough for me to remember and I like it enough to eat when not dieting.  I will also serve this up to the ladies who join me for a lunch.

When I was doing NutriSystem, this is one of the three options I had for the pouch of tuna salad they provided as a lunch.  Sometimes I used the almonds and ranch dressing and others I didn't, depending on whether or not I had the allowance of the Extras.  The other options I made for that tuna salad pouch were a simple tuna fish sandwich with onions added in, and this Tuna Melt recipe. 

In the picture above, I used too many almonds and too much ranch. I was winging it based on suggested serving sizes according to the packaging of the ingredients I used because I couldn't remember the points, but I adjusted the recipe I am sharing accordingly for your use.

Wash your tomato and cut off the bottom if it doesn't sit well without rolling.   Core the stem piece out. Cut your tomato into 8 wedges (think pizza style), but do NOT go all the way through.  Go about 3/4 the way down with each cut.  Then gently open the tomato so it rests all flowered out.  Fill it with your tuna mixture of all of the tuna fish and 3 tablespoons of lite mayo.  Top with a drizzle (no more than 1/2 tablespoon) of ranch dressing and a healthy pinch of toasted sliced almonds (no more than 0.12 ounces). Put a bed of lettuce down onto a plate and place your finished tuna tomato on top.  Cut with a knife and fork down and through the lettuce for each bite.

I will come back at a later date and show you another way to prepare and eat this dish. 

Voila! All done. 

It's Fraudulent the Way they Label Foods for Servings

I know we're all well aware that Food labeling practices can be questionable, but when they are allowed to say that there are approximately 2 servings per can, it ought to actually be at least ALMOST two servings.  This isn't even close, and it isn't the only product to Fall well below the claim.

The label on this can of tuna says there are about two servings.  It also lists 2 ounces as a single serving size.  Well almost 2 servings would be closer to 4 ounces in my opinion.

This can make calculating points a little tricky.  Tricky equals Frustrating for me.

In actuality, this is more like 1.5 servings per can, as in "Let us throw in a little extra fer ya over your one allotted single serving."  I guess it's kind of like pricing things $X.99, as if we believe $9.99 isn't really $10. 

Here is yet another of my favorite's with a Fraudulent label.  I love this soup, but the can says "About 2" for how many servings are within.  It says that 1 whole cup is a single serving, but when I divide the can into precisely half, each serving is 3/4 cup.  Multiply THAT by 2 and you wind up with 1.5 servings if each serving is a cupful.

So what do I do?  I eat the 3/4 c. serving so I can have it for lunch twice, but I still count it as the full cup for figuring my points because I'm lazy.  See why it's Frustrating?

Fierce Friday DIY Facial Review - 1/31/14

Wellll......I tried this skin-tightening egg white, mashed avocado, and honey recipe for a DIY facial tonight.  It sort of burned my skin, but I left it on for 20 minutes anyway.

Firstly, I don't think the mixture was quite right.  Maybe because I had extra-large eggs, but I didn't have any "liquid" to drain off.  It mixed rather well, but was very runny and not mask-like.  I decided to throw it into my Magic Bullet blender because that tends to add a lot of air and sort of whips what you mix with it.  It did blend it wonderfully and whip it wonderfully, but it was thin and not still not very mask-like.  Next time I try it I will add only one egg white and try it to see if it gets more paste-like.

The burn made me panic a tad, and I had to get into the shower to wash it off.  When I wet it with warm water to rinse it, it just slimed around.  Yes, my skin DOES actually FEEL tighter, but I'm not sure if it's a drying effect yet or not.

I put a tweet out to a Hollywood makeup artist, to see if they had any Feedback on the ingredients.  I'll keep ya posted on this one.  (so far, no extra input)

Update:  2/1/14 (the next day)

I came back to tell ya that while I can't see that my skin appears tighter, my pores are smaller!  Not sure if that's what "tightening" meant or not, but I like the way my skin looks today.  My makeup looks particularly smooth, so I'm voting this a must do again! 

(I couldn't tell much of anything last night after my hot shower, as my mirrors were steamed up! lol)