Monday

Wow...The weekend FLEW by! Yesterday was success at the produce store! Look at all of my goodies! I get so excited when I have lots of fruit and veggies at home! hehe :)

Today I had some shopping to do along with some errands but when I came home I made a vegetable lasagna. I've never made lasagna at home before-can you believe it??!! I kinda cheated and used the oven ready noodles...but it came out SO delicious and I could not imagine that the regular noodles would taste better, so why not save a step! :) So here is what I did-

First I chopped up 1 portobello mushroom, 1 yellow squash, 1 zucchini, and 1 small eggplant. Add the veggies to one 28 ounce can of Trader Joe's low fat marinara sauce (or any other sauce you like) Cook sauce w/veggies until vegetables are soft. Then I took 1 15 ounce container of fat free ricotta cheese mixed it with 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 4 ounces reduced fat mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper, a few sprinkles of dried oregano, and 3 crushed garlic cloves- MIX WELL. In a 8x8 pyrex dish-coat bottom with sauce/veggies- top with 2 sheets of oven ready lasagna noodles. Next layer the ricotta mixture and repeat steps until pan is full. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. EASY!

I loved this meal! I added all of my ingredients to the Weight Watchers recipe builder and came up with 6 points per serving. I got 6 BIG pieces of lasagna out of this dish...who wants to come over for leftovers? :)

Tomorrow is weigh in! YIKES! I never enjoy getting on that scale! lol I just hope I don't see a gain. I did skip the stuffing after all! lol As always I will let you all know how I do.

Have a great evening! BYE! :)

Oh hey...I just added this to my fridge to help motivate me. I have my red sharpie pen all set to cross off those numbers. 17 pounds left to go! :)

EASY EASY DINNER!

Hi! Looking for some food ideas huh? Well I am thankful for some pre-packaged stuff, but I love when I can mix fresh and FAST together. Check out this dinner!

Tj's Won Ton Soup

ANY pre-packaged frozen pot stickers-I used Trader Joe's chicken (serving is 7 for 4 WWpts.)
2 whole carrots-peeled and sliced at an angle
handful of sugar peas
handful of fresh mushrooms
2-3 green onions-diced
couple of handfuls of bok choy-chopped up
1 inch piece of fresh ginger-peeled and cut in half
chicken bouillon

See how EXACT I am with measurements! lol Ok so I used 5 cups of water-adding 5 teaspoons of chicken bouillon to that. Tossed in the fresh ginger to also flavor the broth. This comes out tasty! Then I added the carrots-boiled till cooked slightly-then fished those out. I cooked the mushrooms the same way-separately. Then in a microwave safe dish I cooked the pot stickers per directions on package- put those aside. Bring broth back to a boil- remove ginger pieces (throw away) add in bok choy, sugar peas, and green onions. Let boil a few minutes. I like all of the veggies still a little crisp- but you can cook them to your liking. Once bok choy is slightly cooked add in mushrooms and carrots. Stir in cooked pot stickers. I serve mine with hot chinese mustard. YUM!

Off to get ready to head out to spend the day with my Mom. I also need to dig out my Christmas box. I love decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. Gets me in the festive mood! :) You can bet that I'm going to eat another turkey sandwich today! I took home 4oz. for a sandwich yesterday and it was leftover heaven! lol

Have a great weekend everyone! :) BYE!

My Thanksgiving in Pictures.

We had a great day! Actually it was a great week! My brother flew in on Monday and you know what they say when you have fun...yep, times flies! It was a FAST week, but filled with lots of love and laughs. :) Yesterday's fun included my brother's partner Skott who flew in on Wednesday to join us. Steve and Skott just became engaged and I could not be happier for them. :) It was wonderful to have them here for the holiday. My brother's oldest friend, Justin also came over to join us. So here is our day filled with Wii bowling, bocce, horseshoes, card throwing, food, and LOTS of fun. :)

Oh! Since this is a blog about my weight loss journey and yesterday was a holiday that is centered around food- my dinner plate is included in the pictures. I planned a plate 2 weeks ago at my WW meeting filled with 12 points of food- and stuck to the plan. The only addition was a bite of corn casserole that Skott made and I wanted a bite of. :) Check out how yummy my Weight Watcher's pumpkin pie looks! YUM!





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There ya go! That is a lot of photo sharing huh? lol I think I've made a body image breakthrough FINALLY! I uploaded the pictures last night and with each picture of myself I always pick at some part of my body making comments on what is still wrong with me. But last night I actually thought I looked pretty good. lol I know that comment sounds like I am full of myself but it is SO not like me. There is always a picture that I delete or crop because of my butt, thighs, arms or belly. Not this year! It is the first time that I looked at photos of myself and liked what I saw. :)

Just went to see what pictures I had from 2007 Thanksgiving. This is the week before I started Weight Watchers 213lbs. I have no full body shots - no shocker to me.





I feel like one of those old ladies that sit down on the couch with you and show you family photos for hours, no matter how boring it might be to you! lol Sorry...just wanted to share my fun day. :) I hope all of you had as much fun as I did. Today is filled with laundry and cleaning- not so fun!

Have a great day everyone! BYE! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to say Happy Turkey Day to all of you! There are so many things I am thankful for this year and one of those is all of YOU! All of the support I get is amazing. I love it!

Here are a few more things I am thankful for...

~My wonderful boyfriend Sean. He is my best friend and my main support system. I don't know how he loved me 69.6 pounds ago but I am grateful that he did. :)

~ My Parents. I love the fact that my Dad calls me skinny. lol It cracks me up! I am thankful that my Mom likes to try new WW recipes with me and/or changes her dishes to make them friendly for me. I also love the fact that both of my parents read my blog and enjoy it. :)

~My brother Steve. I am so thankful for having a close relationship with him. I wish he lived closer to me, but I know I can always call him when I wanna chat. Oh and gotta love iChat! lol I also love his supportive (and funny) comments on my blog. :)

~My determination. I also can add in willpower to this one. For me they go hand in hand. I have the willpower BECAUSE I am determined.

~Weight Watchers. I don't need to say why do I? lol :)


I hope everyone has a wonderful day! Enjoy your friends and family, I know I will! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

BYE! :)

Down....

Down another 1.2

I weigh 162.4 (lowest weight ever as an adult for me! wow)

Total GONE 69.6


:)


Just wanted to post my WI and say HI! :) I am hanging out with my family today and enjoying my brother being home. :) BYE!

Blog Award!

Thanks Kat for the Superior Scribbler Award!



The Rules & Regulations are as follows:
Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass the award on to five (5) most deserving bloggers.
Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom s/he has received the award.

Each Superior Scribbler must display the award on his/her blog, and link to scholastic-scribe, which explains the award.
Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr Linky List. That way, they'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honor. ADD YOUR NAME/BLOG HERE
Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Picking only 5 people is hard task for me. I follow LOTS of great bloggers. I usually skip this part but I like the fact that you add your name to the scholastic scribe list! It's very cool- and I liked viewing some of the blogs listed. SO, here I go...

1. Sly- Amazing woman! Stop by and cheer her on! She is trying to lose the last 10 pounds- and has come so far! :)

2. Mommy2Joe- Two Words- FUNNY LADY! I love her writing, her attitude, and her humor. :)

3. Christy-Just started to follow Christy, but I enjoy her blog and can see that she is determined! :)

4. MISSSARAHLOU-Fellow WW who is kicking some serious ass along her journey! :)

5. Paula- If I could pick to go eat at ONE bloggers house...Id eat at Paula's! :) YUM! It's all about eating foods we love AND losing weight! :)

Ok...I HIGHLY recommend you follow, comment, and cheer on each of these bloggers. I DO! :)

Today is WI then I am headed out for another day at my Parents with my brother visiting. I did well yesterday, I ate my bulgar chili for lunch ( even got my brother to eat a bowl- although he kept asking what bulgar was lol) and for dinner I had a bowl of Mom's home made chicken soup. YUM! No macaroni, NO bread, NO butter. I did well! I had a BIG bowl with minimal potatoes- but I never know how to add up the points for this meal. I guessed 8. Anyone, anyone? lol :)

I will let you all know how WI goes...bye for now! :)

Wheeeeww!

Hi! I was busy all day cooking! I cooked to prepare for a busy week! Tomorrow morning I pick up my Brother from the airport. He is coming to spend the week with my parents. I know I wont be home much, so I made stuff to take with my to my parents to help me eat OP. Are you proud of me? :) hehe I will tell you what I cooked...but first for lunch we went to the Bubble Tea and Crepe place. We have not been there in months. The crepe is SO big so we split it. We also slpit the bubble tea- Honey jasmine YUM!


Ok on to the cooking! First up-
Bulgar Chili


1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, chopped (any colors)
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. salt
28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
Water to fill the 28 ounce tomato can
1 15 ounce can of fat free refried beans
1 15 ounce can of dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1 cup of uncooked bulgur

Heat oil in a large pot. Add the onion, carrot and garlic and saute for 7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and salt. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, and then fill the can with water. Add the water and the remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir well. Make sure that your refried beans get broken up. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Here is a good recipe that I found wandering around on blogs one night...however I can not remember what blog! I need to take notes as I wander! If it is your recipe please lemme know! :)

Pumpkin Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Ingredients
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg or vegan egg substitute equivalent
1 can pumpkin
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 – 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions
Mix sugar, applesauce, egg, and pumpkin until well blended.
Stir in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and chocolate chips.
Pour into a prepared 13 x 9 inch pan. Spread it out evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle on the coconut.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan completely before cutting into bars. Enjoy!
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I also cooked dinner tonight! I had chicken, Sean had shrimp.
I only had a small amount of shrimp so I generously gave them to him. :) We had our protein with some fresh steamed green beans and a new side dish I came across-

Lemon Caper Orzo

2 quarts water
1 cup whole wheat orzo
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers -- rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the orzo and salt. Boil for 10-12 minutes or until tender; drain. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, capers, olive oil and pepper into the orzo. Serve immediately.
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We walked over to the local frozen yogurt place tonight for my weekly treat. I allow it once a week and I was DYING for it today! I just love that I can enjoy a small cup of fro-yo and still lose weight! :) I am just about to shut down the computer and sit and relax with a big cup of sleepy time tea and a little bite of those pumpkin bars. I hope they turned out good! Have a great evening everyone! :) BYE!

HAPPY FRIDAY/FAKE CHINESE FOOD NIGHT! (Now with pictures of dinner!)

Hi! Happy Friday everyone! I have been busy today running errands and doing laundry (blah) but I wanted to say HELLO! I also wanted to show you my HUGE grapes! Take a look at the size of these!! I got a lil hungry as I was snapping pictures and had to snack a little. :)

hehe :)

Tonight is Fake Chinese Night! Whoo hoo! I love Chinese food, but we all know it is not the best for us. So I make my homemade "fried" rice, some Trader Joes pot stickers and a big bowl of edamame and Sean and I pig out!

This meal is super easy because I cheat and use frozen brown rice. Trader Joe's sells a box with 3 packs of brown rice in it. This is super handy for just Sean and I. I make one pack (microwave it for 3 minutes) place aside.
So here is my recipe-

TJ's Fake "Fried" Rice

2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup egg beaters
green onion-diced
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed veggies-defrosted
splash (or two) of soy sauce
1 clove of garlic-pressed
2 teaspoons olive oil
splash (or two) rice vinegar

In a large skillet or wok add oil, garlic-toss in rice and stir to mix & coat rice with oil/garlic. Add veggies and cook until heated through. Make a hole in middle of pan; add egg beaters and scramble until cooked. Stir entire pan, mixing egg into rice. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and green onion. :)

EASY! I can't wait for dinner! YUM! *UPDATE* Just sat down to eat-here is a picture for ya! :)

Thanks for all of the well wishes for my back to get better. Unfortunately it is not going to get better, and seems like there is nothing more that any doctor (that I have been to) can do for me. I have tried everything that was offered with high hopes, but I am determined to not let it stop me from living my life to its fullest! :)

Oh! I was told that the Fiber Gourmet pasta was available on Amazon.com as well! I will definitely check out the prices on Amazon before I place my next order! Good way to save some money! :)

I wanted to remind everyone that the official PriorFatGirl E-Cookbook 2009 went on sale today! Go check out Jen's blog for all of the details and to make a donation to the YMCA for a great cause-plus get the E-cookbook!

Hope everyone has a great Friday! BYE!

Binge proof pasta!

When it comes to pasta I am an endless pit. I can eat it until the cows come home. lol When I saw a mention of Fiber Gourmet brand pasta somewhere out there in bloggerland I had to check it out. Less calories, higher fiber...sign me up! Yes it is a little pricy but I felt worth a try. I ordered the sample case with 6 1/2 pound boxes. I have made it a couple of times now and I like it. Takes a bit longer to cook than normal pasta, but what I have found is that I can not eat more than 2-3 ounces. I always measure out 4 ounces and each time there is NO way I can eat it all. I think it is binge proof! All of that fiber makes it impossible to OD on it! lol COOL! Tonight I made the penne. I sauteed an onion in some olive oil, added cut up precooked chicken Italian sausage, and steamed broccoli. Topped it off with some parmesan cheese. Man, my belly is FULL! YUM!



Today I woke up and drove out to see my friend Tina. We just hung out and chatted. Sometimes we go to lunch but we tried to behave and make lunch today. Tina and I love a sandwich that they serve at a restaurant in downtown Antioch (where my parents live) I ordered it when we went there once and then I made it at home too. I love to copy yummy food that I eat out. I enjoy making it taste just as good, but with way less calories/fat. This may seem like a weird combo- but the flavors are SO good together!
English muffin, low fat swiss cheese, ham, pineapple ring, low fat ranch dressing, green onions. YUM! This is so good! :) Thanks Tina for a yummy lunch! :) I just realized that we didn't take any goofy pictures like we usually do together :( booo! So I added an old one from over the summer! hehe :) :)

OH! The first book I decided to read is Secrets of a Former fat Girl. I am enjoying it, some stuff I can really relate to, but I tend to skip over some of her info. I guess I shouldn't judge it too much yet...Im not done! :) I will let ya know.

Also I had planned on walking on my treadmill when I decided to read yesterday afternoon. However I had done about 30 minutes of my physical therapy exercises, light yoga stretches, and some leg exercise (my problem area!) in the morning and I was in tears by the afternoon with back pain. I just don't understand what causes my pain to get to that level. When we walked to the library on Tuesday night I carried 4 books back and I was super uncomfortable about 45 minutes after we came home. I know I did 30 minutes and that was a good start, but I get super frustrated that I can not be as active as I was. I have a set of golf clubs that I wish I could go use again. What kept me from wanting to go out on the golf course before was my weight. I didn't want to be the fat girl who golfs. One of my dream items is my own kayak. I have only been a few times- but it was years ago. I feel like Im bitching and complaining here. I know that my back problems could be worse, and I know it is not the end of the world. But sometimes I feel like I am missing out on things I like to do. Ok, enough.... I am grateful for the health I do have and all of the wonderful people in my life that are my ROCKS! That includes all of you! My blogger buddies help motivate me so much! THANKS EVERYONE! :) Have a great night! :) BYE!

HI!

Hey Everyone! Last night Sean and I walked over to the new library and I found some interesting books! Take a peek- Anyone read any of these already?


As you can see I have LOTS of reading to do. :)

I also just finished a project that I have been working on for almost 2 weeks. I have all of the Clean Eating magazines but each time I flip through them I wished I had them in a binder with the pages protected- so VIOLA! Of course it wasn't as easy and just adding the pages to the sheet protectors- they had to be trimmed too. So it took me a while...but I finished today and I love the final result. Kinda lame huh? lol I was going to tear out recipes or tips that I liked in each magazine issue but every page has something I wanted. lol The semi-hoarder in me has come out! :)


Lunch today was another tostada day! this one I topped with some tamed jalepenos. YUM Tonight for dinner pita pizzas with wedge salads :) Yep, we eat these a lot- We luv them! :)
These salads are topped with the best blue cheese dressing that is GUILT FREE! YUM!

So with all of those books to read, I made a promise to myself to not sit around reading them all day. It was OK to read them, just not on my ass. :) I am about to plug in the treadmill and walk while I read! :) Yeah me! Just a small way to get some exercise in!
Hope everyone has a GREAT day! BYE! :)

PS.. I had someone ask me about my hair. Yes it is naturally curly. I use to HATE it, but I have grown to love my curls. :) But it does not grow very fast! I am trying- I think it has been 6 month since my last hair cut! lol PLEASE GROW! lol