Hearts for Lunch? (Lunchtime Lettuce Cups)

Don’t be scared.  I’m not really writing about hearts.  Well, not the kind you’re thinking about.  I’ll explain in a minute.

This week, summer vacation officially ended for me.  I’m back at work.  We made it through our first two teacher work days, and soon all the kiddos will join us at school. 

It’s been a great week.  I’m really excited about getting the school year started.  But with work starting, it means that I’ve got to start being a better planner when it comes to lunches.  Last year I started off doing really well… but before long I was falling into the cafeteria trap.  Our school lunches are better than the stereotype.  However, there’s a lot of processed food, and it’s not always the healthiest.  I have found that the key (for me) is to be able to have healthy choices readily available.  And that means keeping a well-stocked work fridge and pantry.  Enter Lunchtime Lettuce Cups. 

This idea is actually one I got from my sisters and my mom.  I got addicted to those cute round flat breads last year.  They are great for sandwiches.  However, I fell a little less in love with them when Weight Watchers changed their POINTS system and they jumped from 1 to 3 POINTS, mainly due to the carbs.

You can use lots of different types of lettuce for these Lunchtime Lettuce Cups, but I like Hearts of Romaine.  (Hence the title… “Hearts for Lunch.”)  The shape of the leaves is like a little boat—or a hot dog bun.  Plus, they add a nice crunchy texture.  The filling possibilities are endless.  The Lunchtime Lettuce Cups I have pictured here are filled with spicy pimento cheese and roma tomato slices. 

Another combination that my sister Adrienne recommended to me (and it is delicious): Spread each lettuce leaf with a little chive and onion cream cheese (I use the light version).  Top with thin slices of turkey breast or grilled chicken breast strips, and chopped tomatoes.

As I said, there are many possibilities, AND these are healthy and low-carb.  Add some fruit or a cup of vegetable soup for a delicious, nutrient-rich lunch.  I’ve actually got a soup recipe to share with you very soon… AND another very filling Lunchtime Lettuce Cup idea!  Think… cheeseburger… meets salad.  Coming soon!

Zumba in the Q.C. (and more cheating…)

Happy Saturday to everyone!

So last night was a super fun night!  My friend Katie and I headed up to Charlotte (aka “The Queen City”… aka “The Q.C.) for a DanceOut class with Queen City Dance Out.  We had such a fun time!  Lots of fun music!  What a great way to start a weekend.  Then we decided to take advantage of the time out of the house and do dinner, too.  After I took Katie on a 20 minute ride through the “big city” we ended up at Fuel Pizza.  Yeah, I know… what was I doing?  Did I forget about Eat In Month?  Well…

I had a side salad…

and a calzone with sausage, peppers, and onions.  It was so delicious!  No idea what the Points were… probably not great, right?

 

Then I headed home to rest and get ready for more Zumba this morning!  This time it was Katie’s class, but I led two songs!   I was practicing a new song, “Forget You” and an old(er) one, “Sacudelo.”  It was a very fun class with lots of shaking and hollering!

Tonight we had some really delicious turkey burgers!  I used this recipe.  They were so tasty!  I didn’t have fresh parsley, so I used dried.  I also pretended it was the year 2000 and broke out the George Foreman Grill.  Usually I only use this for making grilled sandwiches, but it is nice to have for making these little sliders. 

 

 

I decided to forego the bun.  We enjoyed some edamame and mashed potatoes, too.

So, many people ask me all the time… what is a good snack food?  Well, I LOVE edamame in the pods for a snack.  I like to steam them with just a little salt and they are delicious!  They are a great alternative to peanuts or other salty snacks.  They remind me of boiled peanuts!  So if you haven’t tried edamame, then you must!  It’s so delicious!  And good for you, too!

So… on a sad note…

I haven’t mentioned this yet on my blog, but we did receive some sad news this week.  My mom’s college roommate and lifelong friend, Chris, lost her husband, Phil to cancer this week.  Phil was an amazing person—so much fun to be around and always so caring and generous.  We’ve known Chris, Phil, and their son, Josh, for many years and I have so many fun memories from our times together.  My parents attended his memorial service today.  I wish I could have been there, but I just couldn’t make the trip after all the snow we have had and after all the work that I missed.  I feel so blessed to have known Phil, but this week has been sad.  He had been very sick, and I am just thankful that he does not have to suffer any more or be in pain.  It’s always hard to say goodbye to someone you care about.

Cheesy Spinach Casserole... Brought to You by Clash of the Titans

So, normally, I wouldn't be posting in the middle of the day.  Mainly because I am usually at work!  Today is snow day number two of this week.  It's pretty cloudy and cold, so not much thawing is happening.  In fact, I'd say I might be here again tomorrow. 

Anyway, the husband suggested we watch a movie during Sadie's nap time.  Hi suggestion:  "Clash of the Titans."  Have any of you ever seen this movie?  Let me sum it up for you: swords, giant scorpions, hands being sliced off, Medusa...

Not my cup of tea.  Waste of a good nap time, if you ask me.

I just told him, "Wait till you see what I pick for us to watch tonight.  Paypack is coming."  Any suggestions???  I am thinking along the lines of "Titanic."

So anyway, while this movie plays on, let me share this quick and easy recipe for Cheesy Spinach Casserole with you.

This is originally from The Four Ingredient Cookbook, but I have lightened it up a bit.  If you like spinach, you'll love this dish.  It's warm, cheesy, filling, and SO easy to put together.  Come on... 4 ingredients??  Yes please!  I also think this could be awesome in a pie crust, sort of like a quiche... but I didn't have one here and was feeling too lazy to make one.  If you follow the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus, it is 4 points per serving (serves 4).

Ingredients:
8 oz. 2% Cottage Cheese
4 oz. 2% Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 eggs
1 9-oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed out

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the cheeses and the spinach together.  Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, and then mix them with the cheese/spinach mixture.  Pour mixutre into a greased caserole dish (nonstick spray works great, too) and bake for 45 minutes. 

Enjoy! 

Are you snowed in?  How are you spending your snow days???

Hello, friends!  Happy Saturday!  I don't know about you all, but I was really ready for the weekend!  I think I was spoiled by my nice winter vacation.  The past 2 days have been filled with lots of good food, dancing, food-shopping, adventures on the scale, and some nice down time.  I hope you all are enjoying your weekend, too!

Last time I posted, I was talking about the scale and how I was... um... not so eager to get on it.  But I did.  And today I went to do my first official weigh-in of 2011.  (I tried to go on Thursday but the line was CRAZY long!)  Well, I got it over with.  I went in knowing I was up, but now I can move forward and get back down!  I picked up lots of reading material relating to the new Points Plus program, plus a new Points Plus calculator. 

I've done loads of dancing this weekend already!  Last night I went to a Dance Out class with Queen City Dance Out!  That was tons of fun.  When it was over, I headed over to the Epicenter to Whiskey River for a Master Class with the new Zumba Education Specialist, Loretta!  She will be doing all the training for Zumba instructors in North and South Carolina.  That was a blast.  It was so much fun to have a Zumba class at a nightclub.  I have heard of people going to classes at clubs, and always thought that would be fun.  It makes you feel like you're just dancing the night away with friends-- not exercising.  And I got to see Diana, too!After all that, I wasn't sure if my knees would let me go to Zumba with Katie this morning, but I made it!  (However, I will be taking a break until Monday!)

The latest news is that it may snow on Monday.  They are saying we could get 5 inches, which is a lot in the south.  So of course we had to go get our milk and bread!  :) 

And finally... for the food...

This morning, I had some almond butter toast, a fried egg (surprise!) and string cheese.  Almond butter is quickly becoming one of my favorite things!

For lunch, I decided to make a tortilla pizza with garlic, dried basil, roma tomatoes, and some of the perlini mozzarella I had left over.  It was so light and tasty!

This afternoon, I cooked a big pot of veggie soup.  I have not made this soup in a long time, and I don't know why!  This soup is a lifesaver.  I like to eat it before meals to get my veggies, but also because it keeps me from totally overeating.  It makes great snacks and lunches, too.  I follow this recipe, sometimes changing some of the veggies.  I left out the broccoli and cauliflower today, and I didn't have any swiss chard.  Other than that, I stuck to the recipe.  I do saute the onions and carrots a bit first before adding the broth and other veggies.

And finally... a taco salad tonight. 

Now, time for me to go snuggle with the hubs and the munchkin.  It's chilly!

Scared of... the Scale?

So, first I need to play a little game of catch-up.  I've been away from my blog for a few days.  Oh, how I miss those lovely winter vacation days...

As many of you know, I am participating in the Eat In Month Challenge.  The first couple of days were easy.  The past couple of days... eh... not so much. 

Let me take you back to Tuesday.  Tuesday was a special day: the Hubby's 36th birthday!  (Hope he won't be mad that I am posting his age!)  Unfortunately, it was a SUPER busy day for us.  When I asked him what he wanted for his special birthday dinner, he said, "Cheeseburgers."  Of course.  So I made a plan.  The night before I went and got ingredients to make healthy sliders with spicy baked fries.  But Tuesday afternoon I taught Zumba, and then we both had a churh meeting to attend, so we didn't get home until almost 8:00 p.m.  Poor hubby!  What a birthday!  We wanted to cave.  In fact, he said, "Let's just go pick something up."  I'll admit, I thought about it.  But in the end, I went ahead and cooked what I had planned to cook.  You know what?  We ate a little later than normal, but it was SO worth it. 

The sliders were so good and way better for us than picking up some greasy burgers and fries.  Then of course we celebrated with cupcakes.  (Actually, we had to celebrate with cupcakes FIRST so that the munchkin could be a part of the celebration before her bedtime.)

Singing "Happy Birthday to You"

So... I bet you're wondering what the hubs got for his birthday.  Well, I think I may be winning the Wife of the Year award.  I got him...

wait for it...


a Wii! 


I have to admit, the Wii was actually a "we" gift.  I think I will enjoy it a lot, too.  (Especially since I got the Wii Fit Plus with the Balance Board to go along with it!)

So last night, after church, we got the munchkin in bed and decided to try out the Wii Fit Plus.  Do any of you have this?  It's pretty cool.  We both went through the initial fitness test together.  I made him go first.  We found out several things about each other.  I can tell you about Ryan's weight, balance, BMI, and more.  Now that's trust, right?  Then it was my turn.  I let Ryan watch me do the balance test.  (I am WAY more balanced!)  And then came the moment I was dreading... the weight and BMI part.  I have been very lax about keeping track of what I eat and not exercising as much as I used to.  When I lost most of my weight, I was doing all sorts of activities.  Lately, it's been just Zumba.  I haven't been weight training, either.  So I was afraid to see the numbers on the scale.  And the BMI.  And... ugh... it wasn't good.  I KNEW it wasn't going to be good.  You know?  It's like when you've been shopping for clothes all day, and you know you've spent a lot and you are dreading adding up the receipts?  Yeah, that is the feeling I had.  And to make matters worse, I let Ryan WATCH.  So he knows the numbers.  (Now, if that's not serious marital trust, I don't know what is!)

But now that I have seen the numbers and I know the damage, I can start to do something about it.  I read magazines and other stories all the time where people say, "I never step on the scale.  I just go by how I feel."  And to a degree, I believe this works.  I mean, I didn't have to get on the scale to know I was up several (ok, I'll be honest... 15) pounds. My favorite black pants are too tight to put them on right now and my jeans are tight, too.

BUT... I HAD to get on the scale in order to face the facts that I need to get busy doing something about it.  That means more cross-training, and DEFINITELY better eating habits.  I'm following the new Weight Watchers Points Plus plan.  It has been a challenge.  It's TOTALLY different from the old plan.   

So, it's a new year, and I am facing new challenges.  But I am up for it!

Have you ever been afraid to face the scale?  What did you do about it?

Deep Dish Mexican Pizza AND... A Way to Burn it Off!!!

Well, let's get the exercise part over with, because there's no way it's as much fun to talk about as this deep dish pizza... (Here's a little preview.  YUMMM.)

So, tonight I learned a way to burn more calories in your group fitness classes... Get on the FRONT ROW!  Now, I am not a back row gal when I am taking a class.  I can't stand when I can't see the instructor.  But I also don't get on the front row.  (Weird, huh?  The front doesn't bother me if I am teaching, but if I am a participant, I am more a second-row girl.)  Well, tonight, my "usual spot" was gone.  (How territorial are we?!)  So, I ended up on the front row.  Let me tell you... it made me work so much harder!  I guess I need to move on up to the front more often.  I know I worked harder than I have been working. 

This morning, I had two delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.  (No pictures this time... for some reason they did not turn out as pretty as they did last time.) 

I had a wrap and Baked! chips for lunch from my school cafeteria. 

I have been doing so great drinking my water this week. 

I'm doing a two-day lesson on clouds this week.  I've learned a lot more about clouds that I didn't know.  This afternoon, the clouds were really cool-looking, so I ran out with my new camera lenses and snapped some shots to show the kids tomorrow.  I used my wide-angle lens for these pictures.  The wide angle just allows you to get more of the scene in the picture.

Do you know what kind of clouds these are?
a.  cumulus
b.  stratus
c.  cirrus

Before this week, I couldn't have told you.  But now I know!  The answer will come tomorrow!

I taught Zumba after school, and then headed to Zumba at the Y.  After all that, I headed to Weight Watchers.  I was REALLY hoping for a loss this week.  Last week I didn't lose, and this week I gained 0.2 pounds!  UGH!!!!!!  Can you feel my frustration?  I am trying to remind myself that slow and steady wins the race, but I am getting tired of being the tortoise in this race!

Anyway, on to the pizza. 

This is a twist on a Weight Watchers recipe I got a long time ago.  I put a little Mexican twist on it.

"Deep Dish Mexican Pizza"

Ingredients:
1 roll of refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 cans diced tomatoes with chili seasoning
1 lb. lean or extra lean ground beef
1 cup of reduced fat shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.  Then, unroll the pizza dough and press into the bottom of the dish and up the sides (creating the "deep dish").  Once oven is preheated, pop the dough in for about 5 minutes, just to cook the bottom a little.  Brown the meat and drain the fat.  Add in the diced tomatoes.  I also added in some spices here-- just some cumin, chili powder, and some Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Hot.  (No exact measurements here-- just whatever you like)  Using a slotted spoon, spoon the meat and tomato mixture into the partially-baked crust.  (Using a slotted spoon will keep some of the juice in the pan, keeping your pizza from becoming mushy.)  Top the meat mixture with the shredded cheese.  Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese is melted.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The points for this are around 6-7 per slice, and there are 6 HEARTY slices here.  (Remember, it's DEEP DISH!) 

Adding a glass of vino makes it even better, by the way! :)

It's Friday-Eve!  Cheers!

Hard Rock Chicken Noodle Soup and Easy Apple Cake!

Another busy day has passed…

It was a great day at school.  I taught Zumba after school and then I went to Zumba with Katie right afterwards.  I led “Sacudelo” again!  Yay for Zumba!  What a great way to wind down the week…

Then I went for a weigh-in at Weight Watchers… and gained .8 of a pound.  UGH.  I think I really have got to get back to drinking my water.  I KNOW I feel differently when I drink the water faithfully.  I have not filled up my Bubba Keg all week!  I am thinking about making lemon-mint water all next week.  It tastes so good (so I drink a lot of it) and then I feel so refreshed.  Plus, it looks pretty in the glass.  This weekend, I am going to buy some.  You’ll see it next week.

Last night I had a fabulous dinner with some great friends!  Kate made “Hard Rock Café Chicken Noodle Soup.”  It was sooooo delicious!  Sometimes you forget how good actual homemade soup is.  Thank you Kate!  And it tasted even better than it looks in these pictures. 

Kate's pretty tablescape...

Hard Rock Chicken Noodle Soup!  What a treat!

As I look at these pictures, I am wishing I could have it for breakfast!

Angie and Mandy

Elizabeth, Kate, and Moi!  (By the way, Kate is having a baby boy in just over a month!  Doesn't she look GREAT!)

 Remember how I was making that dessert for our girls’ night?  Well, it turned out to be a great fall treat.  It was “Super Duper Easy Apple Cake.”  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It was submitted by Cindy.

 Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and finely diced

Directions: Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 10 inch tube pan.  (I used a bundt pan.) Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla extract, then fold in the chopped apples. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

The apples get soft and and bake right into the cake.  This cake SMELLS amazing, too.  I think you could probably add more apples to it.  And I am also wondering if you could add pumpkin to it for a really nice fall treat.  I may try that...

My apple cake.  (Pics came out kinda dark...)

More apple cake

I served it with cool whip on the side.  If you have it, whipped cream would be better, or homemade whipped cream is even better, maybe with a little cinnamon and nutmeg mixed in, but I didn’t have time to make it myself. 

I am so excited that today is Friday!  I just stopped on the way to work this morning and grabbed a pumpkin latte from Dunkin Donuts.  I couldn’t wait any longer.  But it wasn’t as good as Starbucks!  So I will be hitting up Starbucks this weekend.

We have some fun things planned for the weekend!  Stay tuned!  And Happy Friday!!!

My On-Again Relationship with Weight Watchers

So, over the years, I have had an on-again-off-again relationship with Weight Watchers.  I think I have joined three or four different times.  However, I rejoined "for real" in January of 2009 and vowed that I would make changes!  And I did!  I lost 40 pounds over about a year.  Here's a before and after, just so you can see the difference...

This is before WW...

And this is "After." 

I feel great about my progress so far.  But I really want to lose about 40 more pounds.  It will probably take 50 to make the Weight Watchers recommended goal.  I am just coming off a super-exciting and fun summer where I gained back about 10 pounds.  So it's back to counting points for me!

One thing I really struggle with is finding foods that are:

1.  Easy to prepare

2.  Quick to prepare

3.  Somewhat healthy (i.e. lower in POINTS)

4.  Tasty-- because everyone else in the household has to eat them, too!

As I come across food finds, I will share them here!