Go Potty, Eat CANDY!!!!

Today Aaron decided it was a good idea to go potty in the toilet. The end result of getting candy of course was his ultimate motivation - and he probably ate more candy than 'real' food today, but he's developing a habit of using the facilities instead of his diaper. At least, that's what I'm hoping. He did choose to brush his teeth all on his own tonight. I guess all those jelly beans were starting to bother him.

We started in a diaper this morning, but after a huge yucky blowout (right after I changed him no less), he didn't want to put a diaper back on. He did want to go potty in the toilet however, so I bargained with him. He ended up in a diaper of some sort today, but we still called it 'underwear'. Basically I used all my fitted and pocket diapers that could snap into shape so that they could be pulled up and down like underwear. And learning from last attempt, I made sure the diapers had a liner so that should a poopy 'accident' happen, I'd be able to flush it with ease.

Today's efforts came with mixed results. He did use the toilet a lot, but every use came after wetting himself. Eventually I figured out to use the pocket diapers so that he'd have a cover (although my FuzziBunz are worn out enough that we still had leaking). He was trying hard to get his candy, so sometimes he spent a good half hour in the bathroom waiting to go potty. But the time spent paid off. Several times he would go potty, get up and start to get dressed and tell me that he had more. And he did! This occurrance was more frequent in the afternoon after watching Jared go potty. Aaron had to go potty like Jared, so he'd stand at the big toilet. He'd get so excited about 'making mountains' that I don't think he ever quite got done.

I was impressed that one time he wanted to sit on the big potty. What he really needed was to have a bowel movement, but eventually he gave up on the big potty and wanted his small chair again. He never did have his poop, but he gave it a grand effort. In fact, he's tried to poop on the toilet two or three days in a row now, but without success. Still, he's had gas while sitting there and that's progress. He recognizes when it is coming. Soon he'll get used to the sensation and position and be able to get two candies!

It was really nice when he was gone for a few days and I didn't have to worry about diapers all day. If Aaron keeps this effort up, it might not be long before I won't be changing diapers all the time :)

Spinach Turkey Roll

Spinach Turkey Roll, 4 pts for 8 servings
published in Light & Tasty August/September 2004, p29

Ingredients

1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce, eggs, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, basil, oregano and mustard. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well.

On a sheet of waxed paper, pat turkey mixture into a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Sprinkle with spinach and cheese. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side and peeling waxed paper away while rolling. Seal seam and ends. Place seam side down in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165°. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Heat remaining spaghetti sauce; serve over turkey. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 each) equals 230 calories, 11 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 137 mg cholesterol, 395 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 20 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable.

**********
Made April 5th. This has been on the menu since I went through the cookbook and I finally had the time to make it. The hour-long cooktime makes it challenging because the heating is off in our oven, making it so everything takes longer. I was pleasantly surprised when this dish was ready in an hour and a half.

I used 99/1 ground turkey, which I'm sure helped keep the points low. I ran out of mozz cheese, so I mixed some cheddar in with it too. My spaghetti sauce was leftover from spaghetti I had made previously. I prefer Del Monte's Four Cheese, so that was what I used. I don't think I spread it out quite as much as the recipe calls for because I was able to fit it in a 7 x 11.5 pan (or whatever the size is just under 9x13. I cut the loaf into 8 slices too. For 6 servings the points would have been 6.

I am quite pleased with the final product. Jared said it was ok, but I enjoyed the meatloaf flavor without all the points. It is a good healthy option to meatloaf. I think next time I might try fresh spinach instead of the frozen because I don't care for the frozen spinach taste, although it wasn't very strong in this recipe.

Creamy Vanilla Pudding

Creamy Vanilla Pudding, 5 pts for 1/2 c.
published in Reminisce Extra April 1993, p49

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups milk, divided
Pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Place 2 cups milk and salt in a saucepan. Sprinkle sugar on milk and do not stir; heat over medium-high. Quickly combine cornstarch with remaining milk; add egg yolks and mix well. When milk comes to a full boil, remove saucepan from the heat and stir in cornstarch mixture. Pudding will begin to thicken. Return to the heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and butter. Pour into individual dishes. Serve warm. Yield: 4 servings.

*****
Made April 3rd. I had 5 egg yolks left over from last week's recipes, so I made this pudding to use them up. I had to double plus half the recipe to accomplish it, but it was perfect for our family get together. The pudding was extremely rich (perfect for dipping tortilla chips in though). It is no wonder it is worth 5 points.

I ran out of cornstarch, so I used flour to make up the rest. Unfortunately I got cornstarch or flour lumps when I mixed it with the milk. I probably needed to use a bigger container so that it could mix better. But the pudding did thicken up really nicely, so the lumps were mostly aesthetic as well as surprising for those who got them ;)

I used skim milk and Imperial margarine for this recipe.

"Be diligent, that thereby [ye] might win the prize"

This morning as I struggled through CardioX, I realized the spiritual parallel of 'taking it easy'.

A month ago, an exercise buddy and I had become so proficient with the CardioX video that it was no longer a real workout. We were maintaining but not improving. We had to step it up a notch and add the Plyometrics video in our week. Once we did that, we saw immediate muscle improvement and quicker weight loss. We were so happy about where we were and what we were doing that we both felt ready to try the entire P90X program. Then something happened, spring break and the time change hit and that buddy lost her motivation. We all did, but we tried walking a couple of days instead of the video. Eventually she decided to 'retire'. My other exercise buddy is getting motivated again, but she prefers to walk instead of the videos so when we don't walk together, I try to do something on my own but there are still some days that I miss. It's been about three weeks since spring break, and I think I've done CardioX about once a week. I can still get through the video, but it is a challenge. It is amazing how quickly our muscles deteriorate when they are not constantly being pushed or utelized. A lot can happen in a short amount of time.

How often do we do that to our spiritual muscles? How often do we go through times when we are being so good and diligent at reading our scriptures, saying heart-felt prayers, attending the temple, paying our tithes and offerings, etc. and we feel strong and confident; then something happens and it messes up our routine and we get lazy or distracted? If we don't hurry up and get back on the wagon, soon the day will be gone and we'll be left on the ground in darkness. Time will pass and a moment will come when we'll realize that we are nowhere where we wanted to be. We might have even forgotten where we were headed or how to get there. Deuteronomy 4:9 reads, "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons." No one is exempt from this predicament. All it takes is to get complacent in our efforts. Jesus warned:

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

The good news is that through the atoning power of Jesus Christ the day will come again. But how much better is it to pick ourselves right back up, climb back in and ride through the darkness protected? In King Benjamin's final words to his people, he counselled:

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen

1 Week left and more than halfway there

I realized yesterday when I weighed in for my sister-in-law's Biggest Loser contest that there is only 1 week left. ACK!! Currently I'm number 2 in weight loss. After the Lettuce Eat Cake contest was over (at 9 weeks), I figured that I'd be ok with the BL contest lasting one more month - I'd be able to reach my goal. Uh, well, I don't think so - especially after last week's horrible weigh-in. Saturday I was 164.7 and Sunday I went back up to 166. argh. I started the week off doing well with exercise and eating habits, but Thursday and Friday went without exercise. And I didn't even care! That's the sad part.

Easter candy and family time posed a challenge this weekend too. But, I tried to be vigilant. I was pleased to see that my weigh-in yesterday was 164.2. I braced myself for another weight gain this morning though because that's what happened last week. And although my weight did go down this week for yesterday's weigh-in, it was only in ounces. So drumroll for today's WW Weigh-in..........









162.7!!!!!

The funny thing was that this morning I was going to compose a blog post entitled 'Thunder Thighs'. I will probably still do it because it is something that haunts me. It is nice to know that even though my exercising isn't great, I can still do something about my weight by controlling my eating habits. And I'm ecstatic that I feel so close to my weight loss goal. I don't think I ever really thought I'd reach it. I'm over half-way now. YAY!!

I was talking to friends about this effort, and I emphasized to them that this has been a LONG process even though they are only aware of the last three months - an over FIVE years process. Actually, I just realized it's been over six at this point. One of these days I'll finish my draft of 'From Here to There and Back Again' about my complete weight loss journey, not just this leg of it. But to give you a brief idea, almost two years before Jared was born I tipped the scales at almost 250 pounds. I was buying clothes in a 2X and some 3X when I went to work and couldn't eat all day.


I know myself well enough to realize that this will be a lifetime effort. I would fall right back into my old habits without the accountability of a food diary/WW. It's happened too many times before.

Seasoned Scrambled Eggs

Seasoned Scrambled Eggs 6 pts

Ingredients

4 egg whites
3 eggs
2 tablespoons reduced-fat ranch salad dressing
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites and eggs. Stir in the salad dressing, mustard, parsley and garlic powder. In a nonstick skillet, cook egg mixture in oil over medium heat for 2 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Yield: 2 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 cup) equals 251 calories, 16 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 331 mg cholesterol, 496 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 21 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 fat.

*****
Made April 2nd. I cut the recipe in half and split it among three people so the point value was only 2 compared to the 6 of the original recipe. I only used 1 egg white and 2 eggs.

I enjoyed the flavor, but Jared didn't care for it much. It certainly was different.

I served the eggs with Waffled French Toast.

Waffled French Toast

Waffled French Toast 4 pts

Ingredients

1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup fat-free milk
4 slices whole wheat or white bread
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup reduced-calorie pancake syrup

Directions

In a shallow dish, beat the egg, egg white and milk. Dip bread into egg mixture, coating both sides. Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown.

For sauce, in a bowl, crush the strawberries; stir in the pancake syrup. Serve French toast with the strawberry sauce. Yield: 2 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (2 pieces French toast with 6 tablespoons sauce) equals 261 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 107 mg cholesterol, 401 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 11 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1/2 fruit.

******
Made April 2nd. I used 2 slices of Nature's Own 7 Grain bread (wouldn't recommend it), 2 slices of Whole Wheat bread (much better), and 1 slice of white bread (there was enough of the mix to make one more slice).

I really liked the simplicity of the recipe. I enjoy making french toast because it's so quick and easy, so waffling it adds a unique texture. The strawberry syrup was ok too.

Because I used three different types of breads, the point value came to 4. It might be different depending on the types of bread being used. 100% whole wheat is going to yield the lowest amount of points though.

I served the waffles with Seasoned Scrambled Eggs.

Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Butter

Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Butter, 1 pt for 2 TB

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsweetened apple cider or juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 medium apples, peeled and quartered (3 pounds)

Directions

Place the apple juice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a blender; cover and process until blended. Adding 3-4 apple pieces at a time, cover and process until smooth.
Pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook 1 to 1-1/2 hours longer or until thickened. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Yield: 2 cups.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (2 tablespoons) equals 66 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, trace protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fruit.

*******
Made April 1st. I scored today at the grocery store - 6 cameo apples (almost exactly 3 lbs) for 99 cents. Today was the day to try my hand at this recipe!!

My blender had a hard time chopping all the apples, so I ended up removing some of the mix into the sauce pan until I could get all the apples blended in. The final yield was 2 pints plus about 4 oz.

The mix was pretty thick as it was, so I'm not sure at what point "heat until thickened" is. I took it off the heat when it started forming small peaks. The end result tastes a lot like applesauce. I'm not sure what the difference is between applesauce and apple butter, but I do like the flavor. I mentioned it on facebook, and my sister in law made this comment:

Actually, the difference is cooking time and spices. Apple butter is almost always fairly heavily flavored with cinnamon and maybe cloves and such, and is also cooked down to a much thicker texture. You can either do it on the stovetop (which requires a lot of extra stirring so it doesn't scorch), or you can put it in a big pan in the oven and cook it a low heat, stirring on occasion.

Chili Stuffed Potato

Chili Stuffed Potato, 5 pts

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 can (15 ounces) vegetarian chili with beans
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 cup chopped seeded fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions

Scrub and pierce the potatoes; place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 12-14 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat chili. With a sharp knife, cut an "X" in each potato; fluff with a fork. Spoon chili over each potato; sprinkle with cheese. Top with tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 stuffed potato with toppings) equals 354 calories, 4 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 466 mg sodium, 66 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 15 g protein.

******
Made April 1st. I bought Wolf brand chili with beans made from turkey. I looked for a vegan version and didn't ever see one. Maybe I'd have to go to a specialty store. I don't know. The potato was ok. The chili was a little more spicy than I'd have liked, but Jared seemed to enjoy it.

I didn't use the large baking potatoes either, so the points might be a little higher if you do. I weighed mine and it was only a 2 pt potato. I'm sure a baking potato would have been twice that at least.

Feta-Spinach Melts

Feta-Spinach Melts p.30, 2 points

Ingredients

3 packages (6 ounces each) fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
20 slices French baguette (1/2 inch thick)

Directions

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine spinach and water. Cover and microwave on high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted, stirring twice; drain and squeeze dry. Add the feta cheese, tomato, onion, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, salt and dill weed; set aside.

Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Broil 4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Spread each with about 1 tablespoonful spinach mixture. Broil 3-4 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 10 servings.


Nutritional Analysis: Two slices equals 100 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat.

*******
Made March 31st. Absolutely delicious!! And a big hit at the dinner party I took it too.

My Variations:
*Bunched spinach instead of the baby spinach. It worked really well. It made a little more work for me because I had to wash the spinach and trim the stems off, but it was worth it since I only paid 50 cents per bunch and it just took 2 bunches.
*roma tomato because that was I had.
*French bread instead of baguette. I seriously debated whether or not I should go ahead and buy the baguette bread, but really this worked fine.

Chocolate Strawberry Delight

Chocolate Strawberry Delight, 3 points

Ingredients:

5 Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers
1/2 c. chocolate pudding (low-fat)
2 or 3 medium strawberries, sliced
2 TB Reddi-Whip Topping

Directions:
Layer the crackers in a bowl forming a crust, then layer pudding, strawberries and topping. Savor!

Yield: 1 serving

*****

Made March 29th. I came up with this beauty. YUM! YUM! YUM!! I wish I had a better picture, but the battery died in my camera right after I snapped this one.

Diaper Update

In case someone out there is just dying to know what's going on in the diaper world (because that's what Moms talk about all the time, right?), here's an update:

After two days of bad experiences in public, I went back to putting Aaron in a diaper with making a few trips to the bathroom here and there. And I was right about potty training and piano lessons not mixing. Monday afternoon Aaron told me he needed to go potty (during a piano lesson). Jared was in the bathroom too, so I figured it would be ok because Jared is usually really good about helping him out when he needs it. Unfortunately it didn't work out quite so nicely and the poor little girl got traumatized by Aaron's lack of modesty. In fact, I rather think Aaron fed off her covered eyes and cries of embarrassment. ah boys. Proud of their parts.

Our bribe for Aaron is candy. So, every day I have this conversation with him:

Aaron: I'm hungry for candy.
Me: Well, if you want candy, what do you need to do?
Aaron: Potty in the toilet, get candy!!
Me: That's right. If you want to get candy you need to go potty in the toilet.
Aaron: Need to go potty. Get candy!!

It works like a charm, I tell you. Although, funny thing is he went potty 4 times the other day and never did get any of his candy. We got distracted in the process of getting dressed again and never remembered to reap the reward.

And the Fat came back.... couldn't stay away

WW weigh in = 166 (which really stinks when you consider I was 164.7 yesterday). I'm feeling it though. Isn't it odd that I can feel the change in fat? I can feel it in my arms, thighs and waist - of course, all the places that my fat tends to collect. Exercise is such an important of weight loss for me. Well, exercise and portion control together are the dynamic duo, but I have stayed within my point limits (I had 28 of my weekly points left), but I still gained. The difference is that I am not exercising consistently or in a way that pushes my body.

My exercise group has kind of peetered/altered. One partner has 'retired' and the other is ready to get back into exercising, but isn't interested in P90X. Last week we walked 3 miles, but it just isn't the same. I'm at a point where I'd rather spend my mornings being productive around the house or whatever too. So, exercise is becoming a challenge.

I'm right at the halfway point in my weight loss. I'm down 15 with 15 to go. I can't stop now!! Just for some motivation, this was me last week:

Crepes with Berries

Crepes with Berries, 1 pt each

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups blueberries, blackberries and/or raspberries
1 cup fat-free milk
1 egg
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
16 teaspoons reduced-sugar apricot preserves
1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sugar vanilla yogurt

Directions

Sprinkle sugar over berries; gently toss to mix. Cover and refrigerate. In a blender, combine the milk, egg, egg whites and extracts; cover and process until blended. Add the flour and cornmeal; cover and process until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Coat a 7-in. skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Pour about 2 tablespoons batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom.

Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a plate; keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, coating with additional cooking spray as needed.
Spread each crepe with 1 teaspoon apricot preserves. Fold each crepe into quarters; place two crepes on an individual plate. Top with 2 tablespoons yogurt and 1/2 cup berry mixture. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (2 filled crepes with 2 tablespoons yogurt and 1/2 cup berries) equals 156 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein.Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit.

*****
Made March 27th. This was my first experience making crepes. I liked mixing it in the blender because it was very fast and easy. I ended up chilling the batter for several hours because we went to run some errands. For the first crepe, I was using an 11 in. skillet and 2 TB of batter just would not cover it. I double checked the recipe and realized I needed a smaller pan. Once I adjusted to the small pan, the crepes turned out much better.

I followed the recipe for the batter, but didn't really for the insides. I used blackberries and strawberries for the fruit. I didn't think the sugar was necessary, but after a tart bite I realized it did need some. I only put half a tablespoon on the fruit and it was just fine. For the yogurt we used lowfat plain yogurt, and the jam was blackberry jam that I made last summer.

My batter yielded 20 crepes, so the points came out to 1 point per crepe.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 7 ounces each)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
Dash white pepper

Directions

Cut potatoes into 1/8-in. slices; spray both sides of slices with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine seasonings. Add the potatoes; toss gently to coat.
Arrange in a single layer in two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans coated with cooking spray.
Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and tender, turning several times Yield: 5 dozen chips.

*****
Made March 25th. I used the apple corer/peeler to cut up the sweet potatoes. The result were holey chips, but it worked well enough. I tossed the chips in a bag to coat instead of a bowl and that worked really well.

The chips weren't bad. Jared didn't care for them and Aaron only ate a few. Like normal, I couldn't quit eating them. The spices weren't my favorite blend. Next time I'd probably just coat them with salt.

Italian Ranch Chicken Strips

Italian Ranch Chicken Strips 5 pts

Ingredients

2/3 cup cornflake crumbs
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup reduced-fat ranch salad dressing
1 teaspoon water
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into eight strips

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflake crumbs, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. In another shallow bowl, combine dressing and water. Dip chicken into dressing mixture, then coat with crumb mixture.

Arrange chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly spray top of chicken with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: about 2 chicken strips equals 147 calories, 2 g fat (trace saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 413 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 15 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1 starch.

******
March 25th. Aaron wanted Chik-fil-A, so I made these for dinner instead. Everyone seemed to enjoy them. The recipe makes exactly what it says it does. Usually when it comes to dip and breading batter I end up with a bunch leftover, but not so with this one. I had to add a lot of side dishes to make up for the 2 chicken strips a piece. I served it with corn on the cob, green beans, strawberry soup, and baked sweet potato chips.

I only had regular ranch dressing on hand, so the strips were two points higher than it could have been. Still, 5 points for chicken strips isn't a bad deal!

Strawberry Soup

Strawberry Soup 2 pts

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries
1-1/4 cups vanilla yogurt, divided
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/8 teaspoon almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

In a food processor, combine the strawberries, 1 cup yogurt, confectioners' sugar, orange juice concentrate and extract; cover and process until smooth. Garnish each serving with a dollop of remaining yogurt. Yield: 3 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 cup) equals 174 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 69 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 fruit, 1/2 reduced-fat milk, 1/2 starch.

******
Made March 24th and 25th. This was a huge hit with everyone. It's pretty much a smoothie in a bowl. I had a bag of frozen strawberries from last year that I used instead of fresh strawberries. Since I defrosted the whole bag, I made two different batches.

First batch: I forgot that I was only supposed to put 1 cup of the yogurt in so it made more. I had fat free plain yogurt on hand, so I added some vanilla extract to be more in line with the recipe ingredients. I also used the almond extract instead of the lemon.

Second batch: Again I used the plain yogurt with vanilla extract, but I remembered to hold out the 1/4 cup for the dallop on each serving. I think it made the soup creamier to have the dallop. I also used the lemon juice instead of almond. I think I prefer the almond because it is a more subtle flavor. The soup was much more tart the second time. It might not have been an issue if I'd used actual vanilla yogurt though.

BLT Bow Tie Pasta Salad

BLT Bow Tie Pasta Salad 3 pts

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
6 cups torn romaine
1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 medium tomato, diced
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta, romaine, chicken, tomato and bacon.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, water, barbecue sauce, vinegar and pepper. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately. Yield: 11 servings.

*****
Made March 24th. One word: YUM!! This is a quick and easy recipe to put together. I used the Tyson Teriyaki breast fillets that we had in the freezer and that worked out just fine. The dressing wasn't over-powering or too heavy. I probably should have added more romaine because by the time we got to the bottom of the bowl it was mostly pasta and 'condiments'.

I served it with this Strawberry Soup.

Oven Cassoulet

Oven Cassoulet LT05, 150, 10 pts

Ingredients

1/2 pound reduced-fat kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook and stir the sausage, onion, carrots, celery and garlic for 4-5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and cloves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until carrots are tender and liquid is slightly thickened. Discard bay leaf. Stir in beans.

Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine the bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Sprinkle over sausage mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1-1/4 cups) equals 270 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 809 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 14 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1-1/2 starch.

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Made on March 23rd. This recipe was ok - not memorable. I think there were too many bread crumbs so there was like a 2 inch layer of them before you reached the rest of the ingredients. Perhaps if I'd used a 9x13 they wouldn't have been so deep. Matthew's comment was that he'd prefer it to have more sausage.

Menu Experiment: Light and Tasty 2005

I've finally gone through the next cookbook, and I decided to just stick with this one year. I was less strict with what I pulled from the book, so I gleaned a lot more recipes in general, but also more snack/appetizer and breakfast ideas than I did with the previous experiment. Here's the current list:

• Baked Sweet Potato Chips
• Baked Ziti Casserole
• Berry Barbecued Pork Roast
• BLT Bow Tie Pasta Salad
• Braised Autumn Pork Chops
• Cheddar Potato Chowder
• Cheddar-Apple Turkey Salad
• Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
• Chicken and Mandarin Oranges
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Chili-Stuffed Potatoes
• Country Corn Bread
• Creamy Chicken and Thyme
• Creamy Chicken Potato Soup
• Crepes with Berries
• Feta-Spinach Melts
• Fruited Chicken Salad
• Hot Swiss Chicken Sandwiches
• Italian Ranch Chicken Strips
• Lime-Glazed Pork Chops
• Marinated Barbecued Chicken
• Mediterranean Medley Salad
• Mexican Spaghetti Sauce
• Oatmeal Cranberry Breakfast Bake
• Oven Cassoulet p150, 10 pts
• Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Butter
• Pineapple Salad
• Potato Refrigerator Rolls
• Quick Turkey Casserole
• Raspberry Corn Muffins
• Seasoned Scrambled Eggs
• Slow-Cooker Pork and Apple Curry
• Southwestern Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Southwestern Chicken Black Bean Soup
• Spinach Turkey Noodle Bake
• Spinach Turkey Roll
• Strawberry Crepe Roll-Ups
• Strawberry Soup
• Summer Fruit 'n' Pasta Salad
• Taco Noodle Dish
• Three-Step Taco Salad
• Vegetable Chicken Stir-Fry
• Waffled French Toast
• Walnut Chicken Stir-Fry
• Zesty Pita Chips
• Zucchini 'n' Potato Pie

Ingredient List I tried to combine ingredients and put them in logical order accroding to the grocery store I shop at to make shopping easier, but the list isn't perfect.