Menu Plan Monday 3/1 - 3/7

Here is my menu for the week.  I have included a few of the recipes.

Monday

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken - 6 pts

1/2 c. Honey

Garlic cloves, whole

1/2 c. Soy Sauce

2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 2 in. pieces

Add chicken to crock pot along with soy sauce, honey and garlic cloves.  Set crockpot to low and cover.

Brown Rice - 2 pts

Tuesday

Cheesy Chili-Mac - 5 pts

Wednesday

YoYo

Thursday

Mexican Potatoes - 6 pts

6 med. backing potatoes

1 c. shredded Reduced fat mexican cheese

14 oz. yellow corn

1 c Fat free sour cream

1/2 c salsa

Pierce potatoes and bake 1 hour @ 425 or until tender.  Combine cheese, sour cream, and corn.  Split potatoes lengthwise and top each with 1/6 cheese mixture.  Top with salsa.

SERVES 6

Warm Cinnamon Apples - 2 pts

Friday

Out to eat

Saturday

Chicken Pot Pie - 4 pts

Mandarian Oranges & Yogurt 2.5 pts

Sunday

Ravioli Soup - 4 pts

4 cans 99% fat free roasted garlic flavor chicken broth

1 bag (16 oz) fresh broccoli

1 pkg refrig. fresh mini beef ravioli

parm. cheese

Bring broth plus 1 c water to boil. Add broccoli, reduce heat and simmer 4 minutes.  Add ravioli, return to a simmer and cook, stiring occasionally, 5 minutes. or until broccoli and ravioli are tender.  Sprinkle each serving with grated parm. cheese.

SERVES: 4

Another 5k ???

Back on October 21st I participated in my FIRST 5k ever!  I haven't done one since :)  Well, my son, Kaleb, is a cross country runner and want to do a 5k here in our little town next month and he wants me to do it with him.

Soo, I have been thinking all day about doing this 5k.  I think I will do it.  it is on the 27th, which only gives me 1 month and 1 day to start training!  I haven't ran since, well, probualy since the last 5k I did in October!

I guess I better get my running shoes on and start hitting the pavement or treadmill.

James Patterson - My KING!

Someone asked me just the other day who may favorite author was and I said I wasn't really sure.  But today, I know the answer, without a dought!!!  JAMES PATTERSON!!!  Awhile back I pre-ordered {the paperback} The 8th Confession {8th book in the Women's Murder Club series}.  I hadn't really thought about it.  Well, when I got home from work today, there was a package from Barnes & Noble  -->  It was my book!!!  I was sooooo excited and couldn't wait to start reading it!  This month has been a slow reading month for me mostly because my hubby is home, but I think it is also because I didn't have as many James Patterson books to read :)

I started the book earlier and already feel like I can't put it down!

11.5 only 8.5 to go

When I started Weight Watchers a month ago, I decided that I would buy a new purse when I lost 20 pounds... well, as of today I have lost 11.5!!!  ONLY 8.5 TO GO !!!

I am thinking this is the purse I want...

 

However, I don't think Dooney & Bourke sells them anymore :(   Hopefully I can find it somewhere else, or maybe another zebra purse.

My Healthy Choice post gets a comment from someone on behalf of HC !!

A few days ago, I wrote a post about my confusion with a Healthy Choice meal I had with a mix up on the WW points.  Well, it seems that Healthy Choice read my post {I was shocked since I don't think I have much traffic to my blog}.
Here is the comment they left,

So sorry about the confusion with the packaging! Our nutritionist checked and the correct Weight Watchers amount *IS* 6 points. The team is working to correct the packaging, so thanks for pointing that out. I saw that you didn’t enjoy the Asian Potstickers, so I hope you'll try another one of our frozen meals. You can go to http://www.healthychoice.com/news-special-offers/ to download a $1 off coupon for any two frozen entrées. – Gena, on behalf of Healthy Choice

Again, I am shocked and pleased to know that they keep an eye out for problems with their product.  

To live in a Non- military town...

Hubby and I went to a wedding this weekend.  The groom was active duty Navy.  There were a total of 4 sailors at the wedding, in uniform.

After the wedding hubby and I went to the grocery store {there was an H.E.B. in the town we were in!!}.  Well, it was a bit uncomfortable having almost everyone in the store staring at you... they don't see sailors in uniform very often evidently... LOL

Alot of people came up and thanked my husband for serving his country.  I was really strange being somewhere military isn't an everyday thing.

Pop Pop Burn Popcorn

I love love love popcorn!  I bought these small bags since they are single serving, because I seriously will eat an entire bag!!  I put one in the microwave and look what happened!!

 

I threw that bag away and popped another and it worked fine .. HMMM

Menu Plan Monday 2/22 - 2/28

Wow, I am late posting this.  It has been a crazy Monday and my weekend was busy busy busy.


Monday
Crock Pot Cowboy Stew = 7 pts

Makes 6 servings


1 1/4 lbs. beef stew meat
4 potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 4" pcs.
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (28 oz.) can Baked beans in BBQ Sauce


Mix beef, potatoes, onion, salt and pepper in 3 1/2 qt. to 4 qt. slow
cooker. Spread beans over beef mixture. Cover and cook on LOW 8-10
hrs. or until beef is tender.


Per serving: cal 370, fat 12g, sat fat 5g, chol 65mg, sod 1030mg,
carb 46g, fiber 8g, prot 28g
Points: 7

Tuesday
Country Fair Chicken = 6



Wednesday
YoYo

Thursday
Chili = 2
Corn Bread Muffins = 3
Fruit Salad = 1

Chili (from Chubbie Chica )

Serving size = 1 cup @2 pts

6 cans of Chili Beans in Sauce (15 oz can)
2 cans Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz)
1 lb. cooked 90% lean ground beef
2 onions, chopped (2 cups or to taste)
chili powder to taste
salt, pepper to taste

Prep:
Brown the beef and drain well. Combine with all the other ingredients and simmer uncovered until the onions are tender, stirring frequently (If you’re in a hurry, you can sautee the onions in a pan with nonstick spray, then combine with the other stuff and just warm it through, but the more you cook this stuff, the better it is.)



Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Spaghetti Carbonara = 7
Garlic Toast = 1

1st Winter Drumline Competition

Shelby's band had their FIRST EVER winter drumline competition this weekend.  It was about 2 hours away -- uugghh !  Me and Rik went and took a few pictures.  They did good considering they had never done anything like this before !

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

I finally finished reading this book this weekend.  It was a short book but seemed to take me forever to finish it. {darn busy life !}

I liked the book, it wasn't as good as the James Patterson crime books, but it was good.

Healthy Choice Confusion

Today for lunch I had a Healthy Choice All Natural Asian Potstickers frozen dinner. {which didn't taste very good, btw} Anyway, I went to put it in my Weight Watchers log online and it asked for the norm {calories, fat and fiber} so I entered it and it came up with 6 points! Look at the picture above, which is of the box -- says 7 points ????
I am not sure how they figured it?? At least WW had less points than Healthy Choice figured.

Olive Garden + Weight Watchers

There is an Olive Garden just around the corner from my office.  Today I decided to look at the nutritional value of the items on their menu so I can choose what to order with a little more knowledge and stay within my point range.

Below is a list of the items I found with less than 250 calories.

Dish		Points
Breadstick (w/ garlic-butter spread)		3
Pasta e Fagioli		2
Chicken & Gnocchi		5
Minestrone		1
Zuppa Toscana		3
Garden Fresh Salad  ( without dressing)		2
Childrens Spaghetti with Tomato sauce		4

Some of my (old) favorites:

Dish		Points
Pizza (w/ cheese & sauce only)		20
Tour of Italy		34
Pork Milanese		37
Chicken Alfredo		35
Grilled Shrimp Caprese		21

WOW -- there are some HIGH calorie items on the menu !!!

Wordless Wednesday- Pounds Lost !

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia = 4pts

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

4 points

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4 tilapia fillets (about 1lb)
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 400.  In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 - 12 minutes.  Serve fish with the lemon wedges.

Serves : 4

Ikea = Heaven !

This weekend we went to my favorite store !!!  IKEA!!!   Since we bought a new TV, we had to get a new TV stand.  My first thought was ... IKEA!!  So, we went to look around {hubby's words -- my words -- To Buy !}

I have not been able to go to IKEA and not have their swedish meatballs!

Don't they look yummy!!!  They are soooo good!!!

After a few hours of walking around, taking measurements, drooling, and considering.  We were on our way to check out with the small items I managed to get in the cart when we saw a dining buffet, and both my hubby AND myself really like it.  It was about $150 more than we had planned on spending, but we both really like it and that in itself was amazing!  So, we decided to get it!!!

It looks great, perfect size and everything !!

My Sony eReader Touch

I had entered to win a Sony eReader at My Army Wife Life last month and I won!  Well, I got it in the mail Saturday.

I have 3 books on it right now.  I am liking it so far.  It takes getting used to.

Being able to just put it in my purse and know that I will have books to read all the time.

Lasagna Roll-Ups = 4 pts

Lasagna Roll-Ups

4 POINTS per serving   Ingredients: 8 lasagna noodles 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup non-fat ricotta cheese 1 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese 1/2 pkg. Mori Nu Lite Tofu 2 cups no-fat, low-sodium spaghetti sauce (such as Ragu Lite) 1/4 cup non-fat mozzarella cheese Instructions: Cook lasagna noodles 10 minutes or according to package directions, omitting salt and oil. Drain, lay out on a clean cloth towel. Combine tofu and cheeses. Place equal amounts on each lasagna noodle, spreading out as evenly as possible. Roll up jellyroll style. Place roll-ups in baking dish, seam side down. Top each roll with 2 tablespoons sauce. Bake covered for 30 minutes. (Temp not specified) Note: These may be frozen before baking, omitting sauce until ready to bake. Makes 4 servings 4 POINTS per serving Nutrition Facts Calories: 172, Fat: 1.4g, Cholesterol: 7 mg, Fiber: 2 gm, Sodium: 411 mg, Protein: 9g Exchange: 1 very lean meat, 1 1/2 carbohydrate (1 1/2 starch) Source: Heart Healthy Website

South of the Border Casserole = 7pts

South Of The Border Casserole

7 POINTS per serving   Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil 1 pound 95% lean ground beef 3/4 cup diced onion 3/4 cup diced sweet green pepper 2 seeded, fresh jalapeno peppers, minced (use rubber gloves) 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes 2 cups nonfat sour cream 1 tablespoon clover honey 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 ounces uncooked penne or macaroni pasta Instructions: Add the olive oil to a 5 quart nonstick saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with the edge of a spatula, until it has lost its pink color. Drain any fat from the pan. Add the onions and green pepper, cooking until softened. Stir in the jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, sour cream, honey, chili powder and salt. Add the pasta. Stir, cover, lower the heat and gently simmer until the pasta is tender, about 25 minutes. Stir every five minutes, to keep the pasta from sticking to the saucepan bottom. Yield: 6 servings 7 POINTS per serving Nutritional information per serving: 373 calories, 4.8 g fat, 24.8 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, Fiber 2 g, 52 mgs cholesterol, 845 mgs sodium. Adapted from: "Lean and Lovin' It - Exceptionally Delicious Recipes for Low-Fat Living and Permanent Weight Loss" by Don Mauer

$$ JC Penny savings $$

Saturday we went to the mall and JC Penny's was having an awesome sale! One of the reasons for the mall trip was to get my daughter some new jeans.  Well, JC Penny's had a great clearance!!  Look how much I saved:

 

Yes !  That says Total Savings $230.83 !!!

I bought 2 jeans, 2 shirts and a winter coat {the coat was for me}.

Menu Plan Monday 2/15-2/21

Wow - it's Monday already??  My weekends have been soo busy since Rik got home.

Monday

Honey Lime Pork Chops = 5 pts
Parsley Potatoes = 3 pts

Tuesday

YOYO
Wednesday

BBQ Biscuit Cups = 6 pts
Mac & Cheese = 5.5 pts

Thursday


South of the Border Casserole --> so I made my menu for the month at the beginning of the month .. and I can't seem to find the recipe for this... LOL UPDATE!{I found it!!}
Cilantro Rice = 4 pts

Friday

Pizza

Saturday

out to eat {attending a wedding}

Valentine's Day

Friday was a SNOW DAY for the kids, and Rik had the day off as well, but I had to go to work.  Rik took me in to work around 10:30 {after driving around taking a bunch of pictures of the snow}

While I was at work Rik came by and brought me this...

and .. inside the box it was sitting in was this ...

I was sooo excited!  I have to old original iPhone and have been wanting to get a new one !!!

We celebrated Valentine's on Friday and went out to dinner that night and then to Best Buy where I got Rik's gift....

Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah

I finally finished reading this last night. I say finally because I can normally finish a book in a couple of days, but with my hubby being home and just being busy, I didn't get to read as much as I had hoped.
I really liked this book, the ending was great.  I was nice to be reading a romance book right before Valentine's Day.

My snowy drive to work

I decided to take some pictures on my drive to work this morning since it was slow going.  I don't have a very long drive, normally it takes me only 15 minutes to get to the office.
** Slideshow should be fixed now**

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

When we were at the movies I saw a preview for the movie The Last Song, which is a book by Nicholas Sparks.  Of course, now I want to read the book.  I went to Nicholas Sparks website and learned some interesting things about this book.

• Miley Cyrus chose the name Ronnie for the main character
• Nicholas wrote the screenplay before he wrote the novel {interesting!}
• The Last Song is the longest novel that Nicholas has written 

I thought these were really interesting to know.  I have never really read any of his books until I read Dear John.  I really want to read this one.

Snow!

Being military, I have lived in colder states (Maine, Virginia, and Washington state).  Soo, snow is not anything new for me.  However, having living in Southern Florida for a few years and then moving to North Texas I get very excited to see some snow!  We are getting snow this morning and they are huge beautiful flakes.  I took a few pictures before I head to work.  {please excuse me lack of photography ability}