Recipe Reviews

Since starting on Weight Watchers, I've been trying my hand at several new recipes. Filling, yet healthy and low calorie recipes. Cooking Light has been a fantastic resource for me. I'd like to share with you some of my favorites from the past few weeks.

Spinach, Pasta, and Pea Soup
Only 7 WW points for 1 and 3/4 cups of soup! The chickpeas and spinach make this dish super filling, even though it's vegetarian. Delicious, warm soup for these cold winter days!

Chicken and Herb White Pizza
1/6 of this filling, delicious pizza is only 9 WW points. Plus you'll have lots of leftovers for future meals and, if you use a rotisserie chicken, you can use half of the meat for the pizza and use the rest for another meal.

Pork Chops with Caribbean Rub and Mango Salsa
This is one of my favorite recipes of the new ones I've tried. A whole 6-oz chop and 1/4 cup of salsa is only 5 WW points! Plus, it's super flavorful, delicious, and your kitchen will smell wonderful. Pair this with some fresh green beans or a spinach salad for a filling, low point/calorie meal.

Linguine with Easy Meat Sauce
If you're looking for a quick dinner or to use up that last little bit of ground beef you found in the back of your freezer, then look no further for a delicious, flavorful, and filling meal. At only 8 WW points a serving, this recipe literally took me 15 minutes to make. Heat up some frozen or canned veggies in the microwave and you have yourself a fast and easy meal. I didn't have linguine, so I used sea shell pasta instead, but any kind of pasta will work for this recipe.

Classic Meat Loaf
If you're looking for a lightened-up meatloaf recipe, this one does pretty well. At only 7 WW points for TWO slices of meatloaf, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Not the moistest meatloaf I've ever had, but this meatloaf was still able to pack a flavorful punch and, paired with some 0 point veggies, I was able to eat a lot for a little. I used regular breadcrumbs instead of panko.

Cheesy Potato Soup
Another delicious, warm soup for winter nights. 6 WW points for 1 cup. Easy to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Serve with homemade whole wheat bread for a satisfying supper.

Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken
This recipe is so delicious and easy to make ahead of time. 6 WW points for a 6-oz chicken breast. Really flavorful and easy to pair with some fresh or frozen veggies for a relatively quick and easy meal.

Chicken Enchiladas
This recipe is much more hands on, but the end result is incredibly worth it. These enchiladas were so flavorful from the poached chicken to the cream cheese to all the fresh veggies. 7 WW points for 2 enchiladas. If you're feeling up to a challenge, then make this recipe. Everyone will thank you for it!

*If you have leftover liquid after you've poached the chicken and made the sauce, hang onto it and try my Mexican Vegetable Tortilla Soup. This recipe was basically born from ingredients in my fridge I needed to use up!
Start with the reserved cooking liquid/remaining sauce or:
4 c water
2 c fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 c salsa verde
1 jalapeno pepper, halved
1/4 c regular whipping cream
Combine water, chicken broth, salsa verde, and jalapeno in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 min. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream. Remove jalapeno and discard.
Then add your veggies. You can follow what I did or create your own combination.
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 med onion, chopped
1/2 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 zucchini, chopped
2 each mini red, yellow, and orange sweet bell peppers, chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 T olive oil
In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion and garlic, saute till soft. Add broccoli, zucchini, and peppers; cook 5 min. Add tomatoes and broth.
Next, add in your spices. Play around with this to get the flavor/spicy level you like best.
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 t ground cumin, or to taste
1/8 t chili powder, or to taste
Add to veggies and broth; cover and simmer 10 min.
While the soup is heating thoroughly, make the topping.
8-12 corn tortillas, cut into strips and baked at 350 degrees for about 10 min
1/2 c lowfat Mexican blend shredded cheese
Divide soup evenly between 4 bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with a fourth of the toasted tortilla strips and 2 T of cheese. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
Serves: 4 (1 1/2 c and 1/4 topping)
WW points: 7

Bon appetit!

Opening Remarks

This first post will be mostly random, jumbled thoughts that all encapsulate a part of who I am. So welcome to a Friday afternoon journey through my brain!

First off, I think you should know that I'm a piano teacher. I have 20 students in total, mostly beginners, and they are all awesome. I love my job because it doesn't really feel like a job, I'm using my college degree (shockers!), and I always have a funny story to tell. Always. Watch for a post soon with several of my favorite stories.

Secondly, I'm on a journey this year to lose weight. Most people would probably not classify me as overweight, but ideally, I have around 60 pounds to lose. So I decided the week of Christmas to join Weight Watchers and quit putting it off. I'm tired of feeling tired and clothes not fitting. To date, I have lost 11 pounds! I know it may not seem like much, especially if you're a fan of The Biggest Loser, but I feel great! I'm well on my way and now I'm addicted to a healthy lifestyle.

Thirdly, I love to cook, especially now since I am trying to eat healthier. One of my favorite resources is Cooking Light. I made a recipe last night that took only 20 minutes or less! So eating right can be easy and quick and Cooking Light is a huge help. Watch for a post later on recipes I've tried lately.

Fourthly, I sponsor a child through Compassion International. Safyatou is my second child to sponsor. She is 7 years old and lives in Burkina Faso. My first child, Priscilla from Ghana, moved out of the reach of Compassion's centers earlier this year. My husband and I got involved with Compassion in the fall of 2010. I'd always heard about Compassion and the child sponsorship program, but was never really in a place where I could participate financially. However, in Fall 2010, we felt like God had blessed us richly and we needed to bless others. Sponsoring Priscilla and Safyatou through Compassion has been one of the biggest blessings of my life. The relational, personal aspect of the program is what I love the most. Handwritten letters always bring a huge smile to my face and the opportunity to be able to encourage and love on these kids is like no other ministry I've personally experienced. Not only are we showing them we care through our words, but we're backing that up with caring for their physical needs. I think it's the model of ministry that Christ set for us in the Gospels. If you've never been involved with Compassion, I urge you to start now. I wasn't sure at the beginning if we could manage the monthly financial commitment, but God keeps on providing, so we keep on giving. He will provide for you too. The impact you can make on a child's life is huge and you never know if you will be the one to change their lives forever. If you haven't watched this video before, get your tissues, watch, and then go sponsor a child. You won't regret it. 

Finally, for those who don't know me, to fill in the most important gaps about me, I'm married to my best friend and the most precious man in the entire universe, David, I am a redeemed follower of the King, Jesus Christ, I have a wonderful family, and I love my 6 month old kitten, Callie. This blog will be filled with stories and thoughts about all these things, and I hope you enjoy reading, because I certainly enjoy writing! Check out my links below, especially my other blog that I write with my husband, The Marriage Files.

Thanks for reading, and until next time, TGIF!!