Watermelon Cucumber Lime Salad

(4 servings)
3 cups watermelon, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 cucumber, peeled
1 lime
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (for example, Kosher salt)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Chop cucumber in one inch cubes and mix in large bowl with watermelon. Squeeze lime over mixture and add salt and cayenne. Toss and serve immediately.
This salad doesn’t store well because the watermelon tends to get soggy after you add salt.
For one serving: 46 calories, 0.3 g fat, 11.4 g carbohydrates, 8.3 g sugar, 1.2 g protein, 0.9 g fiber, 243 mg sodium, 1 PointsPlus

How to Get Through Your Hardest Time of Day

When are you most likely to overeat? Use these tips to avoid temptation, no matter when it strikes.

Article By: Melissa Sperl COMMENTS (4)

Some people find prime-time television hours the hardest on their weight-loss plan; others say midnight's the worst. Still others fall off-track mid-afternoon. And for a smaller group, right after breakfast is the most difficult time to stay away from snacks.

In a recent poll, we asked WeightWatchers.com users what the hardest time of day was for them to stick to their diet plan. Two percent said morning, 32 percent said mid-afternoon, 46 percent said evening, and 18 percent said late at night. Which time zone do you fall in?
Whichever your "weak" time is, we can help. We asked Kimberly Glenn, MS, RD, LD, of Northside Hospital's weight-reduction clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, for some time-tested advice.
Morning Munchies
Helen of Dundurn, Saskatchewan, Canada, says: I eat breakfast each morning (I know you aren't supposed to skip meals), but struggle thereafter. I always crave something sweet. It's a vicious cycle.
Glenn says: First things first, start out with a healthy breakfast; you can do it on the run. Make sure you include protein and fiber — without them, you'll get hungry quicker. Try:

• High-fiber cereal, milk and fruit.
• Packets of oatmeal, made with milk.

If you eat breakfast at 7 a.m. and feel hungry again at 10, don't be distressed. If you're on a good schedule, you should feel hungry every three or four hours. Have a healthy snack, maybe a piece of fruit, just to tide you over. And if it's going to be a long time until your next meal, include protein in your snack — maybe eat a Luna or other protein bar.
Afternoon Appetite
Elaine of Cheyenne, Wyoming, says: As soon as I hit the door at home, my hunger pangs go wild! I have to have something to curb my appetite until dinner is ready. Usually I make smart choices, but sometimes I fall into the "ugh" mode.
Glenn says: Most people have a hard time at this time of day. A lot of people eat lunch between 11 and 1 and dinner at 6, so a snack in between makes sense. Try:

• Yogurt and cereal
• Cottage cheese and fruit

Avoid sugary, empty-calorie foods. If you eat things like that, you'll still be hungry and you may overeat later. An afternoon snack should give you energy and keep you full until dinner.
Evening Grazing
Jamie of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, says: After I've had my three sensible meals during my busy day, [during the evenings] I simply want to relax at home and snack. It's so easy to "throw in the towel" after behaving well all day.
Glenn says: Where are you eating when you eat at this time? Do you have a favorite chair that you eat and watch TV in? When you're in a "comfort" place like that, you're likely to lose track of the quantity you take in. The first step is to try to not eat in your "happy place," but if you really want to, have a set snack — don't graze.
Try to stick with snacks that have built-in portion control. Last but not least, enjoy your snack: There's nothing wrong with having one, just so long as you don't go overboard.
Midnight Nibbling
Karen of Brooklyn, New York, says: My worst time is late at night. I have trouble falling asleep, and tend to go in the kitchen and nibble.
What Glenn says: You need to ask yourself, am I really hungry or am I just bored? Am I eating because of stress or an emotional issue? Close the kitchen — make it off-limits until the morning — or limit yourself to sugar-free hot chocolate or hot tea. Have a snack planned for a certain time: Limit yourself to that one snack and see if it satisfies you. (And if you're having a serious problem with insomnia, you might want to discuss it with your doctor.)

This Month's Routine: Before eating anything, ask yourself, "Is this worth the PointsPlus values?" Meeting Topic:  How to Flip a Slip-Up

Roatsed Blueberry Oat Bars
Servings: 9
Serving Size: 1 bar
Nutritional Information: 254 calories, 8.6g of fat, 40.6g of carbohydrates, 3.4g of fiber, 4.8g of protein * 6 PointsPlus

Ingredients

• 16 oz. blueberries
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• Optional: 1-2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 cups oats
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the blueberries with 1 tbsp. brown sugar and balsamic vinegar is using. Roast for 20 minutes in a glass pan. Set aside and let cool.
2. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Line a 9 X 9 baking dish with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, mix together the oats, flours, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, melted butter, and honey.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients to form a dough.
5. Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your baking dish.
6. Pour the roasted blueberries and any juice on top.
7. Top with the remaining dough. This can be a little difficult so if you need to just press small pieces of dough flat in your hands and lay on top, scattering them to cover most of the top. It’s fine if blueberries poke through in some spots.
8. Bake for 30 minutes and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

A perfect Meatless dish

 A perfect Meatless dish, and even the meat-lovers in your house will enjoy this sandwich. 

If you're a newbie to Skinnytaste, check out my tip on how to make a larger sandwich for less calories. If you are making this for one, simply divide the ingredients by four.

Eggplant Panini with Pesto
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4  Serving Size: 1 panini • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 336 • Fat: 8.5 g • Protein: 11.4 g • Carb: 50 g • Fiber: 3.8 g • Sugar: 2.7 g
Sodium: 394 mg (without salt) 


Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, about 12-14 oz
• kosher salt to taste
• olive oil spray (I used my misto)
• 12 oz french bread (or baguette), cut into 4 pieces
• 4 slices part skim mozzarella cheese (Sargento )
• 2 tbsp skinny pesto 
• 8 thin sliced tomato

Directions:

Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the eggplant slices on a paper towel and season with salt; set aside about 30 minutes. This will help draw some of the moisture out of the eggplant. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels.

Preheat panini grill. Lightly spritz eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, grill eggplant about 7-8 minutes, turning once half way through. Set aside.

Slice the bread open and place 3 slices of grilled eggplant, 1 slice of mozzarella, 1/2 tablespoon of pesto, and 2 slices of tomatoes on each sandwich.

Close and lightly spray the top of the bread with oil. Place on a panini press and close until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted. Cut in half diagonally and eat immediately.

how to reach any goal

How to Reach Any Goal
Make an ambitious, achievable goal — and stick to it!
Article By: Amanda Genge

So, you set a goal — weight-loss, fitness, or otherwise — but did you set a timeline, too? Leaving an open-ended deadline won’t help you stay accountable to your good intentions. Assign a thought-out, workable deadline — not an arbitrary date — to guide your progress. Here are some ways to keep yourself on track and achieve your goals:

Establish a clear date
The first thing to do is decide on a deadline. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds by a wedding or reunion, for instance (keep in mind that on the PointsPlus® program, you can expect to lose one to two pounds per week). Or you can link your goal to a fitness event you plan to participate in, such as a 5K walk or run. If you don’t have any existing “built-in” deadlines, now’s the time to think of one (even if it’s as basic as reaching a certain weight by the start of the next season).

Get a calendar — and set reminders
Make it visual. Use color-coding or fun stickers to mark milestones (or mini-deadlines) along the way. Hang the calendar on a wall in a spot where you’ll see it often (like in the kitchen or by the front door), or place it prominently on your desk. Prefer digital reminders? Build them into your cell phone calendar or even set up reminders in your work computer calendar. Include tasks that will help you reach your goal, so at the end of each day you can have the satisfaction of crossing them off!

Surround yourself with encouragement
Let important people in your life know you’re making a change for the better. Let them know how they can keep you on track with positive words and reassurances when you hit bumps in the road.

Reward yourself — along the way and at the end
Every step you take in the right direction (going for a training run, making a smart food choice in a tempting situation) should be acknowledged. Don’t forget to celebrate more "official" milestones as well, like reaching your 10% weight-loss goal . Take a tip from preschoolers everywhere and set up a sticker chart, awarding yourself a gold star for even the simplest victories and achievements. It also can’t hurt to have a clear reward in mind when you reach your goal, even it’s tied to the goal itself (such as fitting into a smaller clothing size: you can splurge on a new outfit). For more inspiration, here are 14 ways to celebrate without gaining weight.

Know how to regroup when you hit a rough patch
The best way to make sure a bump in the road doesn’t turn into a huge detour is to arm yourself with coping strategies ahead of time. Read up on how to handle a gain and how to recover from vacation indulgences.

The Weight Watchers 50 Years of Success Contest is here and we want to hear from YOU.

To enter or to read the official rules, visit
http://bit.ly/wwsuccess

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C who are the age of majority or older as of date of entry, and are Weight Watchers meetings members or are Weight Watchers Online Subscribers as of 6/1/13. Details and components of Grand Prizes will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsored by Weight Watchers North America, Inc. Begins 10:00 a.m. ET on 7/21/13 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on 8/11/13.

This Month's Routine: Before eating anything, ask yourself,
"Is this worth the PointsPlus values?"
Meeting Topic:  Build a Smarter Salad

Cool Whip Peanut Butter Treats

Cool Whip Peanut Butter Treats

Minutes to Prepare: 5

Ingredients
1 small tub Cool Whip Free, thawed
3 Tlbs Peanut Butter (creamy or chunky)
Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, Sugar Free

Directions
Mix the Cool Whip and peanut butter together. Spoon into 12 lined cupcake tins. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and freeze. Each cup in Weight Watchers was worth 1 point. Sweet treat that satisfies that craving. I like it without the syrup and that saves a couple calories.

Number of Servings: 12

Calories per serving: 58.8; Total Fat 2.09 ; Cholesterol 0.0 mg;
Sodium 25.7 mg; Total Carbs. 1.5 g; Dietary Fiber 0.3 g; Protein 1.03 g
Weight Watcher pts. 1✔

Baked Maple Mustard Chicken

 Baked Maple Mustard Chicken


Servings: 5
Serving Size: 4 oz. chicken
WW: 4 point plus
Nutrition: 89 cal, 3.1g fat, 1.1g carbs, .7g fiber, 17.9g protein

Ingredients

1.25 lb. chicken breast tenders

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. dried rosemary

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil.

In a bowl, combine the mustard, maple syrup, vinegar, and rosemary.

Place the chicken in the baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Pour the

sauce over the chicken and turn to coat.

Bake for 30-40 minutes (until 165 degrees).

Make-ahead: Four servings are for Sunday night dinner. One additional serving is for lunch. One extra sweet potato is for lunch.

Sides

Green salad with 1 tbsp. light dressing (1 points plus, nutritional info varies)

5 baked sweet potatoes (1 small, 3 points plus, Calories: 103, Fat: 0g, Carbs: 24g,

Protein: 2g Fiber: 4g)

Bruschetta Stuffed Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Refrigerate: 30 minutes to overnight
Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 piece of chicken with topping

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• ½ onion, diced
• 3 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup light Italian dressing
• ½ cup Italian flavored Panko bread crumbs
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• toothpicks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a 9x12 pan or baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Slice chicken breasts length wise, making 4 thin and equal size chicken cutlets.
4. Using a rubber mallet, pound each chicken cutlet to make as thin as possible.
5. Using a Ziplock plastic bag, add chicken cutlets and ¼ cup light Italian dressing.
6. Shake to cover chicken completely with light Italian dressing and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours or even overnight.
7. Remove chicken from Ziplock bag and place on a flat cutting board.
8. Sprinkle equal amounts of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder over each chicken cutlet on both sides.
9. For bruschetta mixture - in a medium size bowl mix together tomatoes, onion, fresh basil, oregano, and cheese.
10. Add a small spoonful of bruschetta mixture onto each chicken cutlet towards the bottom of the cutlet.
11. Starting at the bottom of chicken cutlet, tightly wrap the chicken cutlet around the bruschetta mixture and secure with 1-2 toothpicks.
12. Add Italian flavored Panko to a large and shallow bowl.
13. Dip each rolled chicken cutlet into Italian flavored Panko, covering the rolled chicken on all sides.
14. Place the chicken breasts into baking pan or on baking sheet.
15. Top the chicken with remaining bruschetta mixture and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked in center and or reads at least 165 degrees in the center using a meat thermometer.

Nutrition Info and Tips

Per Serving 1 roll with topping:

Calories: 109
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 4g
Fiber: .5g
Protein: 14g
Sugars: .25g
WWP: 5 points

don't avoid eating out

Learn how to navigate the menu at your favorite restaurant in this week's meeting: http://bit.ly/1ahrCF4

"Do you want to know who you are?
Don't ask. Act!
Action will delineate and define you."
Thomas Jefferson


Need more motivation?
Come to this week's meeting and get yours!

meeting topic

This Month's Routine: Before eating anything, ask yourself,
"Is this worth the PointsPlus values?"
Meeting Topic:  Your Local Dining Guide

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup honey (or 1/2 cup if you like it a bit sweeter)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (or if you prefer, replace with chopped nuts)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Oil baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

3. Stir together first seven ingredients. Mix well. Make sure honey is fully incorporated.

4. Add dark chocolate chips and coconut.

5. Scoop with a cookie scoop onto cookie sheets. Bake 8-13 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: about 20 cookies| Serving Size: 1 cookie| Calories: 140| Total Fat: 10.4 g| Saturated Fat: 3.3 g| Previous Points 3| Points Plus 4| Protein 3.7 g| Cholesterol: 9.2 mg| Sodium: 75.6 mg| Potassium: 100.9 mg| Total Carbs: 10.9 g| Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g| Sugars: 7.6 g

have you tracked ?

12 mental benefits of exercise

strive

Thank you Weight Watchers and Me.

Should I?
Or should I not?
I looked up the points.......
It's quite a lot!

Is it for me?
or "not today"
How many points
Am I willing to "pay"?

Shall I say "Do it"
Or shall I say "don't"?
Is it something I need....
or something I want?

Is it worth it?
I GET TO CHOOSE!
and my choices determine.......how much I loose.


Thank you Weight Watchers and Me. 

A Cut Above: Car Food to Keep You Energized

A Cut Above: Car Food to Keep You Energized

Hitting the road? Don't waste time and calories at the next rest stop — pack a cooler with these smart eats.

Article By: Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough 

Car food is an American passion. Most of us grew up with the car trip: Dad drove, Mom packed a lunch and we made up time by not stopping at a roadside food joint.

Mom might have had time and money on the brain, but there's sound health logic there, too: Why eat fast-food or greasy junk just because we’re in the car? These wraps are wholesome, satisfying and easy to eat whether you’re on the road or parked at a rest stop along the way. And no one will miss those ever-present chips with our fiery cherry tomato poppers on board. (Just have the bottled water handy!)

Finally, for dessert, who could resist these sweet, sticky, chewy little morsels of dried fruit and spices? They’ll last for days, making them a lasting treat throughout your vacation.

So crank up the air conditioning and put the pedal to the medal. You’ve got some easy, economic road food that’ll keep you moving on down the highway!

Dried Fruit Bites

Makes 25 servings

PointsPlus™ value | 2 per serving

These little candies are like the filling to fig cookies without any of the cookie part in the way! They’re a hit with the kids and can be stored in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to four days. For the best results, dice the dried fruit until the pieces are all about the size of the raisins.

Ingredients

• 18 dried California apricot halves, diced
• 11 pitted prunes, diced
• 2 dried figs, stemmed and diced
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup dried pitted dates, diced
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups crispy rice cereal

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients, except cereal, in a food processor. Pulse until well chopped and blended, until the mixture begins to form into its own mound (but not until it’s a puree), less than 1 minute.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl; add 3/4 cup cereal. Stir with a wooden spoon until the cereal is evenly distributed in the mixture.
3. Crush the remaining 1 cup cereal with your cleaned, dried hands to a fairly fine powder (or you can seal the cereal in a zip-top bag and crush it with a rolling pin or a can.) Place crushed cereal in a shallow bowl.
4. Roll fruit mixture into 50 balls, about 1 heaping teaspoon each, dropping each into the crushed cereal and rolling until well-coated.

•   Serving size: 2 balls.

Cherry Tomato Poppers

Makes 8 servings

PointsPlus™ value | 1 per serving

What could be easier? Sweet cherry tomatoes are paired with spicy jalapeños and some cheese for an easy snack that’s ready when you are. Store them, covered, in the refrigerator or cooler for a day or two; but for the best taste, let them come to room temperature for 20 minutes before eating.

Ingredients

• 32 cherry tomatoes
• 32 jarred pickled jalapeño slices
• Four (4-inch) low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Instructions

1. Slice off the very top, stem-end of each cherry tomato; use a small grapefruit spoon to spoon out and discard the insides, leaving the walls intact.
2. Place 1 jalapeño slice inside each hollowed-out tomato. Add a piece of cheese and press gently into place.

•   Serving size: 4 cherry tomato poppers.

Curried Turkey Wraps

Makes 6 servings

PointsPlus™ value | 5 per serving

Here’s an easy lunch in the car. Wrap these sandwiches in wax paper and then in aluminum foil so you can peel the wrappings down and eat on the go.

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup mango chutney
• 2 tsp yellow curry powder
• 12 oz deli sliced turkey
• 3 cups bagged salad greens, preferably a mix with crunchy Romaine, shredded
• 6 medium whole-wheat tortillas

Instructions

1. Mix the carrots, mayonnaise, mango chutney and curry powder in a medium bowl.
2. Spread 1/4 cup carrot mixture onto each tortilla. Top with 2 ounces turkey and 1/2 cup salad mix.
3. Roll each tortilla closed. Lay a piece of wax paper on top of a piece of foil; set the rolled tortilla on top. Roll closed and seal the ends by twisting them shut. Refrigerate or put in the cooler for up to 6 hours.
4. Serving size: 1 wrap.

Italian Casserole

Italian Casserole

6 servings at 11 points plus each

6 servings at 2 each

Prep Cook Total

10m 45m 55m

8 oz uncooked rotini pasta

. lb lean ground beef

14 oz can tomato sauce

14 oz can diced tomatoes, Italian style

8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, at room

temperature

1 cup part skim ricotta

1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

---------------------------------------------------------------

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook pasta

according to directions. Place cooked pasta in

sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Brown beef in a

large skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10

minutes. Combine tomato sauce and diced

tomatoes. Combine cream cheese and ricotta.

Layer beef, cheese mixture, then tomato

mixture over pasta. Bake uncovered 30

minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella on top for last 5

minutes. Divide into 8 servings.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Skinny Peanut Butter-Yogurt Dip

Skinny Peanut Butter-Yogurt Dip

Serving size: 2 tablespoons | Calories: 40 | Previous Points: 1 | Points Plus: 1 | Total Fat: 3 gm | Saturated Fats: 1 gm | Trans Fats: 0 gm | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 6 mg | Carbohydrates: 2 gm | Dietary fiber: 0 gm | Sugars: 1 gm | Protein: 2 gm

Ingredients

• ½ cup Greek yogurt, fat free, plain
• ¼ cup natural peanut butter, crunchy recommended

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, refrigerate until ready to eat.

Serve with your favorite fruit or veggie...my favorite is organic apple wedges.

meeting topic

This Month's Routine: Before eating anything, ask yourself, "Is this worth the PointsPlus values?" Meeting Topic:  Is This Food Worth It?

tips

Before a workout: stay hydrated, drink lots of water. After a workout, more water & lots of protein! Protein helps your body repair itself.

exercise

today is a new day

it really is waterproof!

I just heard this from a fellow Weight Watchers Member and I think it is awesome so I thought I would post...

"My active link fell off in the pool & was there for over an hour....no false advertising it is water proof!!!! Thank goodness!!!!"

6 Secrets to Healthy Summer Entertaining

6 Secrets to Healthy Summer Entertaining
Use these genius, easy tips from a Hollywood party planner to make any get-together a guilt-free good time.
Article By: Laura Kalehoff

With swimsuit season in full swing, you won't win any hostess-with-the-mostess awards by stuffing your pals silly with heavy beef patties and franks. We asked David Tutera, star of WeTV's My Fair Wedding and celebrity party planner for Jennifer Lopez, Prince Charles and Elton John, to share his tips for throwing a healthy summer shindig.

With Tutera's advice, your friends will never know you've lightened the menu (unless they happen to get on the scale), and you won't sabotage your own plans to drop a few pounds.

Start out Smart
Why offer the ubiquitous onion dip with limp potato chips (and watch your shady neighbor double-dip), when healthier, more flavorful options abound? Skewer shrimp and pineapple chunks on the grill for low-fat nibbles, or mix grape tomatoes and watermelon balls for a vibrantly colored first-course salad. Alternatively, Tutera suggests rolling newspaper, wax paper, or white construction paper into cones to fill with grilled asparagus and green beans, so your friends can mingle as they nosh.

Sip lightly
Party drinks needn't be a choice between decadent piña coladas (mega calories, morning-after bloat) and deprivational diet soda (it's a party, after all). Strike a delicious compromise with white wine sangria brimming with fresh fruit. Or, try Tutera's signature sipper: Blend Belvedere vodka, seltzer and a splash of diet lemonade. Garnish with mint.

Entertain New Entree Ideas
"You don't need to be at the beach to have a clambake," says Tutera, who steams lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp and low-fat turkey sausage along with corn, leeks and onions for a New England summer meal. You could also serve grilled mahi mahi or tuna brushed with honey on a bed of greens with a side of grilled fruit, fruit salsa or mango chutney. It's an entrée with a lot of plate appeal and without the hamburger hangover.

Sweeten the deal
Fruits and fresh berries topped with low-fat crème fraiche or low-fat whipped cream will satisfy your guests' sweet tooth without sending them into sugar shock, says Tutera. For a cool finale, scoop a trio of sorbets into a glass or an oblong dish and top them off with a sprig of mint or basil.

Set the scene
"A lot of people think summer parties are just about being outside," says Tutera, adding that in entertaining, as in life, it's the little things that count. So pick a fabulous tablecloth to set the mood, substitute your paper plates for colorful plastic, load up on candles (but keep smelly citronellas away from the food) and finish with pots of sunflowers or a tray of natural grass.

Get moving
"Music is the heartbeat of any party," says Tutera. Not only is it a salve for the dreaded awkward silence, but the right soundtrack is bound to get your friends burning off their meals faster than your can say merengue. Pop in a crowd-pleasing compilation like Buddha Bar, Aria 1 or 2, Hotel Coast or Pottery Barn's party mixes, and you're good to groove.

inspiration of the day

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 6 oz of your favorite 0%  Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• scant 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Open the yogurt container and stir the yogurt until it’s smooth and creamy. Crack an egg over the yogurt and stir to combine leaving. The resulting mixture should be pale yellow in color and have a few lumps here and there.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda.
3. Pour yogurt/egg mixture into the bowl with the flour and baking soda. Stir to combine. The batter will be extremely thick.
4. Spoon the batter onto a sprayed griddle or pan heated to medium-high. I usually make four big pancakes, but you could also make 8 smaller ones.
5. Flip the pancakes when they start to bubble a bit on the surface. Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve with butter, syrup, fruit, Nutella….anything! Enjoy!

The serving size will depend on how big you make your pancakes... This recipe does not make a lot of pancakes. 

makes approx. 3 servings at 3 points plus values per serving

july motto

I pledge allegiance to myself
In quest of my weight loss goal;
And to the healthiness for which it stands,
One body...
Under control...
Indisputably...
With confidence in new clothes for fall.