This weeks meeting

This weeks meeting topic = Plate Savvy! Come in for a meeting this is a good one!

Yeah, baby, it is springtime. Whoot! Whoot! How about them 2 for 1 strawberries rolling into your super and farmer's markets?
Yum!! Now, I like to just slice them up and toss them into lunch boxes, salads, my mouth....you know what I am sayin'. If you have a few extra minutes, you can make a dessert that is not only fun to make, but incredibly delicious.
Slice the bottom of the strawberry so it will stand up and then core it. I like to just rip off the leaves with my fingers and just use my thumb to get all the green part out of the berry. It isn't elegant - but when you are in a hurry and can't find your knife - it works.
Then, you melt some chocolate. I figured I used a mere TWO chocolate chips for each strawberry. I did use very nice bittersweet Ghiradelli chocolate chips because I love this chocolate. I melted them quickly in a bowl in a microwave. You could use the stove if you prefer - you don't need to get them very pourable - just spoonable into the strawberry.
The final touch is to shake a little coarse salt onto these babies. Kosher salt, which can be found right next to the Morton's in the baking aisle, is a common kind of coarse salt.
Put them into the refrigerator for maybe 5 minutes and you are done! Brilliant, no? If you are having a party, you can make them ahead and bring them out when you are ready to serve them.
I decided to call these "Strawberry Chocolate Bombshells" because you are going to feel like a bombshell when you eat them. You will also be on your journey to looking like a bombshell if you choose these over, let's say, brownies :)
Kids love making them. My 8 year old daughter gets a big thrill out of using a butter knife to cut strawberries on the cutting board. My son just tries to spoon all the chocolate in his mouth when I'm not looking.
These are only 17 calories each so don't feel bad about overindulging. Think about all that vitamin C you are consuming. One strawberry has 28% of your daily value!
You can make this vegan if you use vegan chocolate chips and they are gluten free.
What is your favorite way to serve fresh strawberries?

Strawberry Chocolate Bombshells Recipe

Strawberry Chocolate Bombshells Recipe

(makes 10)
10 fresh strawberries, hulled
16 chocolate chips
coarse salt (optional)
Slice tip of strawberries and place on plate. Melt chocolate and spoon into top of strawberry (where the leaves have been removed). Sprinkle on a wee bit of coarse salt and refrigerate until hardened. Enjoy!
For one strawberry = 17 calories, 0.5 g fat, 3.1 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g sugar, 0.3 g protein, 0.6 g fiber, 10 mg sodium, 0 PointsPlus

“Fires can't be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks. ”

James Baldwin (1924-1987);

author

Set healthy goals for yourself for healthy life. Diet, exercise and healthy eating will not happen by itself or randomly, you have to workout seriously and actively towards it.

Permanent weight loss requires lifestyle change, not a quick fix

Healthy life starts with happy life. To attain healthy life, you have to make your surroundings enjoyable and pleasant to live in. If your surroundings are messy, it is hard to relax.

Add more food. Think about ADDING foods to your diet instead of taking them away. First step? Start incorporating the 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies we should all get every day. You’ll be WAY less likely to “overindulge” at mealtime. Up your fruits and veggies and start to feel (and look) better!

This weeks meeting topic

This weeks meeting topic = Be Nice (For a change)

Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal
yields 8 servings at 6 points plus per serving

Ingredients:

2 cups steel-cut oats (not quick oats or rolled oats)
4 cups water
5 cups milk (may use skim or almond milk)
1 large honey crisp apple cut into ½ inch pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt

Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Directions
Combine all ingredient into the slow-cooker and cook on LOW overnight, 7 to 8 hours.

Cook du Jour Peter Maccarrone cuts calories, improves taste

Ninety pounds lighter diet: For those who have more than a few pounds to lose, it's hard to heed the advice of someone who doesn't know the agony of obesity. But when the speaker is Peter Maccarrone, who shed a whopping 90 pounds by following a Weight Watchers diet, nearly everyone stops in their tracks to listen to his tale. Maccarrone's commitment to the diet ultimately made the difference, but it was his superb cooking skills — thanks to his Italian grandmother's culinary tutelage — that kept the diet fresh and exciting. Maccarrone offers interesting alternatives to traditional dietary fare. His low-calorie spin on chicken featuring garlic, lemon, rapini (broccoli raab) and cannellini beans is Weight Watchers compliant at six points per serving, but for an additional two points, you can substitute Italian-style chicken sausage, or for a few more points, pasta on the side. By "volumizing" a dish with vegetables, the calorie tally lightens, while the added colors provide more visual appeal. "The more color you can add, the more we want to eat it," Maccarrone said. "We eat with our eyes."Gentleman's agreement: Maccarrone gets many of his creative ideas by faithfully scanning the cooking channels. His pasta carbonara, featuring nonfat half and half, wheat pasta and low-fat cheese, is a delightful alternative to the calorie-laden variety. "It still feels heavy, even though it's nine points a serving," he said. "It's not the typical 23 points a serving." When his low-cal macaroni and cheese fooled even his biggest critics, Maccarrone knew there were few dietary boundaries to confine him. Every other Tuesday, Maccarrone hosts a card game with a group of men, but it took a while for Macccarone to get up enough nerve to switch the typical macaroni and cheese dish with his Weight Watchers version made with wheat pasta, low-fat cheddar or mozzarella, cottage cheese and browned onions. "They loved it, and then I had to admit it was a Weight Watchers recipe," he said with a laugh. "Now every time they come to my house, they ask me if I'm making my seven-point mac and cheese."
Therapeutic interventions: As a retiree, Maccarrone is able to devote many hours to experimenting with recipes. Some of his best include lemon broth sauce with chicken, and salmon, with puréed peas with mint. Then there's his Wellington made with Pillsbury crescent rolls (instead of puffed pastry) and a filling of spinach, tuna and asparagus, that has become the overwhelming favorite of his wife, Terri, daughter Catherine, son-in-law Brad and granddaughter Asher. But with the joys of expanding his culinary repertoire, there also are the occasional setbacks. "I like to play with recipes, but the biggest problem is re-creating the dish," he said. "Sometimes I add or subtract ingredients. I just try to make sure that the recipe is therapeutic and will work for us." But inevitably there are times when high-calorie ingredients cannot be eliminated without sacrificing taste. For those times, Maccarone offers the solution. "If you want something, you just count the calories or points and eat it," he said. "I'm a firm believer that if you want something, don't say no, you can't have it. Just make it, taste it, say that's fine, and then move on."
Chicken with Broccoli Raab and White Beans
Ingredients
1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
8 ounces, approximately 6 cups broccoli raab or broccoli, coarsely chopped
15 ounces cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon lemon juice, or to taste
½ teaspoon lemon zest, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon table salt, or to taste
Directions
1. Combine flour, pepper and kosher salt and coat the chicken with it.
2. Heat a skillet with oil at medium to high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning as needed until brown. Takes about 6 minutes.
3. Remove from pan, and in the same pan add chicken broth, garlic and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Use scrapings off pan.
4. Add broccoli (or vegetable) and cook over medium heat until crisp and tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Take half of the beans and smash them. Add that to the pan with the other half of the beans. Cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, lemon juice, lemon zest, a little more salt and a little bit more hot pepper flakes.

Palmdale New Store Update:

Palmdale New Store Update:

We are still waiting for the landlord to install the ADA handicap pads in the parking lot. We hope to have them done by 4-19-12. If the timeline works in our favor the opening day at the new store will be Wednesday 5-2-12 with the grand opening on 5-5-12.
Nothing is for sure this is just an update!

Cheese And Cracker Makeover

Cheese And Cracker Makeover

(serves 1)
1/2 cucumber
1 wedge "The Laughing Cow" French Onion Cheese Wedge
paprika (optional)
Peel cucumber and slice 10 slices. Spread cheese on cucumber, add a dash of paprika, and serve!
58 calories, 2.2 g fat, 6.5 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g protein, 0.8 g fiber, 263 mg sodium, 1 PointsPlus

What motivation really is: having the will to do what's right even when you don't feel like it. You can't only work at weight loss when you want to and expect to succeed; you have to work at it every day. And not everyday will be easy!

Just spotted at Trader Joe's. Only 1 Points plus for 1/4 cup. I mix with egg whites in the am! Tastes Great!

YOU are all you need! Your own body weight can provide a great workout and build strong, sexy muscles. Try sets of lunges, crunches, squats and push-ups to get yourself going when you can’t make it to the gym.

water

How much water did YOU drink today?

Living the Plan

Living the Plan

No matter how far or near you are to your ultimate weight-loss goal, the info that we’ve given you over your first 12 weeks on Plan will arm you with the skills and motivation to help you reach it. And as ever, your Leader is there to help you when you have questions or feel stalled.

This weeks meeting topic

This weeks meeting topic starting tomorrow of course, Put some Color on your plate!

Grilled Cheese Dunkin' Duo

Grilled Cheese Dunkin' Duo

Entire recipe: 257 calories, 8.5g fat, 989mg sodium, 30g carbs, 6g fiber, 10g sugars, 17.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 7*

Grilled cheese with tomato soup is a classic combo, so we made a guilt-free version, dunker-style. Two-in-one comfort food!

Ingredients:
2 slices light bread
1 slice fat-free American cheese
1 piece Mini Babybel Light cheese, chopped
2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium creamy tomato soup with 4g fat or less per serving (like Amy's Organic Light in Sodium Chunky Tomato Bisque)

Directions:
Top one slice of bread with the cheese slice, and sprinkle with chopped cheese. Top with remaining bread slice. Spread the top of the sandwich with 1 tsp. butter.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Place sandwich in the skillet, buttered side down. Spread the top with remaining 1 tsp. butter.

Cook until bread is lightly browned and cheese has melted, about 2 minutes per side, flipping carefully.

Microwave soup in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, or until hot. Slice sandwich into 4 sticks and serve with the soup for dunking!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Southwestern Quiche

Southwestern
Quiche
6 servings @ 6 each
Simple Spinach Salad
6servings @3each
1 c Southwestern egg substitute
1⁄2 cFFevaporatedmilk
1 c shredded RF sharp cheddar cheese (2 eggs- beaten, 1⁄2 t salt, 1⁄4 t pepper)
1 deep dish frozen pie shell


Combine egg sub, milk, cheese, eggs, salt & pepper and pour into piecrust. Bake25-30min @ 325 or until eggs become firm. Divide into 6 servings.

Fellow Weight Watchers - Do you find yourself working the program great all week, only to get derailed by the weekends? Why not attend a Valencia Friday meeting to help get your weekend off to a good start! There are 3 convenient times to choose from:
8 am, 9:30 am and 4 pm.

We'll see you there to get help keep your weekends on track! Come to 8 out of 12 Friday meetings at the new Valencia location between April 20th and July 6th, earn a special charm AND ENTER INTO THE GRAND PRIZE DRAWING.

Don’t compare yourself to others. Every BODY is different. It stands to reason that everybody will lose weight differently. Even if you do the exact same things that I do, you won’t lose weight at the same rate. The key is in finding your triggers. Keep your goal in sight, and do whatever you have to do to meet that goal. When you start looking at someone else’s habits, you’re only going to become discouraged and quit without even realizing that it’s physically impossible to be anybody but yourself.

Crock-pot Picante Chicken

What's for dinner tomorrow???
Here is a good Crockpot recipe for ya!

Crock-pot
Picante Chicken
6 servings @ 9 each
Cheesy Broccoli
6 servings @ 1 each
Cantaloupe
1 cup @ 0 each
1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 / 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 / 14 oz cans yellow corn, drained
8 oz salsa or picante sauce
1 large head broccoli
½ c shredded 2 % sharp cheddar cheese
6 c diced cantaloupe, serve on the side
Place chicken strips in bottom of crock-pot. Pour black beans, then corn, then salsa sauce over chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours. Divide into 6 servings.
Steam broccoli until tender. Top with cheese while hot. Season to taste.

Stay tuned for more info

Stay tuned for more info... but mark your calendars now. Our NEW Valencia Weight Watchers will be having an open house Saturday May 5th.

The Skinny on Light Beer

Thank you to snack girl for this post below. I thought it was interesting so I am posting it...

 

The Skinny on Light Beer

filed in: article

Guess what I did yesterday? BUUUUURRRRRPPPP.
Beer, sadly, is high in calories. It can range between 150-200 calories per 12 ounces and it really adds up if you have two of them. A regular beer can be FIVE PointsPlus - ouch!
Finding a way to enjoy beer and cut down on its empty calorie impact on your waist line is a priority for beer lovers. Many readers have asked which light beer I prefer but I haven't tried very many.
My husband, my friend Laura, and I tasted all of these light beers. Writing Snack Girl can be a tough job, but someone has to do it.
Our qualifications for this beer tasting are irrefutable. Laura is a house painter, Matt is Australian, and I have indulged in more beer than I care to remember (or can remember for that matter :).
and, yes, I am going to get in trouble for that Australian slur - they do also drink a lot of tea
The entries were:
Michelob Ultra
Bud Light
Miller 64
Coors Light
Corona Light
I chose these because the friendly guy at my local liquor store had tried ALL of them (imagine that!) and he thought they represented the best on the market.
Here are our scintillating reviews from worst to best:
Miller 64 (64 calories): Yuck and super yuck. This beer featured a chemical taste that reminded one of steamed sweat socks. None of us would drink this beer if it was the last beer on earth.
Bud Light (110 calories): This entry was described as nasty, awful, bland, and tasteless. There was a sweet aftertaste that Laura really hated.
Michelob Ultra (95 calories): Everyone thought that this beer was okay. First, it tasted like beer, hurray! Matt named it an inoffensive mild lager.
Coors Light (102 calories): Matt chose this as his favorite, as did the guy who sold it to me in the liquor store. It tastes like a regular beer and had more flavor than the Michelob Ultra. Honestly, I don't like regular Coors so it was hard to like this one.
Corona Light (99 calories): HURRAY! Both Laura and I liked this beer probably because we both have visited Mexico for vacations. It reminded us of sand, palm trees, and turquoise water. Put a little lime in this beer and you will forget it is light.
So, there was a split decision between Coors Light and Corona Light. I believe both beers are three PointsPlus for those Weight Watchers fans out there versus five PointsPlus for a regular beer.
Another beer lover friend of mine likes Sam Adams Light.
Please share your favorite light beers below.
For the teenagers who read this site, Snack Girl advocates waiting until the legal drinking age to indulge in alcoholic beverages.

meeting topic

This weeks meeting topic: Your Activity Plan B!

promo & sale times

Today officially starts the BOGO promo, the JOIN FOR FREE PROMO, and the SALE on Baked and Popped Snacks and Snack Bars.
Be sure to come in to our new Valencia center and hear and see all about it!

Closed Sunday

Weight Watchers will be closed Sunday! We will see you Monday with a new meeting topic. Stay tuned to find out what it is!

Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Hash Brown
Breakfast Casserole
6 servings @ 7 each
Scrambled Eggs
6 servings @ 2 each
20 oz Simply Potatoes, hash browns w/onions
8 oz diced ham
¾ c shredded 2 % sharp cheddar cheese
1 c RF Heart Smart Bisquick
(2 c FF milk)
¾ c FF egg sub
3 eggs
¾ c FF egg substitute
Spread hash browns into the bottom of a sprayed 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle ham, and cheese on top. Combine Bisquick, milk and egg sub; slowly pour over potato mixture. Bake uncovered for 45 min @ 375.
Scramble eggs & egg sub. together in a sprayed skillet on med high and divide into 6 servings

Sunday

Just a reminder Weight Watchers will be closed Sunday.

What's for Breakfast?

 I had to give this one a try for myself. You get a lot of pancakes for not a lot of points plus values. This entire plate of yummy pancakes is only 3 points plus. Very tasey no need to put any syrup or anything else on them. Thank you Jenny for the great recipe!

whats for lunch?

How about Kale with some Cannellini beans sauteed in garlic & olive oil??? Low in points plus values, great taste and really good for you!

water

bean minestone

bean minestone


6PointsPlus Value

Serves: 9
Ingredients
1 pound(s) Jennie-O Turkey Store Ground turkey
2 Tbsp Contadina Italian Tomato Paste With Italian Seasonings
1 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s)
1 cup(s) uncooked celery
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
16 oz canned tomatoes
1 cup(s) Carrots, chopped
5 cup(s) Emeril's All natural chicken stock
16 oz Bush's Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained
16 oz canned cannellini beans, with liquid not drained
2 cup(s) uncooked zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cup(s) fresh spinach
1 1/2 cup(s) cooked whole wheat pasta, any type of cooked pasta
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1 Brown meat 2 add tomato paste & cook 5 minutes 3 add onions, celery, garlic, carrots & oregno. Cook until garlis os aromatic aprox 5 min. 4 poor into a 4-qt slow cooker. Add tomatoes & chicken stock 5 cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the vegetables are tendar. 6 stir in beans, zucchini, spinach and cooked pasta. Cook on high setting for 8 minutes or until beans & Pasta are warmed through and spinach has wilted. 7 serve with grated parmesain cheese.

Give The Healthiest Vegetable on The Planet Some Love

Yes! You know the vegetable that I am referring to - KALE. Kale is on every list for "healthiest vegetable".
One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Let me ask you something.....Do you eat kale? Raise your hand if you eat kale. I can see a few hands going up - but the rest of you seem a bit sheepish.
Well, it is time to start eating kale. Do not fear this leafy green - it is in your supermarket near the lettuce, it is cheap, and you can make it into something yummy.
The first recipe to try with kale is to make kale chips. These are super easy and even my children will eat kale if made into "chips".
I keep working with kale because I used to hate it and I am finding that I just didn't know how to cook or serve it. I have found a new trick that makes raw kale (that is right folks, RAW) super delicious.
First, you turn your lights down real low. Then, you light a few candles, put on some Barry White, and MASSAGE your kale. I find that calling my kale "baby" helps the whole process.
I know you think I am kidding, but I am serious. Drizzle some olive oil on chopped raw kale and massage it for two minutes. This massage results in softer kale - not unlike loosening the knots in a loved one's back.
The kale will enjoy it and shrink in volume. I find that a little salt is all I need to make tasty kale and I don't even want lemon juice or vinegar.
You cannot give up on kale! This is the vegetable that will solve all of your problems. Constipated? Eat kale. Want to avoid cancer? Eat kale. Overweight? Eat kale. Depressed? Eat kale. Looking for a boyfriend? well, I'm not sure about this one - but it might work!

Kale with Bacon and Cannellini Beans

Weight Watchers Recipe

Ratings (308)
5PointsPlus Value
Prep time:  10 min
Cook time:  32 min
Serves: 4
A fantastic combination of flavors and textures. Serve as a side dish, use as a pasta topping or enjoy as a room temperature salad.
Ingredients
3 slice(s) uncooked reduced-fat bacon  
3 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced  
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes  
      1 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s), diced  
      1 pound(s) uncooked kale, stemmed, roughly chopped  
1 cup(s) canned chicken broth, or beef broth  
      15 oz canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained  
1 tsp kosher salt  
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar  
1 tsp sugar, in the raw  
Instructions
Set a large, heavy pot or skillet over medium heat; add bacon and cook to desired crispness. Remove bacon from pot and set aside; leave bacon drippings in pot.

Add garlic and red pepper flakes to bacon drippings; cook, stirring, until garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add kale; cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to wilt, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth; cover and simmer over low heat until kale is just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add beans; simmer, uncovered, until liquid is almost evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in salt, vinegar and sugar; sprinkle with crumbled bacon and serve immediately. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.