Diana's Rainbow Challenge

Given the challenge Diana posed this week, I thought I'd do a little research to make sure that I was well informed of all of my options for fruits and vegies of various colors . I found the following sites that may help us in meeting that challenge.

So, what else besides blueberries is considered blue fruit? See the second site for an answer to that.

http://vickids.tamu.edu/nutrition/red.html

http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/color_guides_to_food_nutrients

Tried the Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge

I made the chocolate marshmallow fudge recipe that Linda Goldberg sent out on 2/2/2009 and can I just say that it is really, really good. It provides a really good chocolate fix if you need one. My family loved it and ate more of it than I did. I only got 3 pieces of the 30 I put out. The recipe makes 36 pieces, but knowing my boys (12, 14 and 40-something) I was sure to hide six away. I still have the six and I am looking forward to covertly hitting them when I need the boost. I may try making it next time with a different type of chip than chocolate, perhaps peanut butter (they make those, right?), vanilla or maple. Thanks, Linda, for the recipe.

Spanakopita
From the Weight Watcher's "Take-out Tonight" cookbook

Sherry tested this recipe on her family and she and her husband loved it! She brought in extras for some of us to taste and I can attest to its yummi-ness. You can make in advance and freeze as well - see instructions below. Serve with a salad or as a side dish.

Ingredients
1 tspn extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1-16 oz bag/box of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (press in a colander)
4 oz reduced or non-fat feta cheese crumbled, about 1 cup
1/3 cup fresh dill (you can probably use dried equivalent)
1/2 cup fresh or dried parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/8 tspn ground nutmeg
1/8 tspn salt
1/8 tspn freshly ground pepper
8 (12x17 inch sheets of phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions). You can find this in the frozen food section of the grocery store.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. To make the filling, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion. Cook until softened/translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool 5 minutes. Stir in the feta, dill, parsley, egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; mix well to combine.
3. Place sheet of phyllo with the long side facing you on a work surface (cover remaining phyllo with plastic wrap to retain moisture). Lightly spray the phyllo sheet with nonstick spray; top with a second phyllo sheet and lightly spray with nonstick spray. With a sharp knife, cut the layered sheets crosswise into 3 equal strips.
4. Place a scant 1/3 cup of the filling in the center of the bottom end of one strip. Fold up one corner around filling to form a triangle (flag-style). Continue folding all the way up to the top of the strip. Place the triangle, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Repeat with the other 2 strips, then with the remaining phyllo sheets, nonstick spray , and filling to make 12 triangles.
   
5. Bake triangles until lightly golden, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving (2 triangles): 161 Cal, 6g Fat, 2g St Fat, 42mg Chol, 490mg Sod, 19g Carb, 3g Fib, 9g Prot, 145mg Calc. Points: 3.

Freezing: These spanakopita triangles freeze beautifully. Prepare as directed through Step 3. Freeze trinagles on a baking sheet in a single layer, then transfer the frozen triangles to a zip-lock plastic bag; seal and freeze for up to 3 weeks. To serve, do not thaw. Bake as directed in Step 4 , except increase the baking time to 27-35 minutes.

Check out this blog

Because I just don't subscribe to enough blogs as it is (30 on knitting, 20 on marketing and now 1 for weight watchers), I just had to find one where the person was on the weight watcher's journey. I really like this one http://ronisweigh.com/ronis-resources/fast-food-options. She's smart, funny and has lots of tips and point suggestions. She's been on the plan since 1999 (I think!) and has made the program part of her life. Check it out. I've also listed the link on the side bar under the Links heading. -- Jayne

Can we do tomorrow's weigh in like this?

I found a cool website that gives you the point values for some of the restaurants. It is http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.html. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the restaurant you're looking for. I've tried finding reviews about this site to make sure that the points quoted are legitimate, but haven't seen anything negative about it. I had half the pear and endive salad with dressing on the side at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch today, estimating it to be about 8 points (for half of the salad). The site said that the whole salad was 12 points. So, half the salad (which was plenty) was 6 points! Check it out.

Food for Thought

I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond. ~Mae West

Rich, fatty foods are like destiny: they too, shape our ends. ~Author Unknown

The biggest seller is cookbooks and the second is diet books - how not to eat what you've just learned how to cook. ~Andy Rooney

Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. ~English Proverb

Your stomach shouldn't be a waist basket. ~Author Unknown

A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit. ~Author Unknown

another recipe

I havent' tried this yet but looks great and has lots of fiber! Katie B

Penne Pasta with Cannellini Beans and Escarole

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta
1 head escarole, chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can cannellini beans, with liquid
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, drained
salt and ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and cook the penne pasta 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the escarole, cannellini beans and liquid, and diced tomatoes with garlic and onion until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the cooked pasta to serve.

Nutritional Information
Penne Pasta with Cannellini Beans and Escarole
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 288
· Total Fat: 1.6g
· Cholesterol: 0mg
· Sodium: 316mg
· Total Carbs: 57g
· Dietary Fiber: 6.8g
· Protein: 12.2g

Are those cheesepuffs for real?

Thanks so much, Jayne, for putting this together. It looks great. I went to the link http://kitchenparade.com/2002/10/weight-watchers-recipes.php and saw the recipe for the cheese puff pastries and have a hard time believing they are 0 points with the added butter and cheese! Am I misreading that? Anyway, my experience has been pretty positive with healthier eatting habits, but I usually feel a little hungry. Carrots, celery and water ain't cutting it. Popcorn helps. But, we'll keep it up. Thanks, again. Sherry

I'll have to remember this tip...

Hi There!

I put this blog together for all the reasons stated in the banner. I hope everyone will use it. Since we are still technically in week one, I thought I'd tell you my experience thus far. I didn't get to menu plan or go shopping until the weekend, so don't even ask me how many points over I was on Thursday and Friday.

Katie King who, it seems, has done Weight Watchers before provided a tip. The Garden Veggie Soup in the silver colored book we received at our first meeting has 0 points...yes, 0! She recommended making a batch and having a cup before lunch and dinner if you need to "fill up." I took her up on this and made a vat on Saturday. I doctored up the basic recipe by sauteeing garlic, onions, carrots and celery along with crushed red pepper for added spice. I followed the recipe and added cabbage, green beans and non-fat chicken broth, but also included a can of diced tomatoes with italian spices. I divided it among 1 cup sized Rubbermaid containers and have enough to get me through the week. It's actually very tasty and filling...but I'm definitely craving grated parmesan cheese on top!

What recipes have you tried yet? What's good? Not so good? How's it going for you? I spoke with Richard and he says he's under his points each day...I wonder if he can give me some of his?

Jayne