Laughing Cow Alfredo Sauce

Laughing Cow Alfredo Sauce
From WW Boards

Serving Size : 4
1 cup skim milk
1 Tbsp light margarine
6 wedges Laughing Cow cheese
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Pinch garlic powder
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all the ingredients until everything is melted and the sauce is velvety smooth, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

81 cals, 4 gr fat, 0 gr fiber

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Critic Panel:

What's for Dinner?

S- Oven Fried Chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, ice berg babies, roll
M- Soup and Sandwich night
T- out for dinner
W- Grilled Sesame Chicken, snow peas w/garlic and ginger, rice
T- Garlic & Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops, steamed veggies
F- Spicy Tortilla Pizza Mexicali, veggie tray
S- Stuffed Green Peppers, baked potatoes, green beans

I'm proud to post my menus on Org Junkie. Come join us for others like me that menu plan.  There are great recipes and ideas out there!

Click for a printable weekly menu for this week.

Thanks to Craftastical and Shabby Princess for the great graphics I used to design.

Product Review: Tropicana Trop50

NOTE: I found a 12 fl oz bottle in the grocer and tried it for this review.  In the 12 oz, there is 50% of your daily calcium in in the 12 ounces. 

My first taste was a little disappointing, clearly a watered down juice and really sweet.  Also, I'm not a big fan of the PureVia sweetner, because of the super sweet taste it leaves.  Also, there is 42% juice in this bottle, the first ingredient listed is water - so be aware that it isn't going to taste like full flavored orange juice.  Outside of those things, really this juice tasted pretty good.  I compaired nutritional labels for the 8oz serving of their original w/ calcium version and this is definately a better option calorie, fat and sugar wise. So it stands to say, yes I could water down my own tropicana oj and save the money.  So ask yourself these questions: Do I need a lower calorie option to oj? Am I diabetic or watching my sugar intake? Do I need an alternative means to get my calcium?  If you answered yes to any of these questions - give it a try. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 8 fl oz
Servings Per Container: 7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calories 50
Calories from Fat 0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount Per Serving and/or % Daily Value*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Fat 0 g (0%)
Saturated Fat 0 g (0%)
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg (0%)
Sodium 10 mg (0%)
Potassium 450 mg (13%)
Total Carbohydrate 13 g (4%)
Dietary Fiber 0 g (0%)
Sugars 10 g
Protein <1 g
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vitamin A 10%
Vitamin C 120%
Calcium 35%
Iron 0%
Vitamin D 25%
Vitamin E 10%
Thiamin 10%
Riboflavin 4%
Niacin 4%
Vitamin B6 6%
Folic acid 6%
Magnesium 6%

Ranch Chicken

Tangy Ranch Chicken
from FRENCH'S®

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Ranch dressing
1/3 cup FRENCH'S® Classic Yellow® Mustard
3 tbsp. brown sugar
4 to 6 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
Directions:
MIX salad dressing, mustard and sugar; reserve.
HEAT 1 tbsp. oil in nonstick skillet. Cook chicken until browned on both sides, about 10 min.
STIR reserved sauce into skillet. Cook and stir about 3 min. until flavors are blended and chicken is glazed.

Tips from French's KitchenGrill Tip: Prepare sauce as above. Marinate chicken in 1/2 cup sauce. Grill chicken and serve with remaining sauce.


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April's Menu Planning Printable

Here is the blank month of April to fill with your menu plan. Enjoy!

To get a copy of this file to print - click here

Thank you to Just So Scrappy Too for the elements I used to create the header.

Shredded Chicken Variations

I thought I would do a separate post on the variations I use with shredded chicken.  It is so versatile.  You can cook this chicken on the weekend and have it available for quick dishes during the week, including healthy quick varieties for lunch.

Base Recipe:

Shredded Chicken
1 bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast
Water
Add chicken to crockpot, cover with water.  Cook 8-12 hours on low. Drain the water (Save stock for later use) and shred chicken with fork.  Store for recipes later in the week.

Options:
BBQ:  Add BBQ sauce - serve on bun or on pizza crust with mozz cheese
Ranch: Add Ranch dip mix - serve on bun or alone
Oriental: Add soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and sesame seeds - serve over rice or rice noodles
Mexican: Add taco seasoning and salsa - serve over rice with mexicorn, black beans or refried beans - or - over lettuce, top with onion, tomato, crumbled baked tortilla chips.
Italian: Add spaghetti sauce - serve over spaghetti noodles
Buffalo: Add a little buffalo sauce - serve in a tortilla wrap, lettuce, cheese

Serve on bun, lettuce salad, in tortilla shell, over noodles, or over rice.

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What's for Dinner?

Family Favorites Week!

S- Shepherd's pie, salad, roll
M- DIY
T- Meatloaf, green beans, baked potato
W- Chicken Taco Bake, mexicorn
T- Going to Dinner Theater
F- Tuna Salad, raw veggies
S- Baked Potato Soup, rolls
Please forgive the odd end to my week, it is going to be a hectic weekend, trying to fit in good stuff, that is fast and can be eaten on the go.

I'm proud to post my menus on Org Junkie. Come join us for others like me that menu plan.  There are great recipes and ideas out there!

Thanks to Craftastical and Shabby Princess for the great graphics I used to design.

Sweet Potatoes

Lightened Up Mashed Sweet Potatoes
From Rachael Ray

Ingredients
4 to 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 1/2-inch thick slices ripe banana
1/2 cup chicken stock or buttermilk

Yields: Serves 4 @ 3 POINTS each

Preparation

Place the potatoes into a medium pot and cover with cold water. Season the water with salt and place over medium-high heat. Bring up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook the potatoes until fork tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain the cooked potatoes and reserve in a colander.
Place the pot the potatoes were cooked in over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the banana slices and cook until hot and very tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes back to the pot along with the stock or buttermilk and mash until they’re as smooth as you like them. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 197.7

• Total Fat: 4.1 g
• Cholesterol: 0.6 mg
• Sodium: 139.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 38.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.7 g
• Protein: 2.7 g

Meal Idea: Serve with Oven Fried Chicken for a spectacular southern dish!  Thanks Rachael Ray!
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Fried Chicken

Easy on the waistline oven fried chicken
From Rachael Ray
Yields: Serves 4


Ingredients

1/3 cup Dijon or yellow mustard
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley or rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil cooking spray


Preparation
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Set up 2 dishes: one with the mustard and the other with the breadcrumbs and herbs. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and run each first through the mustard and then through the breadcrumbs, to coat. Arrange chicken pieces on a cooling rack set on top of a baking sheet. Spray the chicken lightly with the cooking spray and bake until golden brown, crispy and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve.

Pairs nicely with the Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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Stuffed Strawberries

Weight Watchers Low-Fat Stuffed Strawberries recipe

From ww-recipes

Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1 lb fresh strawberries
2 1/2 teaspoons Splenda sugar substitute
4 ounces fat free cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation

1. Clean the strawberries and cut off the tops so that they are flat. Place them on a plate.
2. Make a hole at the bottom of the strawberries with a small knife.
3. Using a mixer, blend the cream cheese with the vanilla and Splenda.
4. Using a small spoon, put little dollops of the cream cheese in the holes in the strawberries.
5. Chill until ready to serve.
WW POINTS per serving: 0
Nutritional information per serving: 21 calories, 0.2g fat, 0.8g fiber


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Pull Apart Bread

Spinach Pull Apart
From Jenny Mac's Lip Smack

3 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp garlic canola oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 oz. Fat Free cream cheese
3 Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese wedges
3 Tbsp. fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1 box (9oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cans reduced fat Crescent Rolls
1 cup marinara sauce.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt pan with non stick spray. In a small bowl, mix butter, garlic powder and garlic oil (I just make some by heating up some canola oil with a few cloves of garlic, store in clean bottle with garlic cloves).

2. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheeses, mayo, spinach and seasonings. Stir until blended and set aside.

3. Unroll crescent doughs, separate into triangles. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise to make a total of 32 triangles. Stretch or press 1 triangle slightly, being careful not to tear it.

4. Spoon 1 Tbsp. spinach mixture onto center of triangle; pull doug around nixture into a ball. Press edges to seal. Repeat with remaining triangles.

5. Roll each ball in butter mixture; layer in pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Cool 10 minutes longer. Serve warm with marinara sauce.

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
From pillsbury

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan.
2. In large plastic food-storage bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon. Separate dough into a total of 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan. Mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
3. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 33 to 37 minutes.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):
Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 33 to 37 minutes


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Habit vs. Variety

I am a creature of habit.  I have eaten a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast (pretty much daily) for the last 10 years.  With the exception of the fast food phase I had gotten myself into where I'd stop by McDonald's on my way to work (Thank you for the extra 20 pounds around my mid section McD's).  Let's just say that phase lasted alot longer than I care to admit. 

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE breakfast food.  But bagels are so easy, I keep a package (whole wheat) at work and a container of whipped cream cheese in the fridge.  My point is, every diet plan I have ever followed has always made a point to say mix it up.  Recently I've added Mug Scrambles to my week - and I LOVE them, but bagels are so quick and easy - no mixing and packing daily, so it is a fail-safe.

Here is what I like about habitual meal planning.  I know what I am eating. I know the calories, I love it enough to eat it daily, and it's safe.  By safe, I mean, I feel full and satisfied, it's quick and easy and I don't find my self at the vending machines.

With this said, I have found two lunches that I like equally as well.  Before food journaling, I would eat left overs from the night before.  Tasty and quick and easy lunch packing - but also packed with calories and fat and my nemesis - sodium. 

If I don't get bored with my breakfast and lunch, and they are packed with raw fruits, veggies and healthy options - what am I hurting?  What do you think? Are you a habitual eater?

Now that I've fixed Monday - Friday (so I also know how many calories my dinner meals need to stick to) ...now to tackle those dreaded weekends.

Chicken Melt

Easy Barbecue Crispy Chicken Melts
From Betty Crocker

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1. Heat oven to 425°F. In 13x9-inch pan, place butter. Heat in oven 2 to 3 minutes or until melted.
2. In shallow dish, stir Bisquick mix and pepper. Pour milk into small bowl. Coat chicken with Bisquick mixture, then dip into milk and coat again with Bisquick mixture. Place chicken in pan.
3. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave barbecue sauce uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until warm. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken; top with cheese.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.
Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 390 (Calories from Fat 180); Total Fat 20g (Saturated Fat 9g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 125mg; Sodium 600mg; Total Carbohydrate 16g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 6g); Protein 36g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 15%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Healthier Option: Use the Heart Healthy Bisquick.


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Buffalo Wings

Hot Boneless Buffalo Wings

From Hungry Girl 200 under 200

8 ounces raw boneless chicken breast, cut into 10 nuggets
1/4 cup Fiber One cereal (original)
1 ounce (about 14 crisps) Pringles Light Fat Free Barbeque Potato Chips (or any other FF BBQ version)
3 Tbsp. Frank's Redhot Cayenne Pepper sauce
Dash onion powder
Dash garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash salt
Dash pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a bread crumb-like consistency.
Crush potato chips completely. In a small dish, mix crushed chips with cereal crumbs. Add onion, garlic powders, cayenne, pepper and salt. Mix well.
Place chicken pieces in a separate dish. Cover with Frank's sauce and toss to coat.
Line cookie sheet with non stick foil. Give each chicken piece a 'shake' so it's not dripping with sauce, then coat evenly with crumb mixture. Lay crumb mixture covered nuggets on the baking sheet.
Bake in oven for 10 minutes.
Flip over nuggets and bake for another 10 more minutes, or until outsides are crispy and chicken is cooked throughout. When I flipped the nuggets over they were a bit soggy and I did a quick pass over with some non stick spray to help them crisp up. Worked great.
Garnish with celery sticks and serve a low fat Blue Cheese dressing on the side. Serves 2.


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Pinwheels

This recipe would be easy to adapt into a healthy recipe substitute ricota for low fat cottage cheese; pepperoni for turkey pepperoni, and crescent rolls for reduced fat crescent rolls. Mmm.

Calzone Pinwheels Recipe

From Taste of Home

Ingredients
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 jar (14 ounces) pizza sauce, warmed

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Italian seasoning and salt. Stir in the mozzarella, pepperoni, Parmesan, mushrooms, green pepper and onion. Separate crescent dough into four rectangles; seal perforations.

Spread cheese mixture over each rectangle to within 1/4 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seams to seal. Cut each into four slices.

Place cut side down on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with pizza sauce. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 appetizers.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 118 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 383 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 4 g protein.


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Snow Peas

Snow Peas with Ginger and Garlic
From Skinny Chef

Ingredients


2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon trans-fat free margarine
1 medium orange, zested
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Non-stick cooking spray
1 pound fresh snow peas
Directions

Combine the garlic, margarine, orange zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. With the back of a metal teaspoon mash the margarine until the garlic and zest are well combined. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Coat with a thin layer of cooking spray. Add the snow peas and margarine at once. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the margarine coats the peas and they begin to turn a shade darker green. Transfer to a medium bowl and serve immediately

Meal Idea: Serve with Grilled Sesame Chicken


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Salad

I love these types of salads, they are fun and easy.  I had to include pictures to give them justice. To make this lighter, obviously subsitution is key.  I may have to develop my own recipe version. :)

Iceberg Babies

From Naughty Chef Blythe Beck
Serves 2

Ingredients
•1 head of baby iceberg lettuce
•2 tablespoons smoked pecans
•2 tablespoons diced tomato
•2 tablespoons diced onion

For the dressing:
•2 tablespoons bleu cheese
•½ teaspoon Worcester sauce
•½ teaspoon Tabasco
•1/8 cup buttermilk
•2 tablespoons mayonnaise
•Juice of one lemon
•Salt to taste

Directions

Cut head of lettuce in half and remove end.  Add pecans, tomato and onion.  Pour dressing over lettuce and serve.





Iceberg Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
From Half Assed Kitchen

1 head iceberg lettuce, washed and quartered with core removed
5-6 slices pre-cooked bacon, heated and diced (optional)
1/2 cup candied walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup blue (or bleu) cheese crumbles
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tablespoons milk (or more depending on desired consistency)
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed (crucial)

Whisk all ingredients from blue cheese to garlic in a small bowl. Pour over lettuce wedge and top with chopped bacon. Serve candied nuts on the side.
Serves 4.

Critics Rating:

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Frittata

Vegetable Ricotta Frittatas
From All Day I Dream About Food

1 cup whole milk ricotta
6 eggs
half medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup broccoli, chopped and lightly steamed
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a jumbo 6-muffin pan (or a regular 12-muffin pan) very well.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and ricotta until thoroughly combined. Whisk in onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Divide broccoli and red pepper between prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Pour egg mixture over vegetables, filling each muffin cup to about 3/4 full. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until tops are puffed and slightly browned, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Quickly run a sharp knife around edges of frittatas while they are still in the pan. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Leftover frittatas can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in the microwave before serving. Serves 6. Each serving has a total of 5.3g of carbs.




Bacon and Tomato Frittata
From Betty Crocker
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings

1 carton (16 oz) cholesterol-free fat-free egg product
1/4 teaspoon salt-free garlic-and-herb seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
2 large roma (plum) tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
2 tablespoons real bacon pieces (from 2.8-oz package)
2 tablespoons light sour cream

1. In medium bowl, mix egg product, garlic-and-herb seasoning and salt; set aside.
2. In 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in egg mixture. Cook 6 to 9 minutes, gently lifting edges of cooked portions with spatula so that uncooked egg mixture can flow to bottom of skillet, until set.
3. Set oven control to broil. Top frittata with tomatoes, cheese and bacon. Broil with top 4 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top each serving with sour cream.

NOTE: If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, just wrap the skillet handle in a double layer of heavy-duty foil.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 170 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 510mg; Total Carbohydrate 5g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 3g); Protein 18g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 20%; Vitamin C 6%; Calcium 15%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 0

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.


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Tortilla Pizza

Thin-Crust Turkey Pepperoni Pizzas
From All You
Prep: 5 min.; Bake: 12 min.

Cost per serving: $2.10
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
4 10-inch flour tortillas
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
40 slices turkey pepperoni
8 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 500ºF. Mist both sides of 2 tortillas with cooking spray. Place tortillas on a baking sheet, top with half of tomatoes, pepperoni and cheese; bake on top rack for 3 minutes. Move to bottom rack and bake until tortillas are puffed and browned around edges, about 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with half of basil.
2. While first two pizzas are baking, assemble remaining two pizzas on another baking sheet. Bake as directed above, sprinkle with remaining basil, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories:454
Fat:19g (sat 9g)
Protein:27g
Carbohydrate:42g
Fiber:3g
Cholesterol:54mg
Sodium:1391mg


Skillet Tortilla Pizza
Points: 3
1 whole wheat tortilla
1/4 c part-skim mozz cheese
1 TB cup tomato sauce
sprinkle of each basil and oregano
olive oil cooking spray
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Spray skillet with olive oil and spray both sides of tortilla. Heat in pan until crispy brown. Season the top of the tortilla lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder.  Top with tomato sauce and basil and oregano.  Top with cheese When sauce is warm, use a large spatula to carefully transfer it to a dish.  Cut into 4 triangle wedges.
Each tortilla pizza makes one serving.


Tortilla Pizza
from Better Recipes
Ingredients
1 med size Fat free tortilla,

1-2 Tbs. Contadina Italian paste (or favorite 0 point pizza sauce
Your favorite veggie pizza toppings
1/2 oz (1 slice) low fat deli sliced ham
1/4 cup Low fat chesse (mozz. or cheddar)
On a cookie sheet, spread paste or pizza sauce on tortilla add ham, any veggie toppings (onions, peppers, olives, mushrooms), top with cheese. Pop it in 350 preheated oven for 5-10 minutes (the longer you leave it the crispier it gets.


Spicy Tortilla Pizza Mexicali
From Hungry Girl: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories
Ingredients

1 large La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb/High Fiber tortilla
1⁄3 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1⁄3 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles, thawed
2 tablespoons shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon dry taco seasoning mix
1 tablespoon fat-free sour cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a medium-large pan sprayed lightly with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Cook tortilla in the pan for a few minutes on each side until slightly firm.
Transfer tortilla to a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Spread tomatoes with chilies evenly over tortilla, leaving about 1 inch of space around the perimeter. In a small dish, combine taco seasoning mix with soy crumbles. Evenly distribute seasoned crumbles over the tomatoes with chilies. Sprinkle both cheeses over the “meat” layer.  Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes, until tortilla edges have browned and cheese has melted. Plate it up, top with sour cream, and dig in!

MAKES 1 SERVING
PER SERVING (entire pizza): 196 calories, 4g fat, 1,140mg sodium,
28.5g carbs, 14g fiber, 4g sugars, 24g protein




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Hot Cocoa

HG's White Hot Mint Mocha Cocoa
From Hungry Girl
Ingredients:

2 packets Swiss Miss Diet hot cocoa mix
1 tsp. instant coffee
2 tsp. Coffee-mate Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer
2 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda)
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1/3 peppermint candy cane (standard size), crushed
2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip
Directions:

Empty contents of cocoa packets into a tall mug or glass. Add instant coffee and powdered creamer. Slowly pour in 12 ounces of hot water, stirring until cocoa and creamer have completely dissolved. Stir in the peppermint extract and sweetener. If your drink is extra-hot, let it cool for a minute or so. Top your drink off with the Reddi-wip, and then sprinkle the crushed candy cane pieces over the whipped topping. Gorgeous!!! MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: 12 ounces with whipped topping (entire recipe)
Calories: 105
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 313mg
Carbs: 17g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 4g
POINTS® value 2*




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Tuna Salad

Tuna Salad

3 Light Tuna in water pouches
1/2 c Onions, chopped
4 tbsp Kraft Miracle Whip Light Dressing
1 tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish
2 Hard Boiled Egg, peeled and chopped
Optional: add 1/4 c chopped celery for a crunchier tuna salad
               add 1/2 packet of splenda for a sweeter tuna salad.

Mix all ingredients together and serve on bread.  Serves 6.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 85.9
Total Fat: 3.3 g
Cholesterol: 86.0 mg
Sodium: 247.9 mg
Total Carbs: 3.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
Protein: 7.8 g

Tuna Salad
From Green Lite Bites

• 1 3oz can of light tuna drained
• 1 wedge of The Laughing Cow Light any flavor — I used French Onion
• About 1/4 cup red pepper chopped small
• About 1/4 cup cucumber chopped small
• pinch of salt, black pepper and dried thyme

Prepare all the ingredients. Mix The Laughing Cow Light wedge with the tuna. Add the pepper, cucumber, salt, pepper, and they. Mix well to combine. Can be served on bread, salad or pita.

Approx Nutritional Information per serving

Approx Nutritional Information per serving

Servings	Amt per Serving
1	entire recipe (not including the pita)
Calories	Fat	Fiber	WWPs
135	2g	1g	old: 3	new: 3
Sugar	Sat Fat	Carbs	Protein
3g	1g	4g	21g

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Sheperd's Pie

Speedy Shepherd's Pie
From WW Boards

12 oz extra lean ground beef
1/2 C chopped onion
1 C each slided baby carrots and frozen baby peas
1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
2 C prepared instant potato flakes (according to package directions)
Dash paprika

Preheat to 375, cook beef over medium heat in 10" nonstick skillet, using wooden spoon. Add onion, cook until softened. Add carrots and peas, continue to cook until veggies are tender. Add broth, bring to boil. Reduce to low heat, simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to 1-1/2 quart casserole. Top mixture with prepared potato flakes, spread and fluff with fork, sprinkle with paprika. Bake until heated through 15-20 minutes.

336 calories, 17 g fat, 5 fiber  Makes four servings, 7 points per serving




Sheperd's Pie, Lightened Up
From Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: about 10.6 oz • Calories: 274 • Points: 5 ww pts

Potatoes:
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, diced
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
salt and pepper
paprika

Filling:
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1 tsp oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
8 oz mushrooms, diced
10 oz frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, green beans, baby lima beans)
2 tbsp flour
1 cup fat free beef broth
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary leaves
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in water until cooked and soft. Drain and mash with chicken broth, sour cream, salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 400°.
In a large saute pan brown meat. Season with salt and pepper. When cooked, set aside on a plate. Discard any fat in the pan, add oil, onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and celery and sauté another 3-4 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and mix well. Add frozen vegetables, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, chopped meat and mix well. Simmer on low about 5-10 minutes.
Spread the meat mixture on the bottom of a 11x7 glass baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes, using a fork to scrape the top to make ridges and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 20 minutes or until potatoes turn golden. Remove from oven and let it cool 10-15 minutes before serving.


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What's for Dinner?

S- BBQ Chicken Pizza, Salad, Roll
M- Chicken Patty Melt, Raw Veggies
T- Taco Bar
W- Garlic & Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops, mashed potatoes, green beans
T- Grilled Sesame Chicken, brown rice, stir fry veggies
F- Poor Boys, chips, veggie tray
S- Cook out - Hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, cottage cheese, applesauce (I'm anxious for summer)

I'm proud to post my menus on Org Junkie. Come join us for others like me that menu plan.  There are great recipes and ideas out there!

Full Week Menu Plan:

Blank menu like above here.

Above is an example of the menu planning I have done for next week. It is important to realize menu planning is a rough draft. I add and subtract food throughout the day. However, the basic plan is to get in enough of the right types of foods (based on the food pyramid) and keep my calories between 1600-1700.

Thanks to Craftastical and Free Digital Scrapbooking for the great graphics I used to design.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers
From Betty Crocker Cookbook

Ingredients:
6 large green peppers

5 cups boiling, salted water
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic
1 cup cooked rice
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.  Find a pot large enough to hold all the peppers and heat the water with salt added.  Cut a thin slice from the stem end of each pepper. Remove all seeds and membranes. Wash inside and out. Add peppers to the boiling water and boil for five minutes. Remove peppers from pot and drain.  In a saute pan, cook and stir ground beef and onion until onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in salt, garlic, rice and one cup of tomato sauce. Heat through.  Lightly spoon each pepper with about 1/2 cup of the meat-rice mixture. Stand peppers upright in an ungreased baking dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover; bake for 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes longer.


Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

5 or 6 green peppers

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg
1 large can of tomato sauce
1 cup of instant rice
salt and pepper to taste

Cut each pepper in half. Remove core and seeds. Combine beef, onion, egg, 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce and rice in a bowl. Mix well. Fill each pepper half with the mixture. Place peppers right side up in crock-pot, pour remaining tomato sauce over the peppers. Cover pot and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Makes 5 to 6 servings.



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Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Gooey Cinnamon Rolls
Points = 1/ea

Ingredients

1 (7.5 oz) can pillsbury refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/4 c splenda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
40 mini marshmallows

Directions

Spray a 10 cups of a muffin tin and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Separate and flatten each biscuit into a 4-inch circle. In a small bowl combine splenda and cinnamon. Dip each biscuit into mixture. Place 4 marshmallows in the center of the biscuit and bring the edges up to form a ball. Place in the muffin tin, seam side down.

Bake for 8-10 min. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Serves 10.

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 56.1
Total Fat: 0.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 165.6 mg
Total Carbs: 12.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
Protein: 1.6 g



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