A new kind of pizza

I have been obsessed with my new favorite BBQ Chicken pizza lately.  It is super easy to make, filling and has a lot of fiber and protein with minimal calories and fat. 

Accoring to my 'Daily Plate' it has the following:
357 calories
12g Fat
11g Fiber
30g Protein

This is what I use to make it:
Light Flatout Wrap Original (found at Target)
Chopped Green Pepper
Chopped Onion
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chicken Breast
Famous Dave's Sweet and Zesty BBQ Sauce

ENJOY!

Great Tortillas - low carb, low fat and high fiber

These tortillas are great for just about anything.  They are just 100 calories, low carb, low fat and high in fiber.  They also have 8g of protein.

One tortilla is just on the edge between 1 and 2 weight watchers points, which is awesome!  I use these for so many things - egg wraps in the morning, chicken wraps for lunch, tacos or burritos, sandwich rollups, pizza crust, homemade chips, enchilada bakes, etc.  There are endless possibilities.  They have a great texture and enough fiber (7 g per tortilla) that keeps you full for hours!  Unlike other tortillas I have tried, they stay completely in tack when you roll them up too - no cracking or breaking apart.

So far I have only been able to find them at Sam's club but the bigger grocery stores may have them too.  Hope you can find them and enjoy as well!

Free Toddler/Preschooler Menus

I received some Gerber coupons in the mail that also came with some valuable information regarding nutrition, portion size, etc. for toddlers and preschoolers.  I am sure many of us know what we should and shouldn't be putting into our children's mouths and our mouths, but sometimes it is nice to have that reminder as well as some ideas to spark the healthy eating habit again. 

On one of the informationl sheets they had a link to the Gerber website that provides free meal plans for toddlers and preschoolers.  I checked it out and it looks really neat.  Of course they are promoting using the Gerber baby food products to feed you child, but that is more of an example and guide.  If you choose to use their products or not, the meal plans still provide a lot of ideas and variety.  If you like the meal plan, you can print off a shopping list to buy everything you need to fulfill that plan, email or print the plan out.  The overall message is that it gives you many examples of how to feed your toddler or preschooler a well balanced diet. 

Here are a few quides that provide more examples for daily planning as well as daily intake amounts:

Daily intake preschooler guide - http://www.gerber.com/Preschooler/Nutrition_And_Feeding/Preschooler_Nutrition_Guide.aspx

Daily intake toddler guide-
http://www.gerber.com/Toddler/Nutrition_And_Feeding/Toddler_Nutrition_Guide.aspx

Kids eat FREE!!!

Kids eating for FREE - doesn't that just sound great!  The kids are on a little break from school so I decided to take them on a little road trip today to do some spring shopping, go out to eat with Daddy, play some games and stop in to see some past co-workers.  We had a great LONG day! 

One of the main reasons we made the trip today was to have some fun while they are on break and to have lunch as a family.  We don't go out to eat often, so when we do, we want to make it worth it without spending too much. We decided to go to a place called Space Aliens.  It is a very fun place for kids and has great food.  We normally take the kids there for their birthdays.  I researched a little before we chose where we were going to eat and it just so happened that Space Aliens has Kids eat FREE on Tuesdays.  I was expecting to get one free kids meal for each adult entree but we received 2 free kids meals for each adult entree AND all the kids got a cup with tokens to play games in their big arcade!  So for all 6 of us to eat it cost us $26.00 and $9.00 of that was for the pop and milk we ordered.  The food was fabulous, the kids were entertained and we didn't have to spend a fortune - YAY! 

I do have to admit that I feel guilty taking advantage of these offers.  I know they advertise and want you to bring your kids but I just feel bad when we walk in with FOUR kids knowing that they are going to eat for free.  But, I guess they are happy that we are there to spend some money.  If they wouldn't have had the Kids eat FREE offer we wouldn't have went there today and they would have lost the money we did spend.  So, as long as they have it, we will take advantage when we can.

Many other places offer this same deal on different days of the week.  I just googled 'Kids Eat Free' and I had many to pick from.  Each area has their own and only certain restaurants participate but I bet you can find at least one in your area!

Freezing meals and meal making parties

About a year ago I started getting together with a group of girlfriends to cook and freeze meals together.  A few of them had been doing it on their own for a while but thought it would be more fun and efficient to get a few people together to help.  The more people helping to prepare and cook the more meals you would get to take home! We have done it about 3 or 4 times now and it is a great success!!  One person hosts the party, one or more people get all the groceries and then we get together and start the process.  The past two or three times it has only cost each person around $60 to take home 8 or 9 meals and some of those meals can be split into 2 or sometimes 3 meals.  We have a great time getting together and chatting while we cook, we learn new recipes together and the process goes so much faster!  I know there are a lot of companies out there that do this too.  You can go there, put the meals together, etc. But we have found that getting together at someones house is more efficient, cheaper and we can pick our own meals.  You can have happy hour with your girlfriends and cook meals to take home to your family at the same time!  Great multi-tasking!

Since I have started to attend the meal making parties, I have done more freezing of meals on my own too.  It is such a convenient thing when you are in a pinch and don't have time to make something, or if you just don't want to cook again.  If I am going to cook a meal that I think will freeze well, I just double the recipe and eat one that night and freeze the other for another night.  Once you have all the ingredients and you were going to make it anyway, it doesn't take much effort to make a second one.

Here are some of meals that we have made at our meal parties or that I have done that freeze well:

• Soup - all types of soup freeze well
• Chili
• Lasagna
• Pot Pies
• Pulled Pork
• Mini meat loaves
• English muffin pizzas
• Baked Ziti
• Enchiladas
• Manicotti
• Pizza hotdish
• Taco Soup
• Taco Hotdish
• French Toast
• Pancakes
• Spaghetti
• Chicken Alfredo
• Stir-Fry
• Cheesy potatoes
• Stroganoff

And I am sure there are many more.  You can either buy freezer containers or use tupperware that you already have to store the items in.  One thing to keep in mind is that the baking times will be longer if the items are frozen when you decide to bake them. 

Happy Cooking!

Grocery Shopping Spreadsheet

Grocery shopping is one of those things you HAVE to do but I don't know many people that actually enjoy it.  Sometimes it is nice to take your time and go through each aisle looking at the items closely and other times you just have to run in and grab a few things as fast as you can. 

About a year ago I decided that I would walk through our local grocery store with my list of groceries and start putting the aisle number next to each item so that I could organize my grocery list by aisle number.  It took a lot of time at first but it was worth it!  Once I got home I put together my grocery shopping spreadsheet by aisle number and the next trips to the store were a breeze! I still tweak it almost every time I go because I add more items, or sometimes they change locations of items at the store, but for the most part it has been the same since I made the initial categorizing trip through.  And it has really made grocery shopping less of a chore.  I keep a few printed off and hung up in our mud room so that I always have one ready when I need to start checking off items we need.

Sometimes I use this website to create my grocery list for me.  You go through the lists, check the items you want and then input your email address to have it emailed to you.  It is very easy and quick and helps you think of the items that you may not otherwise remember to pick up.

Happy Shopping!

An amazing salad recipe!

One of my best friends brought this salad to our scrapbooking retreat last weekend and it was a hit with all of us!  I asked her if I could share it as I am sure all of you will love it too!

Winter Fruit Lettuce Salad
2 bags lettuce or 1 1/2 heads Romaine Lettuce
1 apple, cored and chopped into small pieces
1 pear, cored and chopped into small pieces
1 cup candied slivered almonds
1 cup candied chopped walnuts
1/4 cup craisins
(I candy the nuts in a non-stick pan with about 1/4 cup (or more) of sugar until sugar is melted and nuts are golden, cool on wax paper)

Dressing:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup veg oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp diced red onion
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
Combine dressing ingredients in a sealed container and shake until mixed, toss with salad. You may not use all the dressing.

Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend!

Also, I want to THANK Modern Mom for featuring me as one of their Mom Bloggers they love.  It was a great article and I am very grateful to be included in the list. I love the site and am honored to be a part of it.

Weight Watchers

Diet is a word we hear often but really they never work. As I learned in Weight Watchers, you really need to change your life, change the way you eat and add exercise into your routine. There are many days I wish this wasn't true and I could just take a pill and lose 2 or 3 pounds in one day! But I know this would not be healthy and it would not last.

I joined weight watchers after we had our first born. It was an eye opening experience and a very good one. It has forever changed the way that I think and look at food. If you are not familiar with Weight Watchers - each food has a point value and based on criteria, you are alloted a certain amount of points each day. If you exercise you can earn points and eat more - YAY! I loved that part. I think it is one of the best "diets" out there, although I don't believe it should be put into that category. It basically teaches you that you can eat whatever you want BUT if you want to eat that burger and fries for lunch you should have a light salad for dinner and that is it. Portion control and eating smaller portions of the "bad" things and larger portions of the "good" things is the key.  It really makes you think about what you want to eat and what you should eat. I have been loosely following the program for the last 8 1/2 years and I still believe it in. I was and still am one to exercise more just so I can eat more. The good thing about this program, is that it is ok to do that. If you are eating more it should still be fairly healthy, but the deal you make with yourself is that if you want to work extra hard you should be able to reward youself too!

I have pledged to myself that I am going to TRY really hard to follow the program again. I have a few pounds that I have been wanting to lose for a few years now and I really need to kick it in gear and just put in the hard work!  My sister and I are going to do weekly weigh ins and keep on each other so that we both reach our goal!

Along my weight watchers journey I have found some great companion sites that have helped me with point values, recipes, etc.

Daily Plate
If you are looking for a free way to track your food and exercise, again the Daily Plate on Modern Mom is a great way to do that!

Weight Watchers Site
http://www.weightwatchers.com/Index.aspx - Main Weight Watchers site

Dotti's Weight Loss Zone
http://www.dwlz.com/  - This website is a little hard on the eyes but it has great information.  Under the restaurants section you will see hundreds listed out and when you click on them it lists out all the food and the point values for each item.
http://www.dwlz.com/WWinfo/0point.html - 0 point foods
http://www.dwlz.com/WWinfo/1point.html - 1 point foods

Weight Watchers recipes and information
http://www.angelfire.com/journal/wwrecipes/
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/healthy/weight-watchers/index.htm
http://www.skinnytaste.com/
http://www.laaloosh.com/

Misc
http://www.dietfacts.com/fastfood.asp - another site similar to Dotti's Weight Loss Zone

http://www.sparkpeople.com/ - another site where you can input food, exercise, get weekly emails, etc.

Here are a few of my favorite low point foods:

• Apple/Bananna - 1 point
• 1/2 cup of cottage cheese - 2 points
• Fiber one Strawberry yougurt - 0 points
• Market Pantry Fiber bars (Target) - 3 points
• Arnolds Sandwich thins - 1 point (use these instead of buns)
• Most vegetables are 0 points! (eat with a little dip and it can still be under 2 points)
• Low Fat popcorn - usually 2 to 3 points for the whole bag
• Salad with low fat dressing - usually 2 or 3 points total
• Yoplait light yogurt - 2 points
• 1 cup of honey nut cheerios - 2 points
• 1 chicken breast - 3 points
• Strawberry/banana whey protein shakes  - 3 points
• Smart Ones frozen meals  - have tried many and they are all really good!  Lean cuisine is also good.
• Snack size 100 grand - only 2 points!!
• Jello with whip cream - 1 to 2 points
• Pretzels, Fiber/Wheat Thins, Triscuits - serving is 2 to 3 points
• Low fat string cheese - 1 to 2 points
• Toast - 1 to 3 points
• Mini bagels - 2 points

And lastly WATER is very important to your success.  I try to drink between 70 to 100 ounces of water a day.

Sam's Club - order and pickup

Not sure if everyone has a Sam's Club near them, but they are great!  I believe Cosco is pretty similiar.  Other states may have their versions of these stores?  Anyway, it is a great place to buy in bulk as well as get your fresh food.  I often get milk, fresh fruit, bread, cakes, meat, diapers, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.

Just recently I have started to put in my Sam's order online and then the next day my husband can pick it up on his way home from work.  It works out so nice for both of us.  I don't buy any more than I NEED because I just go by my list and add those items to my cart.  (This place is filled with food to tempt you and when I actually go into the store, it is hard to leave without spending $200) And it is great for my husband because he doesn't have to wait in line to checkout.  He just goes to the service counter and they bring it all to him!  Perfect.

Of course you can't get everything you need at the store but you can get the majority. And by putting in the order online you save time, gas, money and your sanity!

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/index.jsp

Ideas for Lent

It is officially lent and we are ready!  We filled a white board on Tuesday night with things we are going to give up as well as something we are going to work on during lent.  As a family we decided to give up pop, even though the kids hardly ever have it.  It was a good thing for everyone to do.  I decided to give up both chips and pop as they are my weakness!  It will be hard, but that is the point, right?  Plus, maybe it will help me shred these 15 pounds I really want to lose! 

During lent it is sometimes hard to think of things to make on fridays with no meat.  Here are a few ideas to help make meal planning a little easier:

• Grilled cheese and tomato soup
• Alfredo with broccoli
• Cheese raviolli
• Cheese enchiladas
• Cheese pizza
• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Cereal
• Veggie Soup
• Fish  - so many options here!
• Tuna Casserole
• Tuna sandwiches
• Meatless spaghetti, salad and garlic toast
• Pancakes/French Toast
• Noodles w/Veggies (variety of sauces to pick from)
• Egg Pizza, Omelets, etc.
• Egg salad sandwiches

If you have any good lenten recipes or ideas, please share!

Cereal for Supper? (or Dinner, whatever you call it)

I admit it, we have cereal for supper sometimes.  Well actually, probably once a week.  I know, I was just telling you how I plan out our meals so that we eat healthy.  However, eating cereal can be healthy, it is so much fun for the kids and they eat ALL of their food!(without being asked multiple times)  They really love cereal night and we usually "plan" to do it once a week. 

Our son plays hockey and we have to get him to practice twice a week by 5:30.  This doesn't leave much time to enjoy a nice family dinner, but we still try to sit down and eat together. A family dinner on some nights just consists of something quick with very little clean up.  I would like to say that they eat the healthy no sugar cereal, but they don't.  And, I am not ashamed of it.  There are a lot of worse things that they could be eating than a nice big bowl of cereal with milk (which I make them drink out afterwards, so we don't waste it.) 

So, next time you are in a pinch for supper/dinner, suggest to your kids that you have cereal night - I bet they will be thrilled!!