Oooo I love oatmeal!

Most of you know I LOVE oatmeal.  More than most people I think!  My newest fav is fresh mango, fresh pineapple a little coconut and 1 splenda.  YUMMY! 

In case you didn't realize....

Baseball season is underway!  I'm very excited about this!  It makes me think Spring even though we got a foot of snow yesterday.  I love all baseball but my favorite team is the NY Yankees!  Love those men! 

Savory Oatmeal!

Today we got hit with a HUGE snow storm!  I needed something warm and yummy for breakfast and didn't have alot of time to make it.  I typically make oatmeal and top it with the applesauce you read about but I was all out and didn't have enough time to make a new batch.  A few months ago I had read on someone else's blog that savory oatmeal is delish so I gave it a go!  I diced up an apple and a slice of turkey bacon.  Not just any turkey bacon, SPECIAL turkey bacon.  It's the yummiest thing on the planet!  I get it at Fresh Market at the meat counter.  It's so much better than that crap that turns into cardboard as soon as you cook it!  So into a skillet it goes with some Pam.  While that's on I start the oatmeal.  4 minutes later it's all ready to go!  I topped the oatmeal with the apple and bacon and 2 tsp brown sugar.  I couldn't eat it right away because I had to hit the road for work but I nuked it at work and man was it good!  I read it's good with eggs to so maybe next time I'll do that with the turkey bacon and no egg!  Feel free to share your favorite oatmeal toppings! 

In LOVE with this kid!

Can't say I didn't try....

This post is a little delayed but I wanted to share anyway...
Being single I'm always open to new ways to expand my social circle.  Valentine's Day events were all around so I decided to take the plunge!  A single parent group I've been meaning to check out was having a "Find Your Valentine" party the Saturday prior to the big day.  It promised singles, music and dancing.  Being on WW I was loving that I could have my wine then dance it away!  The party was a bit of a drive but it was thru the country so it was lovely.  I arrived at the restaurant, a large cozy house style place.  I payed the $15 entry and headed up to the party.  I walked into a room that was decorated great!  Lot's of red and pink, hearts and a man dressed up like cupid!  Then I scanned the room.... Of the 50 people there about 5 were under the age of 50.  WHAT!?  This was a single PARENT group not a single GRANDPARENT group!!!  Grrrrr!  I grabbed a glass of wine and headed toward the only younger female in the room.  She was super sweet and we were quickly joined by the third and final young female at the event.  We had fun dancing but still, no Valentine to be found!  By the time the party really got going there were about 100 people, about 85 of which were over 50.  The cougars were in full force and the two younger men that were there were contstantly surrounded!  It was pretty humerous!  All in all it was a fun night of wine and dancing but alas, Valentine-less!  I spent the actual day cleaning my closet!  VERY productive!

Easy Stove Top Applesauce

I've been pretty hooked on making this delish applesauce.  I eat it plain, either cold or hot, or add it to oatmeal (my fav).  There's a bit of a debate about pointage as the WW website says a cooked apple has points while a raw apple doesn't.  I used their message boards to get an idea of what other people think.  One smarty said if I made the applesauce myself and KNOW I didn't add anything with points then it should be 0 because you can buy jarred applesauce (no sugar added) and it's 0 points.  So I count it as 0.  Here's the skinny on making it....

Ingredients :
1 bag of apples
fresh or frozen whole cranberries (check the organic section of your grocery store)
1/4 TSP Baking Soda (to cut the tartness of the cranberries)
Cinnamon (to taste)
Truvia or Splenda
2-3 cups Water

Dice up the apples (I like mine chunky) and add them and all the other ingredients to a large pot.  Start with 2 cups of water, you can always add more if need be. 

Cook for 20-30 minutes or until it's the consistency you like.  I put it in the fridge and use it throughout the week.  It's sooooo super yummy!

Could it be?

I'm seriously concerned.  I weighed in today and was told I lost 3.8 this week!  CRAZY!  Our leader asked me what I did different this week.  My answer... "I didn't drink".  Which is true!  In general I go out on my kidless nights which is 3 times a week.  I detest water beer as I call it so I always order my usual delish dark filling beers.  I estimate them at 8 PP since they're a full pint rather than a bottle (bottles are 5).  If I have 3 a night x 3 nights that is a whopping 72 points!  Admittedly I did switch to light beer on Friday nights since I tend to drink more those nights but really... 72 points?  That's two full days of food plus some! 

So my debate is this.... Do I stop drinking all together?  Cut back?  Stick to only light beer?  The first option won't work.  I have so many great memories centered around alcohol I simply could NOT give it up!  See the evidence:

                                        California trip, margaritas on the pier with great friends!

                     Lake Placid, NY... this was outside the bar and I couldn't resist the photo op.
                                       It was cold and wet but I was buzzed enough to not care. 

Redneck Party.... the first time I was brave enough to hold my friend's pet snake.  Musta been the beer!

                              Double fisting with one of my best guy friends.  He moved to Cali and
                                  is getting married so this is likely the last time we'll drink together. 

                                                                      Halloween!

                                                        St. Patty's Day, one of the best!
And so you see... I cannot give up the chance at making more memories!  Option 2, cut back is definately an option, 3, switch to light beer also an option.  And so, I have decided to combine the two!  One night I'll drink real beer, one night I'll drink light and the 3rd... NO DRINKING!  It's the plan that I think will be do able long term!  Wish me luck!

Don't take my picture!!!!!!

I used to love the camera!  My friends and I would go out and snap loads of pics and I never minded being in them but lately... UGH.  I think my issue is the inconsistency.  I'll take one and look pretty darn good, someone else snaps one and blah!  This weekend I went to my sisters to babysit my 6 mo old niece while they went to a wedding.  I typcially tell her no pics but was feelin pretty good about my weight loss and agreed to let her.  I totally wish I didn't!  The pic was terrible, I looked soooo overweight!   Just so you know I'm not overreacting....  here is a pic of me taken last week :

And here is the one from this past weekend I was referring to:

RIDICULOUS right?  Why do I look pretty when I take a pic of myself and look so blahhhh when someone else takes one!  Oh well, MOTIVATION!!!!!!!!!!

Fantastic Finds!

I'm all about making Weight Watchers work for me.  To do that it must let me eat delish food, not be super hard to do and leave me with enough points for beer/wine :).  Here are a few of my favorite finds!

1.  These are Pampered Chef grown up sprinkles!  I thought I'd use them for rimming the glass of our Hazelnut Martinis but it turns out it's good on everything else too!  I've put it on ice cream, yogurt, and my fav, oatmeal!  It gives it a nice crunch and each serving is 0 PP! 

P.S. They have other flavors as well.  Next party I'll buy the others!

2.  0 PP Brown Sugar Whipped Cream.  This is so yummy I have a hard time sticking to the free portion and sometimes load it on and take the point hit!  I bought it at Fresh Market.

3.  Premade crepes.  I LOVE these!  1 PP, add some berries and the whipped cream with a sprinkle of cinnamin sprinkles, SO yummy and just 1 PP total!  Also purchased at Fresh Market. 

I realized I forgot to take a pic mid munch so the finished product isn't all that pretty but it's still tasty!

Me VS the Mandolin

The other day I came across an old Crate and Barrell gift certificate, and by old I mean it was a wedding gift.  I've been divorced for oh I don't know... 7 yrs now so you get the idea when I say OLD I'm not exaggerating!  In fact it's so old that it's paper which is why I didn't use it for a long time.  We didn't have a store and I didn't know how to go about redeeming it.  But I tacked it and ended up getting it in the mail today... a set of reusable produce bags, a 4 cup measuing cup with a scale built in and my fav.... a mandolin!  I've wanted it forever so was super psyched to try it.  I happily sliced a few zucchinis then decided to get started on the salad fixins.  So there I am slicing away at some celery when zip, off goes my finger tip right into the salad!!  We aren't talking a tiny bit, we're talking a big chunk.  OUCH!  It's still my fav but I'll def be more careful when I use it!    Here's me... the injured!

Pound for Pound Challenge

I stumbled upon this on another blog... http://www.dinneratchristinas.com/ and decided to sign up!  Here's the info :
Link: http://www.pfpchallenge.com/

For every pound you pledge to lose through May 31, 2011, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 11¢ to Feeding America® — enough to secure one pound of groceries on behalf of local food banks. $1,040,000 maximum donation.

 It's a great little challenge and given the state of the world today I'm sure the food banks can use all the help they can get!  I pledged to lose 15 lbs, totally do able!   If anyone is interested in joining click that link and either join as an individual or her group, just search dinner at Christina's.   Hope to shed some pounds with ya!

And then there were 4....

So last night I went on a date.  The guy was handsome enough but I immediately knew he was better for a friend of mine than for me.  They had alot in common, both loved eclectic music, traveling and weed (I'm not 420 friendly as they say).   I texted her and she popped in for a beer.  Now I should have started by saying, "So last night I went on a date with only enough points for one beer."  So now that I've got the date and the friend together I've got to stay for one more.  After about a half hr of me listening to them ramble about pot brownies I am thoroughly bored!   Luckily I spot my best friends x bf at the bar with his son.  I went and chatted with them for a bit and of course he buys me a beer as well!  Eeek!  I know I should be switching to water but this is literally the best beer ever!  It's a Cherry Raspberry Ale with one yummy cherry in the bottom of the glass!  I simply can't resist.   After a half hour or so I head back over and break up their lil omg we have so much in common moment, woops!  They attempt to include me in their chatter and invite my best friend out at well.  She comes and so of course, 1 more beer.  So now the count is up to 4 which is far too many points!  I finally switch to water and head home too late to exercise myself into some extra points.  Ah well...  today is a new day!  Since I've been a little lacking on the motivation level I decided I need a pick me up!  We got a killer storm so actual window shopping is out of the question,  so online it is.  There are some things I've always wanted to wear, when I get thin!   Here are a few of my favs...

Knee High boots!  I love them!  BUT in order to wear them I need to trim down the calves and be able to rock the next item on my list....

Skinny Jeans!  Right now there's no way I would feel comfortable in them.  I'm a firm believer in boot cut.  I think they balance my shape better!

Slouchy shirt and short shorts with some spectacular accessories! 

OK now I feel better!  Nothing like a lil retail therapy!  Hope you all have a great day!

Holy Cream Soup!

Being overweight one would think I LOVE creamy, fatty soups!  NOT TRUE!  I actually hate them.  I've gone thru 33 yrs of life without so much as a spoonful.  However, the other day I was perusing the web for recipes and as usual my favorite site http://www.skinnytaste,com/ produced a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup.  The picture looked pretty yummy but still, white and creamy.  So not my thing but this new healthy eating kick has opened my eyes to many new things so off to the market I went.  It went together quickly and smelled good but still, it was creamy!  I wasn't sure I could bring myself to take a bite but I'm so glad I did!  It was pretty darn good!  Here's a pic!

And yeah...  I know it's time to put away the Christmas placemat!

Applebees

The past few meetings people have mentioned Applebees Weight Watcher meals.  They raved about the Steak and Potato Salad.   "To die for" was one of the quotes.  So off to dinner I go.  My Mom is doing Weight Watchers as well so we decided to get two dishes and split.  She orders the Steak and Potato Salad and I ordered the Spicy Pineapple Glazed Shrimp & Spinach.  She attempted to order hers without the onions, the waitress informed her if she ordered it sans onions it would also cause her to not get any red peppers.  When asked why the waitress said because it's a WW meal everything is weighed and so they pre mix the chopped veggies.  Weird.  Enter meals....

The Steak and Potato Salad looked tasty enough.  The portion was pretty large, the steaked cooked perfectly and a good amount of potato.  That being said, the dish was pretty tasteless.  It was completely bland and cold potatos aren't my thing. 

The Spicy Pineapple Glazed Shrimp & Spinach was even less appealing.  2 skewers of shrimp (I think 5 per skewer), a small pile of white rice and a slimy spoon full of pineapple salsa on some uncooked spinach leaves.  Of course I wasn't about to use points on butter for the luke warm rice so I tried to mix it with the salsa stuff.  Blah.  Didn't help much.  The shrimp was good but it wasn't glazed as the name suggests. 

I left feeling totally unsatisfied, with less money in my bank account and annoyed.  I give them props for trying to help us dieters out but I could make a much better meal at home!  From now on no eating out unless I'm enjoying an actual restaurant quality meal! 

The beer quandry

I love beer... ALOT.
Like way more than the average bear. 
I'm smart enough to know I can't/won't give it up so for me to be successful on WW I've got to keep drinking!  Enter the quandry!  Some nights I just want a few beers, usually 2 or 3.  On those nights I drink something dark and delish like a microbrew from my fav brewery or if I must I'll drink a Sam Adams seasonal.  It's heavy in my belly, makes me feel like I just ate a steak and gives me that la la la buzzy feeling I crave at times.   Other nights I know I'm out for the long haul and don't want to blow all my weekly points on 1 night so I'll drink Michelob Ultra which is both depressing and waterish.  Lately I've been trying to decide which is better for me.

Sam Adams

Pros:
Yummy
Filling
Quicker buzz

Cons:
More expensive (point and $ wise)

Mich Ultra

Pros:
Cheaper
Less points

Cons:
Yucky
Takes alot to catch a buzz. 
Goes down quick!

So yes, decisions, decisions... Why must life be so hard!!!???  LOL

Liquid Dinners

OK so I'm going to admit something here...
On nights I have a date I don't eat dinner!  I save my points for beer!  BAD GIRL! 
Haha.  I do make sure I get my daily requirements in during the early part of the day though!  I typically eat a big bowl of veggie soup before I go then the rest of my points are all mine to drink, guzzle and swig!  For me this works well for 2 reasons....

1.  I catch a buzz quicker!
2.  I don't go over my daily points.
3.  No dinner makes me a cheap date!
4.  The soup makes me have to pee alot so I think I earn an activity point or two speed walking to and from the ladies room :)

Busy Hands

I've been busy this week, KNITTING!  My cousin does a fundraiser every year.  Instead of collecting money she collects crafts then has a craft sale.  All the profits go to the charity.  This year I decided to create my own product and I LOVE it!!!  It's super cute and useful!   All you coffee drinkers out there are probably famililar with the cardboard ring they put on your cup at Starbucks and other coffee joints.  I decided to pretty them up!

Here is it....

My favorite blogger....

said my name and answered my q in her blog! How pathetic is it that I'm excited about it!? Haha. No seriously, this chick is bad ass. She has documented her whole WW journey for us all to see. She's totally adorable and I LOVE how ballsy she is! She posts pics of herself from the beginning of her battle to present, some all dolled up, some scantily clad and my fav are the random bathroom shots she takes on the go! You definately should check it out. HOPEFULLY someday my blog (and pics!) will be as successful as hers!  Click here #links to see the click.  It's in her 1st video. 

Thursday - Weigh In Day!

So my weigh in day is Thursdays so typically on Wednesday nights (one of my kidless nights) I stay in.  This Wednesday I didn't.  I had been home all week and was going a little stir crazy!  I was going to meet up with one of my friends but she cancelled after I'd already left the house.  I really didn't want to stay home so I went anyway!  It was kareoke night, yuck!  Clothes wise I was wearing ripped jeans rolled up a few times, boots, a tank, a cute grey cardigan and a scarf.  Nothing fancy, pretty casual. 

Enter man 1 : Older gentleman, I'd say late 50s early 60s.  I'm sipping my beer, he is mayyybe 3 inches from my face staring intently.  Me : "Why are you staring at me?"  Him: "I think you're very pretty"  and so the conversation goes on name, what do you do etc.  I was doing my very best to be polite but the guy was creeping me out.  He asks me to dance (Note: NO ONE is dancing).  I say no, he says "FINE, I guess we just aren't connecting!!!!" and storms off. 

Enter man 2 :  A guy I used to date and his boss.  He goes to introduce us and totally f's up my name.  I've known the guy for years and he NEVER knew how to pronounce my name!  GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Enter man 3 : "Hello, will you dance with me?"  Me "No thank you".  He turns and walks off.

Bartender : "Holy crap you're alone!  Every time I come over to talk to you there's a different man chatting you up.  I was trying to find some time to talk to you!"

Enter men 4, 5 and 6 :  A group of friends trying to get me to sing kareoke with me.  Young, cute things.  They would be trouble!

Enter man 7 : The guy I used to dates BOSS!  He sits down and asks if I mind the company.  We chat for alot of the night, I convince him to sing kareoke.  He tells me he has every piece of laundry he owns ironed.  Shirts, jeans, underwear and even his socks!  Totally weird!  He fails my test by not offering buying me a beer.  That's a big negative in my book.  At the end of the night I do give him my number.  We'll see if I go out with him again. 

During the course of the evening I also got a facebook message from an old classmate asking me out.  He was always a fun guy and we're both still single so what the heck.  We have plans tomorrow night. 

Needless to say I was pretty much on cloud 9 this AM.  After all the male attention I was even more stoked about my Weight Watchers journey!  It's really working!!!!!!!!  Woo hoo!  I weighed in... down another 1.6 to bring my total to 9lbs.  Yay me!  So 3 weeks in, 9 lbs down.  If I could keep a 10 lb per month pace I think in a few months I'll be feeling pretty spectacular!  Hope you're all doing well with your losses too!

What the.... ?

Every once in awhile I like to peruse the web for things I want to buy "when I get skinny".   Today is super snowy and makes me want a Carribean vacation and so... of COURSE I'm looking at bathing suits.  I looked and looked and finally found one I think I want to order. After all some day I will be thin and able to wear it so what the heck, might as well buy it now right? 

The site boasta "The "Bay Watch" bikini life jacket concept is brilliant on three levels: It can help save lives, it is much more attractive to wear than traditional life jackets and your likelihood of being saved by a male lifeguard in the area probably increases ten-fold when you are wearing it. Plus, it looks as though there is some additional padding in the rear to achieve J-Lo levels of buoyancy. Again, it is only a concept at this point, but it certainly has mounds of potential. "

Obviously I'm kidding, I can't even begin to imagine the stares one would get wearing this!  But seriously, I've rocked the tankini for years and would totally dig wearing something other than that.  5 months to bathing suit season.... Might not be bikini ready this summer but next year I'm all over it!

Current Obsessions

Being overweight there are lots of things I want... when I'm thin!  BUT since I'm not yet there are my go to items I can't live without!  They make life a little easier and much more fun!

My pink Nalgene bottle.  I literally use this every day.  For me drinking water SUCKS!  I do it because I need to and ONLY succeed it if I find a pretty way to do it! 

Viva La Juicy perfume!  I only buy the small purse side one and carry it all the time!  Great for touch ups!

Buxom lipgloss in Dolly.  It's got a lovely lip plumper in it that some how manages to moisturize without being sticky!  I literally apply this about 10 times a day.  It's ridiculusly good!



This is always in my freezer!  And I am not exaggerating when I say always!  It is the creamiest, yummiest thing on the planet.  I save points most nights for a bowl!  Add some frozen thawed mixed berries and MMMMm perfect dessert!

Scarves!  I have many, different lengths, colors and patterns!  The jazz up any outfit and the longer ones tend to hide a lil tummy :)

My lime green IPOD Nano.  I used to have a snazzy Touch but funny story....

One day I traveling home from Rochester after a visit with my sister.  I had plans to meet a guy for a few drinks, 1st date, exciting!!!!!  Well it rained ALOT and it slowed traffic to a crawl.  I was running about an hour behind.  I still had to pretty up and knew I'd never make it to the place we'd chosen.  So, I ask the guy if we can change the location to a bar closer to home.   He agreed, I dashed home, speed prettied and zipped out of the house!  About a minute out of my driveway I realize "OH NOOOO, I forgot my little clutch and all I've got is my big shoulder bag that pretty much houses half of what I own!".  I don't have time to go back so I call him and  explain why I'm going to look totally dweeby pursewise.  He of course doesn't know the difference between a clutch and a shoulder bag so in I go.  He was handsome, the beers were going down easy, conversation was great... and so it went on and on for quite some time.  We're deep in convo when a waitress runs over and says "OMG did you have a purse?" I look down and sure enough, my big ol shoulder bag that was perched on the back of my stool is now gone.   They take off after the guy who has already hopped in the car ready with a getaway driver and poof, gone... with  my purse.   Enter tears, cops, etc.  Now I'm annoyed because 1.  I was stupid enough to put my bag there.  2.  I was oblivious enough to not notice he snagged it.  3.  I let myself get so engrossed in a man that I tuned out everything else!   UGH!  So I'll give you the run down on what was in that bag.... 1. IPOD Touch, 1 IPOD Nano (My daugher's) 1 Digital Camera, 1 Pandora Bracelet, 1 and ONLY set of car keys, $150 cash, Viva La Juicy perfume, Buxom lipgloss, a checkbook and some other misc items.  Not to mention the bag was about $150.  Now normally this wouldn't all be in there but as I said, I had just been on a trip!  So needless to say I'm pretty devestated, a blubbery mess and now need a ride home.  Luckily my date drove me home and he drives a Hummer so that was pretty cool!  The next day a lovely woman called and said she found my bag in her trash can and in it, my car keys and checkbook!  Small victory!  The man didn't work out and I didn't get any stuff back but I did learn a very valuable lesson!  LET NO MAN MAKE YOU UNAWARE!  Heck, no food either cuz let's be real, sometimes my plate of food is far more delicious looking than my date!

In case Weight Watchers doesn't work...

This is my 3rd attempt at Weight Watchers.  It has worked every time I've joined BUT I have not worked every time!  I would get to a 30 lb weight loss, get bored and stop going!  TERRIBLE!  So, while I'm very committed this year I decided I need a back up plan.  Here it is...

JUST KIDDING!  This gave me a laugh, hope it does for you too!

Merry Monday!

Well it's Monday and being that I'm not back to work yet I don't dread it!  My daughter had the day off from school so after a quick trip to the grocery store we started in on lunch.  She had Annie's Organic Mac N Cheese.  Her fav part is the groovy box it comes in!

We don't eat organic all the time but definitely make an effort to do so as much as possible.  The regulations as to what is actually considered "Certified Organic" are pretty lax so I'm not neurotic about buying it.  In short, if it isn't specifically labeled "100% Organic" it isn't completely organic.  Still ALMOST organic is better than not organic at all!  Haha. 

My lunch was infinitely better!!  Last night I made a pot of sauce (two large cans of crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil) and turkey meatballs.  I've never made meatballs before because my Mom makes THE BEST EVER!  I simply can't compare in my daughter's eyes so I don't even try.   However, being on WW I decided to tackle turkey meatballs.  The risk was well worth it!  They were spectacular!  Ingredients were simple, ground turkey, garlic (I don't like biting into chunks, might use garlic powder next time), whole wheat breadcrumbs, parm cheese, 1 egg and fresh parsley.  I made 40 mini meatballs.  My daughter and I had it over that blended pasta, the name escapes me.  I really wanted mine over spaghetti squash but I couldn't find any at the store.  The points for the tiny portion weren't worth it but add the sauce and meatballs and YUM!  The meatballs ended up being 1 pt a piece so for lunch I picked up some great Italian rolls (2 pts for 2 oz), topped it with meatballs and sauce and some low fat mozz cheese.  After a few minutes in the oven I had a delish lunch!  I added a salad with some olive oil to get one of my oils in.   It was a great, filling lunch!  If anyone wants the meatball recipe visit skinnytaste.com and search meatballs.  The ones I made are the "Skinny Italian Meatballs (Turkey)".  Here's a photo!

This was on a large dinner plate so it's a pretty good portion!  Hope all of you had a great Monday!

My favorite breakfast EVER!

I don't think I've mentioned this before but I'm currently recovering from shoulder surgery so am out of work for a bit.  That means I wake up slightly late and have time to make elaborate breakfasts!  I made one last week from the new Weight Watchers Points Plus cookbook and man am I hooked!!!!!  I think I've eaten it all but one day since!  It's called Eggs with Polenta and Spicy Black Beans.  I've never tried Polenta before but I'll try most things once.  It was easy to make, pre made polenta sliced and warmed in the oven.  Black beans and salsa with a little cayenne cooked on the stove and 1 egg cooked in cooking spray.   You put three slices of polenta on the plate, top with the bean mixture and egg then sprinkle with taco cheese.  NOTE :  If you do it as the book says the cheese doesn't melt well.   I put the beans down, then the cheese then the egg on top so it melts better.  This meal fills ya right up and keeps you full for hours!  I make a big batch then just pop the polenta on the plate, top with beans, top with cheese and put it all in the microwave.   Then make my egg to order.  Here's a pic!

Saturday Cooking!

On the weekends I LOVE to cook!  I pretty much always make a huge pot of vegetable soup (0 PP) so I've got it on hand for the week.  The veggies vary but typically I start with a few cans of diced tomatos, chicken stock, water and a big bunch of broccoli rabe and add whatever else I have in the fridge.  Yesterday it was broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, shreaded cabbage and zucchini.  I eat at least one bowl a day it's that good!  Here's the finished product!

After the soup making my daughter and I played some board games and dress up!  We were headed to a 40th birthday party and needed to bring an appetizer.  We decided on Buffalo Chicken Dip.  I had previously found a lighter version on a blog I follow... http://www.skinnytaste.com/ The author Gina is an excellent cook and I have loved everything I've made from her site.  Here's the recipe :

Lighter Buffalo Chicken Dip

All the flavor of buffalo wings without messy hands! Perfect for your Superbowl Party. I lightened this using low fat and fat free ingredients. Adjust the heat to your liking and serve this with celery, chips or crackers.



Lighter Buffalo Chicken Dip
Gina's Weight Watcher RecipesServings: 9 • Serving Size: 1/2 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 107.9 • Fat: 4.9 g • Carbs: 5.4 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 10.3 g

• 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup fat free sour cream
• 1/2 cup Franks hot sauce (or whatever hot sauce you like)
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 cups (2 breasts) cooked shredded chicken

Mix the first 5 ingredients together until smooth. Add the chicken and put this in the crock pot on low for 3-4 hours. Serve warm. Makes 5 1/2 cups

And here's a pic of my daugher making it!  The wing sauce on it made her plug her nose and obviously she's still in dress up mode!

I brought baked tortilla chips, celery and endive to dip in it and pre calculated everything so I knew how much I could have and stay within points.  I was glad to see there were other healthy options, a veggie platter and hummus.  I stayed away from the chicken fingers, mac n cheese and meatballs in gravy!  Yay me!  I did however splurge on a small slice of almond cake with a delicious sugary frosting!  It was worth every point!

Ooo what a night!

Last night I met up with some friends for beers and darts.  I always wonder how to handle the beer thing.  Do I go with low point beer that tastes like beer or darker beers that make me happy and full!?  I did a combo last night.  I had 3 Yuenglings then two Mic Ultras.   I did ALOT of dancing so I def earned some activity points there!  Being newly on plan I know I've got alot to lose and being single I'm always on the prowl!  Obviously this screws with my self esteem!  HOWEVER...... last night I put forth some serious effort to look good.  The 7 lbs I lost so far made it possible for me to wear my "hot butt" jeans!  Woo hoo!!  If you're wondering what makes jeans "hot butt" jeans I'll enlighten you!  It's all about the pockets!!!!!!!!  They need to be properly located. Not too high not too low.  The wash should be dark and for me the kind of pocket with the little flap with the button always make mine look fab!

For example:

Pockets are too high!  A little lower on the booty (and a size bigger) would help!

Too light of a wash and the pockets are too big for her butt!  They go down to her legs!  Pockets should be on the butt only!

Proof that even skinny chicks can look shitty in jeans!  Too tight and those blingy pockets!  Eek!

Pockets too wide, practically on her hips!

These are perfect!  In my opinion, for my body type. 

So back to last night... some how I managed to attract the thinest man in the bar!  He was sweet and gave me his # but I just can't get into thin men!  Maybe I think I'll crush him, maybe I think there's something very wrong about dating someone who's ass I could kick!  Haha.  Regardless, I had a blast and met a new female friend so yay! a new dance partner :)

I rolled into bed around 1:30am, late for a 33 yr old!  I woke up famished and couldn't wait for some yummy breakfast!  Here's what I had:

1 Light Whole Grain Thomas's English Muffin 3 PP
1 Slice Cabot Cheddar Cheese 2 PP
1 Egg 2 PP
1 Slice Canadian Bacon 1 PP

Total 8 PP, pricy but yummy!

Sorry that pic is a little dark... the sun wasn't quite out yet!  And with it...

I'm never without this bottle.  Always full of ice cold water! 

Well, that's all for now.  Hope you all have a fab day!

Who I am, why I'm doing this and what to expect from this blog!

Hello Readers! 
Welcome to my very 1st blog post!  I'll start by telling you a bit about me.  I'm a 33 year old single Mom to a spectacular little girl.  I work full time, have my daughter 4 days a week and still have to make time for dieting and a social life!  I started Weight Watchers (for the 3rd time!) 2 weeks ago and so far have lost 7 pounds and have managed to get back into my one size down jeans!  Woo hoo!  I read quite a few blogs, mostly diet related and decided to do my own.  It'll definately be a mish mash of my social life stories,  recipes, battles and successes!

Hope you enjoy it!