My Final Weight Loss Journey

NOTE: 

I am presently working on this page so keep checking back!  It takes time to get all the recipes uploaded to the site!  I'm working as fast as I can.  Some of the recipes I will be able to copy from last year!  LOL!  I know I cheat!

I presently get 31 points daily.  I have saved my 35 Flex points to also use Thanksgiving Day.  That is a total of 66 points!

Here is what is in my journal planned for the big day!  All can say is Yummers and boy will I ever eat well!

Mike has told our group for the last couple of weeks to make sure that we eat breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.  We need to jump start the metabolism #1 and #2 you burn calories 33% better than if you don't eat within an hour of getting up.  Here is a tip that he gave us to have a 0 point breakfast.  I'm doing it:

Fiber One Yogurt:                                                           0 Points
Fiber One Original Cereal                                                0 Points

This will also give you 23 grams of fiber!  It will keep the hunger down for the meal!

Tostitos Baked Scoops - 2 servings                                 4 Points
Olive Garden Hot Artichoke & Spinach Dip - 2 servings   4 Points
Wheat Thins Fiber Select Crackers - 2 servings                4 points
Roasted Cornish Hens with Cherry-Port Glaze                  6 points
Cooking Light Dinner Rolls - 2 rolls                                 4 points
Maple Pecan Sweet Potatoes - 1 serving                           4 points
Southern Corn Bread Dressing - 1 serving                        6 points
Brummel and Brown Spread - 1 Tablespoon                      1 point

I love to bake and prior to Weight Watchers I loved making home made rolls and my own pie crust.  This year I decided it was time to try and incorporate the one thing that I love back into my lifestyle but in a healthy way.  The pie crust listed below is 3 points per 1/8 serving.  The pie points that I list include those 3 points.  I will post the pie crust recipe for those of you who love to make your own crust.  I think that the pie crust sounds like it will be an outstanding recipe.

Chocolate Pie                                                                 9 points
Buttermilk Pie                                                               11 points
Cool Whip Lite - 1/4 cup (for chocolate pie)                  1 point

Total Points Used:  58 Points

Left over flex to use on Friday:  8 points!  Enough to plan for another piece of good pie as a treat!

I love to serve this when we have guests.  It is really yummy and rich! 

Copykat recipe - lightened by DebMj1
Servings: 12
Points: 2
Posted by DebMj1
August 30, 2005

Ingredients:

8 ounces light cream cheese
14 ounces artichoke hearts, canned, drained, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cooked spinach
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup romano cheese (you can use all Parmesan if you prefer)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper, to taste

Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cream together with mayonnaise, Parmesan, Romano cheese, garlic, basil and garlic salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach (be careful to drain both of these well), and mix until blended. Store in a container until ready to use. Spray quiche pan or pie plate with cooking spray, pour in dip and top with mozzarella. Bake at 350 F. for 25 minutes or until the top is browned. Serve with toasted bread or bagel chips (dippers are not included in points calculations).

This is another recipe that I wish you could see the picture of.  I know that this will be totally outstanding!  Different but I know that it will blow the 3 of us away!  I can't wait to give the real review on Thanksgiving day!

HU's:  6
Servings:  4 (serving size: 1/2 hen)

1/2 cup cherry preserves
1/2 cup port wine
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 - (1 1/2-pound) Cornish hens

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray.  Combine preserves, port, ginger, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil; cook 9 minutes  or until slightly chickened, stirring occasionally.  Remove and discard giblets and necks from hens.  Rinse hens with cold water; pat dry, Remove skin; trim excess fat.  Working with 1 hen at a time, tie ends of legs together with twine.  Lift wing tops up and over back; and tuck under hen.  Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly grown black pepper.  Set wire rack on baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Brush hens with cherry mixture; bake 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh registers 165 degrees,, brushing with cherry mixture every 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Remove twine; split hens in half lengthwise. Yield; 4 servings (sering size 1/2 hen).

CALORIES 277, Fat 4.9g (sat 1.3g, mono 1.8g, poly 1.2g) PROTEIN 29.4g, CARB 27.5g, FIBER 0.1g, CHOL 13.3 mg, IRON 1.3 mg; SODIUM 394mg; CALC 22mg

I can't wait to make rolls once again!  When I ran these through Weight Watcher Recipe Builder using All Purpose Flour the rolls came out to 3 HU's each.  I don't know about you but I don't want to spend 3 HU's on rolls!  I changed the flour to whole wheat flour and the HU's dropped to 2.  That is tons better.  The nutritionals at the bottom of the recipe are for using the all purpose flour.  I can't wait to report back to you on how awesome these are!  I hope some of you bread bakers will try them along with me!

Cooking Light Notes:  To freeze rolls, bake, coll completely, wrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze.  Thaw and reheat (still wrapped) at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until warm.  Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stove-top; if it's too hot, let to coll to not warmer than 110 degrees so your dough will rise-nicely.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk, warmed (100 degrees to 110 degrees)
18 ounces all purpose flour (about 4 cups), divided (I'm using whole wheat flour)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 Tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
Poppy seeds (optional)

Dissolve sugar and yeast in milk in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Add 13.5 ounces (about 3 cups) flour and egg to milk mixture stirring until smooth; cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Add 3.4 ounces (about 3/4 cup) flour and salt; stir until a soft dough forms.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.  (Press two fingers into the dough.  If an indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)  Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 16 equal portions.  Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), shape each portion into desired shape.  Place shaped dough portions on each of 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with 1/2 teaspoon cornmeal.  Lightly coat shaped dough portions with cooking spray; cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place (85 degrees) free from drafts 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Gently brush dough portions with butter; sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired.  Place 1 baking sheet on bottom oven rack and 1 baking sheet on middle oven rack.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes; rotate baking sheets.  Bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned on top and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottom.  Place on wire racks.  Serve warm, or cool completely on wire racks.  Yield:  16 servings (sering size: 1 roll).

CALORIES 151, FAT 2.1g (sat. 1.1g, mono 0.5g, poly 0.2g), PROTEIN 5.4g, CARB 27g, FIBER 0.9g, CHOL 18mg, IRON 1.7mg SODIUM 187 mg, CALC 69 mg

I wish you all could see the picture in the Cooking Light Magazine.  It will make you want to make the recipe.  I always check their recipes in the Weight Watcher Recipe Builder.  I never find an error but I can make changes without affecting the HU's.  This one I was able to do that.  I don't think using Fat-Free Half & Half, light butter or egg beaters will change the taste of this recipe in order to have more mini marshmallows and pecans.  Right?  I'm posting this exactly how I plan to make it!  I can't wait to try this one! 

I will put in parenthesis what the actual recipe called for, and the nutritionals at the bottom of the page reflect the recipe made using the ingredients in parenthesis.  Not the changes that I made.

HU's:  4
Servings:  8

Cooking Light Note:  You can make this dish up to two days ahead.  Simply bake the potatoes and assemble.  Then refrigerate and bake just before serving.

2 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes
1/4 cup Fat-Free Half-and-Half   (1/4 cup Half-and-Half)
3 Tablespoons light butter, melted  (3Tablespoons butter)
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup egg beaters  (1 large egg lightly beaten)
1 cup mini-marshmallows (1/2 cup mini-marshmallows)
4 Tablespoons chopped pecans  (2 Tablespoons chopped pecans)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pierce potatoes several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until tender.  Cool slightly, peel and mash in a large bowl.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees

Stir half-and-half and the next 8 ingredients (through egg beaters) into sweet potatoes.  Spoon mixture into a 2 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle the top with mini-marshmallows and chopped pecans;  Bake 12 minutes or until the mini-marshmallows are slightly melted.  Serve immediately.

Serving Size:  1/2 cup

CALORIES: 185, FAT 7.3g (sat 3.6g, mono 2.1g, poly 0.7g), PROTEIN 3.2g, CARB 28g, FIBER 3.4g, CHOL 41mg, IRON 1mg, SODIUM 315g, CALC 57mg

Servings: 10
HUs:  6 per serving

Note:  Points are based on both the Speckled Corn Bread recipe and the ingredients that make the Southern Corn Bread Dressing.  I ran both recipes through the WW Recipe Builder.

Ingredients:
Speckled Corn Bread (recipe follows)
1 (12 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 tablespoons rubbed sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon margarine
Cooking Spray
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup shopped onion
4 (10 1/2 ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Crumble Speckled Corn Bread; set aside.  Bake biscuits according to package directions; let cool.  Tear 8 of the biscuits into small pieces; reserve remaining 2 for another use.  Combine crumbled corn bread, torn biscuits, sage, poultry seasoning and pepper in a large bowl; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt Margarine over medium-high heat in a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray; Saute celery and onion 8 minutes or until tender.  Let cool slightly.  Add vegetable mixture to dressing mixture, and gently stir in broth and egg whites.  Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

Calories: 262 (25% from fat); Fat 7.2g (sat 1.6g, mono 3.2g, poly 1.3g); Protein 8.8g; Cholesterol 1mg; Calcium 150mg; Sodium 782mg; Fiber 1.3g; Iron 3.2mg; Carbohydrate 9,3g

SPECKLED CORN BREAD

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon margarine
cooking Spray
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/3 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal mix
2/3 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/4 cups skim milk
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Melt margarine over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray.  Saute corn and bell pepper 8 minutes or until corn is lightly browned and pepper is tender; stir frequently.  Let cool.

Combine vegetable mixture, cornmeal mix, flour, sugar and ground red pepper in a large bowl; add milk and egg whites, stirring until moist.  Power batter into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in Center comes out clean.  Remove from pan; let cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield:  12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

CALORIES 100 (9% from fat); FAT 1g (sat 0.2g, mono 0.3g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 3.8g; CHOLESTEROL 1mg; CALCIUM 105mg; SODIUM 381mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.8g

This just looks like a good pie crust recipe to me.  I've used other lighten crusts and sometimes they are easy to work with and other times they end up in the trash with me running to the store to buy pre-made ones.  I really enjoy making pies more than anything.  It is my hope that this recipe will be the one that will bring back the joy in baking pies for the holidays.  Keep your figures crossed!

Yield 1 pie crust (8 servings)

HU's:  3 per serving
Servings:  8  serving size 1/8 of the crust

Ingredients:

5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1  1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup boiling water

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl; cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Make a well in enter of flour mixture.  Combine butter and boiling water.  Pour butter mixture into center of well.  Gently draw flour mixture into butter mixture until moist clumps form. Press dough into a 4-inch circle.  Wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap.  Unwrap dough; place on plastic.  Cover down with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap.  Roll dough into a 13-inch circle. 

(Totals are for entire pie crust) CALORIES 1,018, FAT 56.3g (sat 22.6g, mono 24.9g, poly 5.4g), PROTEIN 14.8g, CARB 112.6g, FIBER 3.8g, CHOL 40mg, IRON 6.7mg, SODIUM 1,172mg, CALC 112mg

Servings: 8
HUs: 9

Note:  I do not measure Cool Whip and cover the whole pie.  I let each person place the amount of cool whip that they want on their pie.  If you want Cool Whip please remember to adjust the points.

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crust prepared, cooked and cooled
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large heavy sauce pan; set aside.  Combine egg yolks and milk.  Stir into sugar mixture.  Add butter.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens, and boils.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Power into pre-baked pie crust. Cover hit filling with plastic wrap getting out all air bubbles.  Refrigerate for several hours or over night.

Servings: 8
HUs:  11

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crust (uncooked place in pie plan)
2 cups sugar
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (slightly rounded)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup margarine
3 large eggs

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees 

Cream sugar and margarine.  Add eggs and flour; beat well.  Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.  Pour into prepared pie crust. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes. 

I bake the pie till it no longer jiggles in the center.  Closely watch.  You may have to cover the pie.