Pumpkin Light

Pinterest, oh how I love thee!  I got this idea off of a Pinterest picture but the link didn't work so I pieced it together myself.  I invested a bit in the initial supplies but realized that I could use the ribbon on a number of other projects and the block and lights could be used in a number of other decorations as well.  This also means minimal stuff to store for each decoration change!

First, I got the supplies.  You only need about 4 pieces of foot long ribbon so if you have them lying around, don't get anymore.  If you buy some, make sure you can use it for something else.  I bought tulle from the fabric department at Hobby Lobby and it was only $1.37 a yard.  I got one yard and left it folded in half.  I got the large glass block but of course, it was 50% off as well as the ribbon.  The lights were about $3.00 but I used my 40% off coupon.  You will also need glue dots and piece of black scrapbook paper.

Next, I drew a freehand face on the black scrapbook paper with pencil and cut it out.  I don't know why but I always feel the need to have eyebrows on my jack-o-lanterns.

Next I attached the face to the block using glue dots.  I put the pencil side down.  I left the opening in the block to the bottom.

Next I put the lights in the opening.  I used kitchen shears to cut through the plastic cover and put the lights through the hole that was already there.

Now I layed out the tulle (leaving it folded in half like it is on the fabric bolt.  I lined up where the cord would come through and cut a hole in the tulle.  I cut it big enough to fit the plug through.

I folded the tulle up and gathered it.  I tied it off with a piece of floral wire I bought for another project but you could also use a twist tie off a loaf of bread.

I then tied several pieces of ribbon and trimmed the sides of the tulle until I liked the look.  Happy Halloween!!

 

 

 

Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Chicken

 

 

Here is a new recipe I tried tonight.  When I asked my fiance if he had any ideas, the text read 'chicken something i guess'.  Needless to say my dear is not a chicken fan but knows I've been wanting to eat healthier lately.  I decided to run to Wal-Mart and check out the cookbooks.  I came across Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible and found her recipe for this. Wanting to make it a little more Weight Watcher's friendly, I reduce the amount of sugar and used chicken breast tenders.  It was a hit!  Jon really liked it and he never goes on about chicken.  I highly recommend.  Especially if you are looking for something different to put in your recipe mix.

 

 

5WW Pts+ a piece. Yield 5-6.

 

Ingredients:

 

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tbsp hot sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
5-6 chicken breast tenders (approx. 1 lb)
5-6 slices of bacon
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, hot sauce, and garlic. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat well with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and grease a wire cooling rack or coat with cooking spray. Place the rack on the baking sheet.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Wrap a bacon slice around each piece of chicken. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.

Crumble the brown sugar into a bowl. Dip each bacon-wrapped piece of chicken into the sugar taking care to coat evenly. Place the chicken on the prepared rack. Bake, turning once, until the bacon is crisp, the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

 

Recipe source: Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

 

Here is a link to a blog with the original recipe:

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/10252794/glazed-bacon-wrapped-chicken/

Homemade Weight Watchers Friendly Lasagna!

I want to preface this with I have simply slightly altered my absolute favorite recipe for homemade lasagna.  It comes from Ronzoni Pasta and is on the back of their Healthy Harvest Lasagna Noodles.  You may find it here:

http://ronzonihealthyharvest.newworldpasta.com/pasta_meal_search_results.cfm#

It is wonderful with the Ronzoni noodles if you can get them!!

My version is:

9WW Pts+ Yield 8. INGREDIENTS 9 item(s) uncooked lasagna noodles 3 cups Ragu Light No Sugar Added Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce 1lb 90% lean ground beef, cooked          1 ½ cups water    1 large egg                                           15 oz fat-free ricotta cheese    1 cup Mozzarella                                   8 Tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese 1-2 tbsp Italian Seasoning                     ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 350F. In 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, brown meat; drain. Add spaghetti sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, one-half mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. 5. Pour about 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 UNCOOKED pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce; cover with 1 cup sauce. Spread one-half cheese filling over sauce. Repeat layers of lasagna, sauce and cheese filling. Top with layer of lasagna and remaining sauce; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10-20 minutes before cutting.

Bubble Up Enchiladas

By far the greatest and tastiest Weight Watchers meal thus far! It has been on a number of blogs and sites and I in no way created it but take full credit for loving to make it!!

8WW Pts+ a serving, yield 8. 11WW Pts+ a serving yield 6.

Ingredients:
1 can Grand's Reduced Fat Flaky Layers Biscuits (8 biscuits)
1 lb 90/10 lean ground beef
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3/4 cup 2% milk Kraft mexican cheese blend
garlic powder or fresh
onion powder or fresh
Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
fat free sour cream (optional)
1 can fat free refried beans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9x13 glass dish with non-stick spray.

Brown meat and seasonings (to taste) in a large skillet. Add enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Cut biscuits into 6ths and add to the mix, making sure they get coated with the sauce mixture. Pour all in the dish. Cook fo 20-25 minutes. Put cheese on top and cook until melted.

Optional: Serve with a dollop of fat free sour cream (adds WW Pts depending on amount). Also, Layer a can of Fat Free refried beans for some extra flavor. Adds 1 WW Pt+ per serving.

My New Favorite Recipe Site!!!

Here is my new favorite recipe site I just Pintered upon today:

She cooks with minimal ingredients and has many Weight Watcher friendly recipes. A lot of items are things you might just have around the house! Many are ones she found online or adapted from others but she always credits and lists her nutritional info.

http://www.recipe-diaries.com/

Enchilada Casserole

I found this recipe from Six Sisters on Pinterest, they in turn found it from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake! and it was a delicious hit!! I changed a few ingredients to fat free/low carb and it came out to be Weight Watchers friendly for a generous portion!

This is the link to the recipe. I've posted below with the few alterations I've made to help lower the points although the orginal is already health friendly.

http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=3352

8WW Pts+ if you cut into 8 servings. 10WW Pts+ if you cut into 6 servings.

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 large onion, chopped or season with Onion powder or minced onion
2 1/2 cups salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup fat-fat Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
6 Ole' Brand Low Carb High Fiber Tortillas
1 small can of drained corn, or about 1 1/4 cups of frozen corn (optional)
3/4 cup fat-fat sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
Garnish (optional):
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°.
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, sour cream, corn (optional), taco seasoning and cumin.
Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup grated cheese.
Place two tortillas on top of meat mixture. Layer with half of the remaining meat mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat. The last & final layer should be a healthy dose of the remaining grated cheese.
Cover with foil that has been sprayed with pam or other and bake for 25 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro.

Chicken Pot Pie

10WW Pts+ yield 6.  8WW Pts+ yield 8. 

INGREDIENTS

8 roll(s) reduced-fat crescent roll dough, I tube

16 oz cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)

1 cup 2% cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup, 98% fat free

1 cup Fat Free Milk

1 cup(s) canned mixed vegetables , drained

1-2 Tbsp chicken bouillon

1-2 tsp of Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a pot, fill with water and add some chicken bouillon, boil chicken breast on medium high heat until cooked through. Shred chicken. Prepare cream of chicken soup with 1 cup milk, warm in microwave for about 1 minute to mix. Put chicken and drained veggies in pan, mix with half of soup mixture, ½ cup cheese and some Tony’s seasoning. Roll out crescent rolls and place entire sheet on top of mixture, stretching to cover entire pan. Place the rest of the soup mixture and cheese on top. Bake 30 minutes until crust is golden and bubbly.

Chicken Pot Pie for Pi Day!

Butterfinger Cream Cheese Pie

This is adapted from several recipes I found online. I bascially took the skinnytaste.com No-Bake Cheesecake recipe and added some candy. I also was inspired by a recipe from laloosh.com. Both links are provided below to the original recipes.

4WW Pts+ if you cut into 8 slices. 6WW Pts+ if you cut into 6 slices.

‎1 Butterfinger Regular Size

8oz Fat Free Cream Cheese

¼ cup white sugar

1 8oz container Fat Free Cool Whip

4 full sheets of Reduced Fat Graham Crackers

1 ½ Tbsp Caramel Topping

1 Tbsp Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup

Very lightly spray an 8x8 glass dish or pan with non-fat cooking spray. Line the bottom with the graham cracker sheets. Mix together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and the crushed Butterfinger. Spread the cool whip mixture over the graham crackers. Drizzle both the chocolate syrup and caramel syrup on top of the whipped topping. Chill overnight .

Skinnytaste.com Cheesecake Recipe

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/04/no-bake-cheesecake.html

This is where I found the great idea for just plain graham crackers.... genius! Save those points for the cream cheese : )

Laloosh.com Butterfinger Pie

http://www.laaloosh.com/2010/06/03/butterfinger-pie-recipe/

Journey to Fit!

5 Weeks ago today my fiance and I decided to make a change. We decided to eat healthier and shed a few extra pounds... well actually, I decided I wanted to fit in my wedding dress and he is along for the ride since I majority of the cooking. To date he is down over 20 pounds and I am down 15. A successful journey to this point. While I love Pinterest, I decided to start this little blog including all the changes I make to Pinned recipes and the Weight Watchers Points Plus Values. I basically figured this could be my own little recipe book with link to my faves if applicable.

Thanks for stopping by!

Petite Lasagna Recipe

Adapted from Hungry Girl and canyoustayfordinner.com

WW Pts+ 4 each


6 oz cooked ground turkey or 1/2 lb raw
1 jar Prego Light Smart Sauce. 3 cups
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning, to taste

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper
24 Won Ton Wrappers
1 1/2 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.

Cook 1 lb turkey meat with garlic. After cooked, take 1/2 meat out and store for later use. Add a jar of spaghetti sauce and Tbsp Italian seasoning (optional). Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, a Tbsp Italian Seasoning and mix well. Set aside.

Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.

Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the turkey tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with 1.5-2 tsp of mozzarella. Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer. Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Let the cups cool, remove them from the pan, and serve!

I served with homemade skinny cheesesticks (link below) with marinara sauce and a salad with fat free Italian dressing.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/02/skinny-baked-mozzarella-sticks.html