Tex-Mex Potato Hash

I really liked this.. Hubby thought it was way to black beany and didn't want to eat it..If you are like him just cut back on the beans.. I thought it looked like a lot but rather than waist the can I dumped them all in.. If I was to make it again I would use half a can.  Great high fiber, low fat meal! Original Recipe here

Tex-Mex Potato Hash (152 Calories/.5 grams fat/ 6.5 grams fiber/ 6 servings)

• 5 medium potatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes
• 1 can black beans
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• cumin
• chili powder
• oregano
• handful fresh cilantro chopped
• salt to taste

Boil potatoes and green peppers until tender.. drain. add back into pan and add all other ingredients, heat and stir.

Green Chili Cheddar Eggs

Part of a super easy  Tex-Mex breakfast/ Brinner! Original recipe here.

Green Chili Cheddar Eggs (103 Calories/6.5 grams fat/ 8 servings)

• 8 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 1 can green chilies
• 2/3 cup cheese
• 1 T flour
• 2 T milk

Blend all ingredients together and bake in a  greased round pan at 375F for about 30-35 minutes until eggs are set.

Tuna Melts

Tuna Melts (249 Calories/ 7 grams of fat/ 1.5 grams fiber/4 servings)

• 8 oz french bread, quartered ( i used garlic and parm..mhhh)
• 2 cans tuna, packed in water and drained
• 3 T FF Mayo
• 1 T relish
• 2 tomato, sliced
• 1 T lemon juice
• pepper and salt
• 1/2 cup cheese

Mix tuna, mayo, salt and pepper, relish, and lemon juice in a bowl. Top 1/4 of mixture on bread and top with tomato and cheese. Bake in oven for 7-10 minutes at 375F.

Original recipe here.

Thai Chicken

I have made this about a dozen times.. its one on my hubbies favorite meals ( and one of mine!) The first time I made it I was just looking for something to make..and made it because I happened to have most of the ingredients at home.. I was sceptical about pb and chicken.. but I went with it.. hoping for the best.. and I am SOOO glad I did.. its allllll about the sauce.. you could put it on anything and I think it would be good! Adapted from here.

Thai Chicken (280 Calories/11 grams fat/2 grams fiber/ 4servings)

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast
• 1 cup salsa
• 1-2 T lemon or lime juice
• fresh grated ginger
• 2 t soy sauce ( i have made it with or without..both good)
• 1/4 cup pb (this is for measurement only.. I have been known to add a couple more T to it as well.. like I said I have made this a lot)

Put everything in the slow cooker.. I don't even defrost the chicken..cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Texas Style Sloppy Joes

My kids (as well as the big kid).. likes this and you put it together in a matter of minutes.. great for a day that you have to be out the door!

Texas Style Sloppy Joes (312 Calories/ 15 grams of fat/ 1 gram fiber/4 servings)

• 1 can manwhich sauce
• 1 llb ground turkey ( 93% lean)
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• Texas style garlic toast

Brown ground meat and add sauce. toast bread.. top with meat and cheese!

24 Hour Roast

I'm still sad that my big huge Slow Cooker that can hold a 3 pound roast is broken :(.. So this  is a recreated low and slow in the oven!  This is fall apart yummy! Original idea here

24 Hour Roast (192 Calories/ 5 grams fat/ 10 servings)

• 3 pound top round roast
• 1 T oil
• salt and pepper

Rub roast down with Oil, cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 375F.. reduce heat to 170F and cook for 23 hours. Season with salt and pepper.. Smothering with gravy..optional.. but delicious! ( Leftovers make a great sandwich for lunch!)

Mini Spinach Quiches

These would make a great breakfast or brunch! Original recipe here

Mini Spinach Quiches (100 Calories/ 6 grams fat/ 18 servings)

Dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup reduced calorie butter
• 3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese

Filling

• 4 slices turkey Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 5 eggs
• 8 oz frozen spinach.. thawed and drained
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk with some fat content)
• 1 and 1/3 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper

Blend flour, cream cheese and butter, until a dough is formed, chill in refrigerator for about an hour.

Roll out dough and cut into small circles that will fit into your  greased muffin tins ( I washed the cap on my cooking spray container and used that.. perfect size for me!)

For Filling.. Blend eggs, milk and salt and pepper. Fill each muffin with a little bit of bacon, cheese and spinach.. pour egg mixture over top. Bake at 375F for about 30 Minutes or until eggs are set.

Lazy Crock pot Spaghetti

This is the easiest thing to make.. if it go any easier it wouldn't even be called cooking.. I'm not even sure it is. Original idea here

Lazy Crock pot Spaghetti (195 Calories/ 4 grams fat/2 grams fiber/4 servings)

• 1 lb chicken..(not even defrosted)
• can diced tomatoes, drained
• jar of favorite tomato sauce

Put it all in the slowcooker on low for 6 hours... shred chicken a few minutes before serving.. Serve over pasta.

White Chicken Chili

Mhh This was good.. The green chillies really seemed to make this.. and I enjoyed it! Original recipe here

White Chicken Chili (298 Calories/ 4.5 grams fat/8 grams Fiber/5 servings)

• 1lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded or chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans green chillies
• cumin
• pepper
• Italian seasoning
• 1 cup FF sour cream
• 1/2 cup Half and Half

Spray large stock pot with cooking spray. brown onions and garlic. Add all other ingredients except for sour cream and half and half.. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in sour cream and  half and half.

Do you like Taquitos? I llke Taquitos!

These are yummy, big, and very filling! Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

"Beef", Bean, and Cheese Taquitos (139 Calories/4.5 grams fat/3 grams fiber/13 servings)

• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
• homemade Taco seasoning (plus some extra cumin) or half packet store bought
• 1 can black beans, drain and rinsed
• 1 & 1/3 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 13 corn tortillas (give or take)
• cooking spray

Cook ground meat until no pink is left, add seasonings and black beans. Fill tortillas with some cheese and meat/bean mixture.. roll up and place seem side down on a greased baking sheet, spray top with cooking spray. Bake 5-6 minutes at 400F on each side.

Burgers with Roasted Garlic Mayo

A couple of weeks ago I was watching Food network and they had this show all about Garlic.. and a burger with roasted Garlic mayo.. and wow did it look good..the down side? they mentioned a restaurant where you could purchase the burger.. not a recipe in which you could make it.. did that stop me? nope.. so here it is! The mayo as a dip is great too! yum yum yum!

Roasted garlic Mayo (20 Calories/ 1 gram fat/ 8 servings)

• 1 head garlic
• 1 t lemon juice
• pinch on dried thyme
• 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
• 2 t olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup FF mayo

Cut head of garlic in half. Place on some foil and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. wrap foil around garlic and bake in oven for 30-35 minutes at 400F. Let cool. squeeze out garlic cloves in blender.. add the rest of the ingredients.

Burgers (276 Calories/9.5 grams fat/ 5 servings) (Includes bun, burger,mayo, lettuce, and tomato)

• 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
• Garlic mayo
• lettuce
• tomato
• buns
• 2 cloves of roasted garlic
• splash Worcestershire sauce
• slash soy sauce
• pepper
• onion powder

Mix ground beef and last 5 ingredients. Form into 5 patties.. Cook on Forman Grill.. assemble sandwiches.

Hmm what new cookbook should I pick out for myself??

Because I now have lost 31 pounds! EEEEEKKKKK! I remember at the beginning of this journey I thought I would be semi happy to reach this..(and don't get me wrong I am!) but know that I am here I want to keep going! happy dance happy dance!

178..Starting weight
156.. (Smallest since having children) New nail polish152..(smallest since becoming pregnant w/ Fhillip)..New shirt
148..(30 pounds)..Healthy cookbook
147..current weight
142..(wedding weight and also at the very top of a normal weight range)..new hair cut and foils
138..(40 pounds gone!).. Family portraits
130.. (just a big deal!)..new swim suit!

Jalepeno Popper Chicken

If you like Jalapeno poppers you will love this! The sauce was divine! It tasted great on top of the baked potatoes wedges we had with the chicken.. Hubby wants me to make the sauce again.. just so he can use it as a dip..droooool. Original Recipe here.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken (311 Calories/15 grams fat/.5 grams fiber/4 servings)

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1/4 cup cornmeal, seasoned with a pinch of chili powder, cumin and salt)
• 1 egg ( about half of the egg will be used)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• 6.5 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese ( the other 1.5 oz. went to bagels.. but if you want to use all 8 go ahead!)
• 2/3 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
• 4 slices turkey bacon
• 3 jalapenos, seeded and diced

Bake bacon at 400F on baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Coat Chicken in egg and then cornmeal mixture. Place on top of a greased cooling rack on top of the baking sheet you just used for your bacon. (learned this new tip via Rachel Ray.. It allows the heat to circulate evenly over the entire chicken, and makes it crispy on all sides...wish I would have known this when I was making  the Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich) Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

On your stove top, add cooking spray to a non stick pan and saute garlic and jalapenos for 2-3 minutes, pour in Chicken broth and bring to a boil, add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add cheese and crumbled bacon and stir until melted. pour sauce over chicken and anything else you might desire :)

Banana-que

Hubby was excited when I said I was going to make this.. then he started spouting some spoofy song to the Philippine nnational anthem that mentions banana-que.. I tried to find the song on-line but all I could come up with some 80's Pinoy song with really bad hair and clothes..but anyway..!!

I still don't understand why this is called what it is..Its deep fried.. and never gets anywhere near a grill..I seriously had to ponder why it the world its named after the traditional BBQ.. I just got laughed at for thinking to long and hard about this.

I don't have the nutritional info on this.. other than the fact that fruit is involved it isn't good for you.. i have no concept of how much sugar ended up being eaten.

Banana-que (????)

• 1 Plantain. sliced ( but I'm sure you could use a banana..like the name suggests!)
• brown sugar
•  oil

Fill oil about 1 inch deep in a non stick pan.. add brown sugar ( maybe 1/2 cup?) to the oil and heat until the sugar is floating and browning on the top. Fry bananas about 1-2 minutes.. flipping it over if not completely covered by oil.

Super easy Carrots

How easy is this?? I will tell you.... really easy!.. and the little boy who yelled," I don't like carrots!" ate all of his portion!

Super Easy Cooked Carrots (75 Calories/1.5 grams fat/2.5 grams fiber/4 servings)

• 1 lb baby carrots
• 1-1.5 cups chicken broth ( or you could vegetable too.. since you are eating veggies!)
• 1 T butter
• 1 T honey

Throw it all in a pot and simmer on the stove until the liquid is reduced and the carrots are tender!

Laughing Cow Cordon Blue

I would like to give a shout out to my Aunt Christine for this recipe. It's one of my faves..and my boys love it too! Yet again the picture is sub par.. please don't  let that stop you from trying this.. it sure is yummy!

Laughing Cow Cordon Blue (200 Calories/4.5 grams fat/.5 grams fiber/ 4 servings)

• 1lb chicken breast, pounded thin
• 4 wedges Garlic and herb Laughing Cow cheese
• 4 oz mesquite smoked deli turkey breast
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Spread wedge of cheese over pounded chicken, place 1 oz turkey breast on top and roll up. Place seam side down in a  greased baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and pepper over top of chicken. Bake about 30-25 minutes until juices in chicken run clear.

Chicken Lo Mein

Super easy weeknight meal! Original recipe here.  This would be great as a vegetarian dish as well..just get rid of the chicken!

Chicken Lo Mein (363 Calories/13 grms fat/7 grms fiber/ 4 servings)

• 2 packages Oriental flavor Ramen noodles
• 2 t oil
• 1 t sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz bag of frozen stir fry veggies
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 lb chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 1 cup water

Mix water, cornstarch, and seasoning packets from ramen noodles together in a bowl and set aside.  Boil ramen noodles according to package directions, drain.  Heat oil in a pan and brown garlic, add chicken and cook a few minutes, add frozen veggies and cook until tender. pour seasonings in pan and let it thicken. Toss in noodles.. Good on its own or with rice!

Potato Leek Soup

Potato Soup is always good, but adding the addition of leeks just gives it something a little extra.. I had to restrain myself for licking the bowl clean.. I enjoyed it that much. Original Recipe here.

Potato Leek Soup (252 Calories/6 gms fat/3.5 grams fiber/6 servings)

• 6 medium potatoes, chopped
• 2 leeks, whites and greens, chopped
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
• dried parsley (about 1 T?? not 100% on that)
• garlic powder to taste
• 2 T light butter made with canola
• 1 can evaporated milk

Optional toppings: crackers, grated cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, chives

Put everything in a crock pot except for milk.. cook on high for about 3-4 hours.. add milk in the last hour. Enjoy the yummy goodness.

Copycat Outback Alice Springs Chicken

If you have never had the pleasure of eating Alice Springs Chicken at Outback Steakhouse you have really missed out..it is fabulous and mouthwatering..but there is a catch to this wonderful meal.. its around 1300 calories and 92 grams of fat.. just for the chicken.. sides not included! So why not make it at home and save yourself tons and tons of calories and while you are at it.. lots of money!

Copycat Alice Springs Chicken (291 Calories/15 grms fat/1 gram fiber/ 4 servings)

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and halved
• 6 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2/3 cup shredded jack cheese
• 1/2 t onion powder
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 T dijon mustard
• 1 T mayo ( I used the full fat made with canola)

Bake or pan fry Bacon and set aside. In a non stick pan, brown both sides of chicken and then place them in a baking dish. Preheat oven to 350. Mix together onion powder, honey, mayo, and mustard. Place  3 halves of bacon on each piece of chicken. add mushrooms on top, drizzle sauce  and top with cheese. bake until juices run clear about 20-25 minutes.

Beef Caldereta

This is one of my favorite Filipino dishes.. This is the first time I have made this without a pre-made seasoning packet! Go me! Next time I will  use a leaner beef.. but stew meat is what I had on hand so the fat content is defiantly high in this dish. This is one of those meals where the leftovers taste even better so if you can make enough for lunch the next day! :) Original recipe here.

Caldereta (436 Calories/23 gms fat/3 gms fiber/4 servings)

• 1 lb beef stew meat, cut into chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 t soy sauce
• 4 canned tomatoes crushed, and a little of the juice
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1 red pepper chopped
• salt and pepper

Salt and pepper beef... Brown on all sides. Add garlic, onions, tomatoes, soy and broth. Cover and Simmer for about 2 hours until beef is tender. Add coconut milk, chick peas, potatoes, and pepper and simmer an additional 20 minutes until potatoes are soft and sauce is thickened.  Serve with rice.

149.5!!

My new weight! The 140's! Just barely made it but hey I am there! The last time I saw a 14 on the scale was probably some time in late 2004.. SIX years ago! It just plain makes me smile! :) I have tried to do this dozens of times.. but this is the first time I am actually succeeding! I have had a lot of "want to quit and just eat whatever I want days" recently so if you could keep up the encouraging words and prayers I will forever be in your gratitude!