Week 4 menu/shopping list

Thanks for the snack ideas, all.  I broke down and bought myself some skinny cow ice cream sandwiches for nights when I have points left and want some treats.  Those things are delicious (and 4 points plus).  I'm a bit leery of Fiber One bars b/c of the effect of that much fiber on me.  Let's just say I had a Fiber One incident in the past and haven't had one since.  Maybe I'll try again.

Here are my thoughts on last week's recipes:

•  Arroz con Pollo:  make this.  It is REALLY good.  The portion for points is pretty high (one thigh and a cup of rice is 8 pts), but the flavor is amazing and it's easier than I expected.
• Crockpot Sweet and Sour Pork:  This was good, but didn't wow me.  I'd make it again.  It was filling.
• Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken:  This was also tasty, but kind of felt like it was missing something.  Cheese, maybe?  If I'd had some ff sour cream I think that would have made me like it more.  It's also filling, though, and it makes a TON.
• Spinach Lasagna Rolls:  I liked these.  The Big Geek ate one, but I don't think he was really a fan.  The little geeks actually ate it, probably because there isn't a lot of seasoning in them.  I kept thinking they'd be good with chopped broccoli instead of spinach (but The Big Geek hates broccoli).  I think mine could have used some garlic/onions.  I made an extra batch of this for a friend and used a jarred sauce b/c I thought the flavor would be better.

This week is a chicken-heavy week.  Mainly because everything that sounded good had chicken in it.  Also, The Big Geek has decided he will use his smoker next Sunday.  This is NOT a WW friendly move, but I will survive.  I'm sure just smelling babyback ribs cooking is about 3 pts. :)  Also, Princess's birthday party is Saturday, which means cake.  I will be using my weekly points this week!

Monday:  Chicken Parmesan (serve with salad)
Tuesday:  Chicken nuggets (I am eating out)
Wednesday:  Leftovers (The Big Geek is out)
Thursday:  Penne with Chicken, Asparagus, and Lemon
Friday:  Asian Glazed Drumsticks (serve with sugar snap peas)
Saturday:  bday/leftovers
Sunday:  The Big Geek's Smoked Ribs.  I'll post a recipe for this if you'd like but you need a smoker to make them, and it is NOT a WW-friendly meal.  I'd suggest eating beef, pork, or vegetarian this day since every other meal involves chicken.

Shopping List:

I assume most people already own the following items:  EVOO, flour, salt, pepper, onions, cinnamon, dried thyme, brown sugar, onion powder, dry mustard, tomato paste, cooking spray, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder.

Dairy:  grated parmesan, egg whites, part skim mozzerella

Produce: 1 leek, fresh thyme, fresh basil, 2 lemons, 1 bunch medium asparagus (1 lb), 12 garlic cloves, ginger, chives or scallions

Meat: 2 1/2-3 lbs chicken breasts (about 6 breasts), 8 drumsticks

Aisles:  fat-free chicken broth, dry white wine, 12 oz whole wheat penne pasta, Sriracha hot sauce (with a rooster), agave nectar (or sugar), sesame seeds, 28 oz can diced tomatoes, tomato paste, panko

Plus stuff like salad, fruits/veggies for snacks/sides, etc.

Week 2 results and Week 3 menu/shopping list

This was a weird, weird week, with lots more eating out than normal, and a lot of eating out at non-chain restaurants where I just had to guess about points.  I miraculously stayed within my points ranges (I think? Guessed a LOT), but gained .3 lbs.  However, since I knew some of the "loss" last week was from my digestive troubles, I'm good with that.  Plus I ate very well.  No deprivation here.  And if you can't have fun on the week when your inlaws take your kids (first kid-free weekend in 3 1/2 years!!!!), then what is the point?

The WW dijon roasted new potatoes are going to become an addictive new side at my house, I can tell you.  They smell divine and are 4 pts per serving, good with lean meat.  I had an oven thermometer issue with the garlic roast, but will try again another day.  I'm determined to eat fewer of my weekly points this week, drink more water, and eat at home rather than out.  Probably lots of sodium last week in all that prepared food.  I actually sent a dish back for the first time because it was so salty.

In planning this week's menu, I'm using a lot of ingredients I already have and opting for easy crock pot recipes as we ease back into having kids at home.  I am trying to incorporate one vegetarian meal each week.  However, much of the vegetarian options my family will eat involve pasta, and the high carb count pushes the points up to at least 10, which is a lot for most people.  I've discovered spaghetti squash works well for me if my family is eating spaghetti.  I'm hoping this week's vegetarian meal, at 6 pts per lasagna roll, will be filling enough for us. Also, learning from past issues, I'm planning 2 nights of leftovers and a roast chicken so I can make chicken broth in the crock pot Sunday night.  This shopping list has everything you'd need--like me, you probably have a lot of it in your pantry already.  I'd add fresh fruits, fat-free milk, and the frozen waffles my kids eat nearly every morning to the list.

Here's the menu for this week:

Monday:  Arroz con Pollo (never got around to this before)
Tuesday: Crockpot Sweet and Sour Pork
Wednesday:  leftovers--I'm learning from my first night mistakes!
Thursday: Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken
Friday:  Spinach Lasagna Rolls (vegetarian)
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Roast chicken and Dijon Roasted Potatoes

Shopping List:

Produce:  1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 medium onion, cilantro, 8 scallions, 1 lb new/baby potatoes (any color), 3 cloves garlic, 1 tomato, various fruit

Aisles:  1 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice, light brown sugar, cornstarch, cider vinegar, light soy sauce, salt, brown rice, 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chiles, 15 oz can black beans, fat-free chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, olive oil, paprika, thyme, black pepper, sazon OR saffron (I have not found sazon), adobo powder, enriched long grain rice, lasagna noodles (boiling kind), chicken bouillon, 32 oz tomato sauce

Meat: 1 1/2 to 2 lbs pork shoulder, 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, 8 skinless chicken thighs, 1 whole chicken

Frozen: 8 oz frozen corn, 10 oz frozen spinach


Dairy:  15 oz fat-free ricotta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1 egg, 3 oz shredded mozzarella

Week 1 Menu

I get a HUGE number of points in a day.  So many that even though I didn't necessarily "try" to stick to my points yesterday I still managed to, even though I had a full-fat flavored latte and a cupcake with friends after my pedicure yesterday.  Honestly, I planned these menus without too much regard for their points values, figuring that my meals are, IN GENERAL, fairly healthy and I just eat the wrong snacks or too much of what I make.  That said, most of the recipes I'm cooking this week either came from the Weight Watchers website or from this blog, which is one of the reasons I decided to try WW again.  Gina's recipes all look amazing and flavorful, have been "lightened" by her, and include both the "old" WW points value and the new points plus value.  What's not to love?

Like many people, I skip breakfast more often than I should.  However, I know I NEED to eat breakfast, so what works best for me is to "automate" it and eat the same thing every day, or rotate through some options.

So, each day for breakfast I will either have a bowl of oatmeal with some fruit and maybe a tiny bit of brown sugar (just to complicate this weight loss thing, I have sworn off artificial sweeteners), half a whole wheat pita pocket with lean meat and cheese or egg and cheese, or a whole wheat English muffin with egg and cheese or Canadian bacon.

Tip:  Did you know you can scramble an egg in your microwave?  Spray a microwave-safe bowl with cooking spray, place an egg in the bowl, beat, and microwave for about 1 minute.  Scrambled egg, and as a bonus, it's nice and round and perfect for going on top of an English muffin.  I assume you could use egg beaters for this, too.

At lunch, I tend to eat leftovers or make something with leftovers (ie, take chicken breasts from last night and use them on top of a salad).  If that doesn't work out I'll have a frozen meal (such as lean cuisine).  I'm an at-home mom with two small kids, and as THE cook I really don't want to have to make more than one "real" meal per day.

For that reason, this blog will focus on dinner recipes, with a few desserts, snacks, and sides thrown in for good measure.

Here's this week's dinner menu:

Monday:  Cheese Fondue and Caramel Apple Pie .  These are not light, but it is Valentine's Day.  I will likely use most of my "extra" points today between the TWO kid's parties I'm attending and the Fondue.  I may have to skip the pie.

Tuesday:  Skinny Sloppy Joes and salad

Wednesday:  On Wednesdays, The Big Geek has guitar lessons.  The little geeks will eat light salame and cheese for dinner (their choice), and I will likely have leftovers or a bowl of cereal.  I had planned to make a risotto that is not light, but I don't think I'll have the points for it.

Thursday:  Slow Cooker Pernil  with Cuban style black beans.  And look  what I can do with the leftovers!

Friday:  I'll attempt to lighten this Cajun Chicken Pasta .


Saturday:  Garlic Roast and Dijon Potatoes

Sunday:  Arroz con Pollo.

My snacks for the week mostly include fruit and veggies, sometimes with a dip like hummus or even peanut butter or cheese when points permit.  I am going to try a stuffed celery recipe that lightens the flavors of buffalo wings, which I'll post if it's worthwhile.
 
So now for some opinions:  What do you want from this blog?  Just the weekly dinner menu?  Menu plus shopping list?  I know that I will use it both to record recipes and to track my journey, I'm just wondering what the few of you who read this would like to see.

Have a great day, everyone.  Here's to new beginnings!