Beginnings

Beginnings are exciting. They are filled with promise of things yet to come. For some people, they are frightening, something to be feared. Not so for me. I love beginnings, new things.

So we had a three day weekend! It was wonderful, 3 days full of the promise of things to be done, things to be finished and things on the list to cross off.

We crossed off these things:

• Getting the outside Christmas decorations down and put away (this was thanks to two teenage boys who were very willing and helpful.)
• Laundry - (but isn't this every weekend?)
• Weight Watchers - I was down a pound! Yay me!
• Plastic for my bags organized and sorted by color. I was so excited to get it under some control and to have the plastic prepped for fusing and work.
• Various shapes cut from fused plastic for the new batch of bags
• I read the book, Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks. It was an easy and quick read, but not the most enjoyable of the books of his that I have read.

I also tried a couple new recipes:

G.L.O.P. (Get lots of protein) Courtesy of my friend, Pat.

• 19 oz. ground turkey (93% lean)
• 1 medium onion - chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped garlic (I used jarred)
  
• 28 oz. jarred salsa
• 1 1/2 C. low-fat cottage cheese (I used 2%)
• 1 C. cooked brown rice
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• few sprays non-stick spray

Coat a pan with nonstick spray and add the olive oil. Add garlic and onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add ground turkey and cook until browned. If necessary, drain fat. Add salsa, brown rice and cottage cheese, and cook until warm and bubbling. Serve in lettuce, as lettuce wraps, in a tortilla, over rice, or howsoever you desire.

1/2 cup serving = 3 Weight Watchers Points Plus


I did not take a photo of this recipe, but it was wonderful!


I also made this:

Lentil and Rice "Casserole"

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 C. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• few sprays of pan spray
  
• 2 C. dried lentils, uncooked
  
• 1 C. brown rice, uncooked
• 6 - 8 C. water
• 1 Tbsp chicken bullion powder
• 3 Tbsp pesto sauce ( I used homemade)
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Spray pan and add olive oil. Chop vegetables and cook in until translucent. Add lentils, rice, water, bullion powder and pesto sauce. Bring to a boil, add pesto, salt and pepper, then pour into large slow cooker. Cook on high 4 hours, adding water as necessary.

This made a huge pot of lentils - 10 cups! 1 C. serving size = 5 Weight Watchers points plus


I was also working on cleaning out the pantry. I had two large butternut squash that needed to be cooked, so I sliced them open, scooped out the squash and baked them until soft. I wasn't sure what to do with the squash and then my kids noted that it looked like pumpkin. I decided to make a crustless butternut squash pie.

"Crustless" Butternut Squash Pie

• 2 pounds cooked butternut squash, scooped out of the skin
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 C. uncooked brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 C fat free milk
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves, allspice, nutmeg

Mash squash and in mixer, add butter, sugar, spices and whip until combined. Add egg and milk mixture. Pour in sprayed pie plate. Cook at 450 for 15 minutes, then decrease oven to 350 and cook for 25 - 35 more minutes or until custard is set.

8 servings, Each serving = 4 Weight Watchers points plus

We are having this for breakfast!!





So my goal is to post at least twice for week, to update on any new and fun recipes we have tried, update on weight loss and fitness goals and share in general. Now, in order to go to bed, I believe I need to fold and put away a bunch of clothes! They may end up on the chair tonight! So, I guess that laundry wasn't totally finished!