Fresh Start

This last month I have been Bitch Slapped by reality.

After seeing some disturbing pictures of myself from graduation and seeing "196" on my scale. I've had no other choice but face reality. I'm fat. I'm not just a little over weight any more. I'm no longer just in my "new marriage extra weight". I'm out of excuses. I did this to myself. Now I need to get myself out of it.

So, I go to the gym enough. That I know its not lack of activity that has lead me down the dark path of lumpyness. Its what I'm eating, how much i'm eating, when i'm eating, and so on.

So in light of all of this I've decided to make some changes.

I'm starting small and setting realistic goals for myself. I'm done making excuses for myself. If I have a bad day of eating, I'll face it as a fact and learn. If I want a beer, I'll have A beer and not the whole 6 pack.

So here are my goals:

• Weigh in once a week. 
• Try and stick to a 1200 calorie limit
• Track my food (good and bad) on Myfitnesspal.com app on my phone. 
• Go to the gym 3-4x a week.
• Do a minimum of 30min of cardio 3x a week. 

That is it. I'm not going to put myself on a strict diet. I'm not going to eliminate carbs, sugars, etc. I'm going to try and make better choices but not force myself to do something i don't want to do. I'm going to make food I like, but with healthier choices. 

Here is my 'goal' menu:

Breakfast: Egg Whites (3-4) with 1/4-1/2 cup veggies (tomatoes, peppers, spinach, etc)

Lunch: Lean Protein (chicken or turkey), 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup veggie

Dinner: Lean Protein, 1 cup rice or 1 sm sweet potato, 1 cup veggie

Snack: Fruits and veggies

Desert: Otter Pop (15 calories each. Cures my sweet tooth with out the insane calories) 

Water: 1gal a day.

So I'm not saying I'm going to do this perfectly. I know i'll have my struggles to keep with in this. But this is my goal.

 

Find me on Myfitnesspal

Username: Mrsrotty

 

Menu Planning Monday!

Pizza Casserole
Betty Crocker recipe

8 ounces uncooked wheel-shaped macaroni (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound bulk turkey Italian sausage
2 3/4 cups meatless tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
1 can (4 ounces) Green Giant® mushroom pieces and stems, drained
1 cup shredded fat-free or part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

1.Heat oven to 350º. Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain. Cook sausage in skillet, stirring frequently, until no longer pink; drain.

2 Mix macaroni, sausage, pasta sauce, olives and mushrooms in 2 1/2-quart casserole.

3 Cover and bake about 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

1 Serving (1 Serving)
• Calories 410o (Calories from Fat 120),• Total Fat 14go (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g,o Trans Fat 0g),• Cholesterol 30mg;• Sodium 1040mg;• Total Carbohydrate 54go (Dietary Fiber 4g,o Sugars 10g),• Protein 18g;Percent Daily Value*: Calcium ;Exchanges:• 3 Starch;• 0 Fruit;• 1 Fat;

Fiery Fettuccine (lighter recipe)
Betty Crocker recipe

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red bell peppers, drained
1/2 pound fully cooked smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

1 Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package.

2 While fettuccine is cooking, place milk, Creole seasoning and bell peppers in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth.

3 Pour pepper mixture into 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens. Stir in sausage; heat through but do not boil.

4 Serve sausage mixture over fettuccine. Sprinkle with onions

1 Serving (1 Serving)
Calories 330 o (Calories from Fat 65 ),• Total Fat 7 go (Saturated Fat 2 g,• Cholesterol 80 mg;• Sodium 650 mg;• Total Carbohydrate 48 go (Dietary Fiber 2 g,• Protein 21 g;Percent Daily Value*:• Calcium ;Exchanges:• 3 Starch;• 1 Vegetable;• 1 1/2 Lean Meat;

Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta with Sautéed Multicolored Peppers
Bethenny Frankle Recipe

• 2 cups of peppers: a combo of red, yellow and/or orange, sliced in thin strips
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 8 ounces of whole wheat angel hair
• ¼ cup fresh basil chiffonaded
• ¼ cup parsley
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
• large handful of baby spinach, optional

1. Bring pasta water to a boil, seasoned with salt.
2. In nonstick pan, over medium heat, saute onion and peppers in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. When tender, add tomatoes. With tongs, remove pasta from water and add to pan. (The pasta water is good for thickening sauce.)
4. Add spinach and crushed red pepper.
5. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.
6. Top with parmesan to taste and sprinkle basil on top.

Incredibly Easy and Low-Fat Chicken, Pasta, Peppers & Onions
Bethenny Frankle Recipe

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 box whole wheat fusilli pasta
• 16 oz jar or can of favorite tomato sauce
• 1 ½ large red onions, sliced
• 1 ½ large red, orange or yellow peppers, sliced
• 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 ½ teaspoons of salt
• 2 ½ teaspoons of pepper
• 3 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

1. Begin by poking the chicken with a fork and adding seasoned salt and pepper on both sides, then cut the breasts into large bite sized pieces.
2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over high heat and add chicken.
3. Cook chicken until lightly brown on both sides (OK if not fully cooked through).
4. Remove chicken from skillet, reduce heat to medium and in the same skillet add the onion, peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and dried Italian seasoning. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
5. In a separate pot, begin to boil water, lightly salted, for the pasta.
6. Add the tomato sauce to the skillet with the vegetables and add the chicken back in. Let simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
7. Once water is boiling, add pasta, after 11 minutes, or desired tenderness, drain the pasta.
8. Add pasta to skillet with sauce.
9. Serve and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
• 1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and fresh pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
• 2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows (al dente)
• extra parmesan cheese to top (extra pts)
Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.

In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese.

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups Old Points: 4 • Points+: 5
Calories: 215.7 • Fat: 0.7 g  Protein: 8.7 g  Carb: 42.0 g  Fiber: 6.7 g

Italian Herb Baked Chicken
My Recipe

Chicken breasts
Green peppers
Red onion
Italian dressing (roasted red pepper)

Menu Planning Monday

Yep, It really is(was) Monday again. Time for another round of Menu Planning Monday (even though its almost 1am on Tuesday)

This is what we're having in the Rotty House this week.
I've quit assigning days, because they always get messed up.

Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 servings (1/2 pepper)  Time: 55 minutes  Old Points: 4 • Points+: 5
Calories: 184.7 • Fat: 2.3 g  Protein: 20.8 g  Carb: 20.2 g  Fiber: 1.6 g
• 1 lb lean chopped turkey meat
• 1 garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, minced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• salt to taste
• 3 large sweet red bell peppers, washed
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• Olive oil spray
• 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese

Heat oven to 400°. Spray a little olive oil spray in a medium size saute pan and heat on a medium flame. Add onion, garlic and cilantro to the pan. Saute about 2 minutes and add ground turkey. Season with salt and garlic powder, and cumin and brown meat for several minutes until meat is completely cooked through. Add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of chicken broth, mix well and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Combine cooked rice and meat together.

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise, and remove all seeds. Place in a baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture into each pepper half and fill it with as much as you can. Place all stuffed pepper halves on the baking dish and pour the remainder of the chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. Cover tight with aluminum foil and bake for about 35 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and enjoy.

Baked Chicken Parmesan
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8  Serving Size: 1 piece • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 224.5 • Fat: 8.6 g • Protein: 25.1 g • Carb: 14.2 g • Fiber: 1.3 g
• 4 (8 oz) chicken breast halves, sliced in half
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used 4C whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese (I used Sargento)
• 1 cup marinara or Filetto di Pomodoro

• cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Lightly spray a little more cooking oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups Old Points: 4 • Points+: 5
Calories: 215.7 • Fat: 0.7 g  Protein: 8.7 g  Carb: 42.0 g  Fiber: 6.7 g
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
• 1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and fresh pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
• 2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows (al dente)
• extra parmesan cheese to top (extra pts)
Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.

In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese.

Creamy Taco Mac
Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
1¼ lbs. ground turkey
8 oz. dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 tbsp. taco seasoning
3 oz. cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.


Fajitas

Ingredients:
2-4 Chicken breasts
2 peppers
1 onion
Fajita seasoning
Mexican cheese
Sour cream
Taco shells


Crock pot salsa chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2 jars salsa
1cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese
Brown rice

Put 2 jars salsa, and chicken breasts in a crock pot on low for 8 hours of on high for 4 hours.

right before you are ready to eat add shredded cheese to the crock pot

Cook brown rice

Serve chicken and salsa-cheese sauce over brown rice

I have no idea the calories. but it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

Menu Planning Monday... on a tuesday

Yesterday was kind of chaotic, So I had to put off the post till today.

So In addition to my new coupon obsession fascination hobby, I've started doing a weekly menu plan.

I plan the days roughly, but they are interchangeable. say for instance my loving husband who on Sunday didn't have an opinion now has an opinion on say... Wednesday, I can switch it up.

I try and plan 1 day where there can be a 'left over' day, or a day where we can go out. but I do try to make sure that there is a meal planned each day. I also take into account the weather temperature, and if B works or not. I like to have something hearty on the days he works that allows for some left overs for the next day.

So this week I decided on:

Sunday - Tacos - No work
Monday - Crock-pot Salsa Chicken - Works
80* - Tuesday - Zesty Beef Casserole - Works
80* - Wednesday - Chicken & Rice - Works
70* - Thursday - Chicken Noodle Soup - I work he's off - so this my switch
66* - Friday - Turkey meat loaf - I work he's off - so this will switch
72* - Saturday - Stuffed peppers - He works (This was on my meal plan last week, but we didn't make it)

This is the second week I've been doing this. I hope that after I stock up on the 'essentials' I can cut our shopping bill drastically.

I love it.... I love to be in control.

Tonights Dinner

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

(i found this picture on line, but its actually the same crock pot i have so it works)

I really don't have a recipie for this one (sorry guys)

its just:

1 roast (i used 5lbs i wanted the left over meat)

a couple red potatoes (b's fav)

some celery stalks

some baby carrots

some red onion (b's fav)

1 seasoning packet

1 cup (or somewhere close) beef stalk

put it all together set it on low.

poof slow coker pot roast.

today i also made:

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

Directions
1)Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2)In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3)Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown

Enjoy!!

Mmmm Dinner

THIS is whats for dinner tonight

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1 (14 ounce) can of stewed tomatoes (with juice), chopped

2 cups medium egg noodles
1 (12 ounce) can of kernel corn (with liquid)
1 1/4 cups water
1 (4 ounce) can of diced green chilies
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope of taco seasoning mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup grated jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese

Sliced black olives, for garnish

Directions:
Heat cooking oil in large frying pan on medium. Add next 4 ingredients. Scramble-fry for about 10 minutes until beef is no longer pink. Drain.

Add tomatoes with juice. Stir. Transfer to ungreased 3 quart casserole.

Add next 7 ingredients. Stir. Bake, covered, in 350°F oven for about 1 hour, stirring once at halftime, until noodles are tender but firm.

Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Garnish with olives.

1 serving:

349 Calories; 15.0 g Total Fat (5.5 g Mono, 1.2 g Poly, 6.7 g Sat); 68 mg Cholesterol; 33 g Carbohydrate; 4 g Fibre; 23 g Protein; 1217 mg Sodium

Reprinted from Most Loved Casseroles © Company's Coming Publishing Limited
For more great recipes, visit www.companyscoming.com