Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

I remember a few months back seeing a recipe for spaghetti squash lasagna but I didn't get it printed out and forgot to save the page.  

I went in search for it and found gobs of similar recipes.  Many of them were served in the spaghetti squash shell but I wanted something different.

Finally I found one of Rachel Ray's.  Her's is the recipe that inspired this one but I changed it up.

Let's just say when you measure your cheese by the pound you're in trouble point wise.  

So this is my lower point version of her recipe.  

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash

1 lb lean ground turkey

4 mini sweet bell peppers or one regular red bell pepper diced

1 yellow onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

8 oz baby portabella mushrooms sliced

2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning 

2 tsp oregano

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil(1 tsp dried)

1 cup part skim ricotta

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 lb frozen spinach

1/4 cup liquid egg whites

1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the spaghetti squash in half, seed this and place on a foil lined, olive oil sprayed baking sheet.  Cook for one hour or until done.

Saute one diced yellow onion with chicken broth until well done, around 12-15 minutes.

Add 1 lb of lean ground turkey and cook until browned.  Then add 4 mini sweet peppers(orange, red and yellow) diced, two cloves of minced garlic.  

Truth time- I forgot to buy extra regular bell peppers and had to get into my husband's stash of mini peppers he puts in his morning eggs.  You could use a regular bell pepper diced.  

Next add 2 Tbsp of tomato paste and two 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, 8 oz of sliced baby portabella mushrooms, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil and 2 tsp oregano.  You can definitely change up the seasonings to suit your tastes.    

Simmer for at least 20 minutes until it reduces down and much of the liquid is evaporated.

While that is simmering, thaw 1/2 lb of frozen spinach and then wring out as much of the liquid as you can with your hands.

To the spinach add 1/4 cup of liquid egg whites, 1 cup of part skim ricotta and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan.

Mix together and set aside.

Pull the squash out of the oven and pull out 3 1/2 cups of the squash and mix it in with the spinach mix.  

Layer this in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with olive oil.  

Now add all the meat mixture over the top of this.  

And finally 1 cup of part skim mozzarella.

Bake this in the oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned.  

This yields 6 generous servings that are 6 pts a piece.  

This was oh so yummy and cheesy!

My husband's unsolicited comment?  "Wow Honey!  This is really good!  I want to just keep eating more and more but I know I shouldn't".  That's like a 10 on the Mark scale of food rating.  ;)

Let's think about it....  

Olive Garden Lasagna Classico dinner portion is 32 pts vs this version which is 6 pts.  

Hmmm.....  Yep!  It's a WIN!  

Happy Cooking! 

Cake Batter Protein Shake

Okay, so this is another example of a recipe I initially said I'd never try but did anyway.

Why?

Because in life we have to push ourselves to try new things.

Often we find out we're glad we did as is today's case.

The reason I initially didn't want to even try this recipe is that it has cottage cheese in it.

I will eat cottage cheese cooked in things but the idea of eating it in a protein drink grossed me out big time.

This is another recipe from the Dashing Dish Cookbook by Katie Farrell.

I originally checked this out from the library but I am definitely going to buy this now.

I've really loved every recipe I've tried.

In a blender mix together 1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese, 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1/2 cup water, 6 ice cubes, 2 Tbsp Truvia, and 1/4 cup of vanilla protein powder.

I used Jay Robb stevia sweetened protein powder for 1 pt.  The total points for this drink is 6.

I added a few sprinkles on top as she did in the picture.  It ups the "pretty" factor. ;)

What I would change...

I thought this was really sweet, dare I say a little too sweet?

Next time I'm going to cut the Truvia in half which would also lower the points to 4 pts total.

This was DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's to the value of trying something new!

Turkey Taco Stuffed Acorn Squash

Tonight was one of those nights.  I worked all day and left late.  On the way home I started thinking about what my dinner options were, or more accurately weren't, and realized I would need to come up with some quick fix for dinner.  

I went to the grocery store on the way home and bought ground turkey.  

Before I share this really quick and easy recipe I have to tell you about my "Bravo!" moment in the grocery store.  

As I said I had worked all day, left late, and did I mention I was starving???!!!!

It was one of those days where you're hungry even when you shouldn't be.  

One of my favorite things to eat is croutons.  

My mom will say I spent one whole year of my life eating croutons alone, much to her chagrin.  

Sadly, croutons aren't the most nutritious, low point or filling option.  

And, they're something I can usually just binge on.

So here I am at the grocery store tonight and I just so wanted those croutons.  

I went to the crouton aisle.  

I stood in front of them and stared.

The desire to buy them was sooooo strong!  

"It would feel so good to eat them and the taste, ugg, sooo good!"  I thought.  

And then, I walked away.  

Yup.  

I knew if I bought them I'd eat the whole bag in a blink.  

I mean come on, salty, crunchy, snaky.... is there anything better?

I'm so happy I was able to say no and, as Judith Beck would say, strengthen my resistance muscle.  

Victories are won one moment at a time.  ;)

So I came home and browned 1 lb of 99% fat free ground turkey.

Then I added taco spice(I buy this in bulk from SAM's).  I would add this to your taste preference.  I use a LOT.  

Then I added one whole can of diced tomatoes.  

I cooked up jasmine rice(1 cup cooked) in my steamer and then added it in to the turkey mix.  

I cut the acorn squash in half and microwaved each half with 1/2 cup water in a Saran covered microwave safe bowl for 10 min.  

Then I stuffed the squash with the turkey mix.

This tastes insanely good as is.

But....

Isn't everything better with cheese?!  I added just 1 Tbsp part skim mozzarella.  

The grand total is 4 pts for half of an acorn squash, 1/4 of the turkey mix and 1 Tbsp part skim mozzarella.  

Not bad for something that tastes this good and is unbelievably filling!

It takes a lot to fill me up but this really did.  

Even my husband said "Wow Honey, I usually want to snack while we watch TV but that stuff is so filling I didn't want anything else".  

Thank God for small gifts!  Feeling full, happy and satisfied with dinner definitely is one!

Happy Cooking!

Vegan Oil-Free Zucchini & Carrot Fritters

My vegan friend, Mary, sent me a link to this recipe for Vegan Oil-Free Zucchini & Carrot Fritters.

These come out to 2 Smart Points each for a serving of 12.

Here is a peek at the some of the pre-baked mix~

This is definitely messy but it's always fun to get a little messy in the kitchen.  

My son took this picture of my hands after making patties.  Yes, I'm totally giggling while I'm making these.  

Before baking~

And after~

A very important note here:  There is a major typo on the webpage.  In the instructions it says to add two TABLESPOONS of salt to the uncooked zucchini and carrots and let them sit.  

If you'll look in the ingredient list it says two TEASPOONS.  Fortunately I double checked this before I added any salt as I thought 2 Tbps sounded like a lot even for a salt lover like me.  

What I changed:  I don't have fresh sage on hand and I'm not a huge sage fan so I used fresh basil and parsley instead.  

Also, I totally forgot to add the lemon juice!  Geesh!  You'd think I were human or something ;)

What would I change next time?  I think next time I'll cut out a lot of the flour.  I just don't think they need it and it would cut points as well.  

I also think I'll add garlic powder and maybe some nutritional yeast.  

Overall this was really yummy and healthy!  Win-win!

My husband and I both thought the flavor was great and they looked so pretty!  

You know I love it when my food looks pretty!

 Happy Cooking!

Brownie For One

I have been craving brownies like crazy lately.

Nearly every day I've been calling our little local coffee shop and bakery and asking if they had any brownies.

They've had all sorts of other good things but not brownies.

It may be that I'm now becoming known as "that lady that always calls asking for brownies".  :)

Of course I know better than to just make a whole batch at home because I'll overeat them.

Fortunately I found this recipe for Brownie for One in Minutes in the Dashing Dish cookbook by Katie Farrell.

This comes out to 8 Smart Points in the recipe builder.  I added 1 tsp of mini chocolate chips which added 1 pt for a total of 9 pts.  If you add 1/4 cup Halo Top vanilla ice cream it adds another 1 pt....which was totally worth it for me.

A word about the oats used in this recipe- she says to grind them to make an oat flour.  I had oat flour on hand and used that.  I used 5 1/2 Tbsp of oat flour.  I couldn't find an exact conversion on this so I guesstimated it.

Spray a microwave safe mug with olive oil.

Mix together 6 Tbsp oats(pre-ground, less if already ground), 3 Tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk, 1 1/2 Tbps unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 Tbsp sweetener that measures like sugar(I used Truvia), 1/2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt.

Place this in the prepared mug and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

It's kind of fun to watch this thing puff up over the mug.  Then it deflates before you pull it out.

This is on the high side point wise but it was worth it for me today.

   IT WAS REALLY GOOD!!!!

                                                       

                                 
           

Chasing the Sun

I wrote this post last week when I was feeling a little out of sorts.  Happily I feel back to my old self now. :)

--------------

Lately I've just not been myself.

Typically I'm incredibly upbeat and positive.

I usually have lots of energy, a real zest for life.

But lately I've been feeling overwhelmed, stressed, apathetic, depressed and anxious.

That is soooo not me.

I sat back and thought about it.

I really have no reason at all to feel the way I feel other than I have had more demands on my time lately.

However, the feelings I've had have been out of proportion to what's been going on.

Then I realized, it's the sun, or lack of it.

Every year as the days start to grow shorter I get in kind of a sad funk.

We have a name for this in medicine.

It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.

I usually don't go through this so early in the year but it is what it is.

For two days I felt utterly depressed and almost tremulous.

I binged like I haven't binged in over a year.

I sat in prayer and then I stood in action.

I decided on making some conscious changes.

I intermittently have difficulty sleeping at night and often use Benadryl.

In my heart I've really been feeling that I know I need to move away from this unhelpful habit.

So I went to the health food store and I bought Melatonin to take at bedtime, Vitamin D 3 and I'm trying SAMe for the first time.

***NOTE:  I am not dispensing medical advice in any form or recommending supplements to anyone else but merely stating what I have chosen to do for myself.  You should always talk to your doctor before making any medical decisions.***

I have also made an effort to get one hour of sunlight in each day and get back to exercising more.

I don't typically drink alcohol or I would cut down on that as well as any excess caffeine or decongestants.  

Already I'm feeling better.

You're probably wondering why I'm sharing this with you.

Since I work in the medical field I see SAD and other mental health concerns often.

The thing that really makes me sad is that people feel like there is such a stigma connected to any mental health concerns.

The reality is that everyone has times in life when they feel depressed, stressed or anxious.

Mental illness is NOT synonymous with "crazy" but more with simply being human.

It doesn't mean you're wrong or defective or bad in anyway.  It means you're human and it happens.

I think we'd make more strides if people weren't so afraid to talk about it and get help.

With that being said if you are dealing with any form of depression or anxiety I would strongly encourage you to seek help from your doctor.

You primary care doctor is a good place to start and they can get you the help you need.

It's so much better than suffering in silence and there are so many options, prescription and non-prescription, available.

Sometimes reading up on problems can also help empower you to make changes but I still feel this should be an adjunct to working with your physician.

I also personally believe that the activity of God is ever-present in the doctors, staff, pharmacist and even the very molecules of the medication.

I don't believe there is anything outside of the Presence, Power and Love of God.

If you are asking for relief know that God works through endless people and situations to answer that prayer.

Know that you are not alone and that it can and will get better.

Every person is a precious Gift that makes an enormous impact on this planet.

Every person is worthwhile.

Be open to the answer.

Be open enough to ask for help, to receive, to take action and to gently love yourself to a better feeling you.

Feeling good is closer than you think!

My Go-To Vegetable Soup

After going through a weekend of overindulgence I usually find I can't wait to get back to my usual eating patters because that's what makes me feel good physically.

If I'm ever low on points, getting back on track, fighting the late night urge to eat or just generally so hungry I feel like I could eat the house down I know it's time to make my vegetable soup.

This is really like the old book I used to read as a kid, Button Soup.

I pull every veggie I have out of the fridge and start cooking.

It looks like a mess but it will be beautiful ;)

I always start with sauteing one whole diced yellow onion.  If I want this to be a zero point soup I'll use broth to cook things so I'm not spending points for olive oil.

Next I add 3 finely diced celery ribs, 8 oz of sliced mushrooms, one cup of chopped cabbage, two cloves of minced garlic, one finely diced Anaheim pepper, one diced red bell pepper and one carrot diced.  I cook this for 10-15 minutes or until soft.

Next I add in spices.  This can vary a lot.  You could use Italian seasoning if you like or whatever floats your boat.  Today I used at least 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/8 tsp cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.  

Then add in one quart of your broth of choice, vegetable, beef, or chicken.  I also add one 15 oz can of diced tomatoes.  

Let this simmer for at least 20 minutes.  

And this is what you get...

TIP:  When I first started WW I had such difficulty with my late night eating that I found it easier to just eat this soup at regular dinner time, 5:30-6:00 pm.  Then I would eat my main dinner at around 8:00 pm.  It may seem late but it really helped me from being too hungry by the time I would eat.  It was also a way to have points to eat that late so I didn't have to feel guilty.  This was a saving Grace for me!

If you're having trouble I'd highly recommend having some 0 pt food around that you can just pop into the microwave.  It will help you stay on track when you're feeling vulnerable.  

Happy Cooking!

White Chicken Enchilada Bake

This is another recipe from the Dashing Dish cookbook by Katie Farrell.  

This yields 8 servings at 7 Smart Points each.  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking dish.  Since I didn't have one of these I used a spring form pan.  

Also, the tortillas I used were actually 8 inches at 4 points a piece.  I used this to figure the point value.  

Here is the brand I used from Target.  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray the pan with olive oil spray.  

Shred 2 1/2 cups chicken.  I bought a rotisserie chicken so I wouldn't have to spend the extra time cooking this.  

          

Place the chicken in a large bowl along with 1 cup canned petite-diced tomatoes, drained, 4 oz of chopped green chilies, 1 tsp taco seasoning(I used 2-3 tsp), 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese, 1 cup white corn, 1 cup rinsed and drained white beans.  

Next cut 6 of the tortillas into fourths.  Place two layers of tortilla at the bottom of the pan.

Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortilla.  Cover with two more tortillas, then the remaining mix and end with tortillas.   Top with one cup of part skim mozzarella.

    

  

Bake for 30 min or until melted.  

The verdict?  I'd give this a 6-7/10.  I thought the taste was good but the portions were rather small for 7 pts per serving.  

What would I change?  I really didn't need the tortillas personally and it would cut loads of points if they were left out.  

Next time I will leave out the tortillas, add more taco spice, perhaps some of my On the Border salsa(I like it spicy!) and I would use the regular mozzarella cheese with the points saved omitting the tortillas.  

It was still really good and worth trying.  

Biting Your Cheek

Haven't we all done that, bitten our cheek?

You're eating and then you chomp down on your own tissue rather than your food.  

It hurts like the dickens.  It becomes inflamed, swells up and protrudes a bit.

And, because it protrudes you have a tendency to...

 bite your cheek again.  

And so it feels like you're stuck in a vicious cycle of biting and inflammation and then biting again.

I've had the same spot I've bitten so many times in the past week it's driven me crazy with it but it caused me to think.  

It seems that those spots are a bit like harsh emotions.  

Sometimes our feelings get inflamed and they protrude and it makes it all the more easy for others to bump up against them and irritate them.  

As we get bumped we feel raw and exposed and hurt and, at times, it feels like the cycle will never end.  

The good news is that we can soothe ourselves.

For me the first step is realizing that it's happening.

You can't fix what you're not aware of.

So even if you're just at step one you're ahead of the rest.

The next words that echo in my head are the ones I often say out loud to my son...

"I'm not responsible for your happiness and you're not responsible for mine".

That one is a tough pill to swallow sometimes.

I have to remind myself of that a lot.

The thing is that I'm not going to consciously give my power away by saying someone else is responsible for my every thought and feeling.

I am.

Really when I am in a crummy, sad or angry mood I pray about it and then I try to find things to make me feel better.  I'm very purposeful about that.

I also have to remember that while I pray and I trust I also know that I will do what is mine to do.

When I was a kid before I took any test I'd say to my father "Dad, I have a big test tomorrow.  Please pray for me".

He would always say "Honey, of course I'll pray for you but remember, God helps those who help themselves so study hard!".

It's not always easy but I think we usually find that there really is a strength within that we never even knew was there.

A Blessing

By now you know that I actually do love cooking.

There are some days when I'm just tired or the inspiration just isn't there but most days I love creating in the kitchen.

It's one of my art forms I think.

One of my favorite things to do when I cook is, I feel, a blessing of sorts and I wanted to share that with you today because I think it further helps shift me towards a positive relationship with food and a feeling of gratitude.

As I'm cooking I imagine all the people who've made my food possible.

I picture the land where the food was grown, the farmers, the wholesalers, the grocers, the cashiers.

In my heart I ask God to bless them all.

I know that the money that I spend at the grocery store helps support all of those people and I give thanks for being able to be a part of that.

Then I move into a place of consciously thinking about all of the physical benefits of the food I'm eating.

For example I might think about the antioxidants in artichokes or blueberries, the vitamins and fiber in leafy greens, the healthy omega fatty acids in salmon.

I think about how the food is going to serve and nourish my body and that of my family.

I enjoy looking at the food and how visually appealing it is.

I appreciate the many different brightly colored vegetables and variety of textures and so forth.

While I'm cooking it I give thanks that I have enough to eat.

I bless my food with love before I serve it to my family.

I know that God is at work in the very molecules of the food itself and that it will support our health and our Highest Good.

It feels really good to do this, consciously being in gratitude.

In my heart I truly believe that it promotes, not only improved digestion, but improved health, vitality and prosperity.

I see that every heart and every hand that has made it possible are Blessed so no one is left out.

I give thanks to God for all of it.

And that, my friends, is a Blessing.

 

Pizza Dip

I recently picked up a cookbook from the library called Dashing Dish based on recipes from the website by Katie Ferrell.

These are healthier recipes.  Though this isn't a WW book and doesn't list points many of her recipes are plan friendly.

This is one I made today called Skinny Layered Pizza Dip.

There are 12 servings and each serving is 1/4 cup.  Each serving is 3 Smart Points.

If you cut out the olives OR the pepperoni it comes to 2 pts per serving.

Her recipe called for regular mozzarella and I used the part skim type.  The points are calculated based on what I used.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 inch pie pan with olive oil spray.

You simply mix one 8 oz package of fat free cream cheese with 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup fat free cottage cheese, 2 Tbsp finely chopped chives, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and 2 Tbs grated Parmesan.

I like using my kitchen shears to cut the chives.  It's so much easier!

Spread this evenly over the bottom of the pie pan.

Spread one cup of pizza sauce over the top.  I used Ragu's Pizza Quick Traditional Style Sauce.  

Next add one cup of part skim mozzarella cheese.  Then sprinkle with 1/4 cup sliced olives, 2 Tbsp turkey pepperoni(cut into fourths), and 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper.  I used yellow to add more color. 

Then bake it for 30 min or until the cheese is melted.  

Truth time~  I LOVED this... too much.  I ended up eating almost a full cup before I hit the panic button.  

My mom loved it too.  But my husband wasn't crazy about it.  He didn't like tasting the cream cheese in this.  

I would make this again if I was taking it to a party to share with others.  

I decided to scoop this up with yummy bell peppers and it was oh so good!  

This would be great to take to your next game day party or any get together.