When Your Taste Buds Change

You know lately we've been talking in our meetings about learning to like vegetables.

I myself grew up with canned green beans.  My mom would keep bacon grease in a jar under the stove and add it in for flavor.

Granted I was also an incredibly picky eater so it was a lot on me but I didn't eat much in the way of fresh vegetables at all.

When I met my husband he was kind of shocked that I didn't.  

You see, his mother and sister both have their masters degree in horticulture and his mother always had a garden.

When he'd come home from school he'd walk straight to the garden and start munching.  

So when we met I didn't like vegetables at all.  They seemed more like a punishment.

But, I was determined to learn to like them and little by little I have.

I think part of making that transition was just trying to be open minded to trying new things.

I started watching this vegan cooking show on PBS called Christina Cooks.  I was so intrigued by all the strange ingredients she used, completely foreign to me.  

But, I couldn't stop watching it and then I found myself wanting to try it.  

And you know what?  There were a lot of things I did like.  

It didn't happen overnight but it did happen.  Now I love just about all vegetables and instead of eyeing new and unfamiliar veggies with disgust I get excited about trying them.

Recently though something odd happened.  

I started eating tomatoes.

Ask my mom and she'll tell you I've hated tomatoes my whole life.  Oh, I can stand to eat them cooked in casseroles and sauces but not raw.

So it was much to my surprise that out of the clear blue sky I started craving raw tomatoes!

I specifically got a craving for diced tomatoes in an egg white omelet.  

And so that's what I made and you know what?

I freaking loved it!!!!!

And it was only 1 pt!  Total win!

I used half a cup of liquid egg whites, spinach, pre-cooked mushrooms, a dash of garlic salt, a tsp of grated Parmesan and those little diced tomatoes.

Here's a peek~

This was oh so good!  It really hit the spot.  And getting all this for 1 measly point?

Awesome!

I love eating omelets after dinner when I'm feeling snacky.

So, if you feel like you're never going to learn to like vegetables, take a look at me.

I never in my life thought I'd eat tomatoes but today I did and if that can happen ...

Anything can happen!

Here's to keeping an open mind.

Amazing Cod Filets!

I heard about this product at my weekly meeting.

These are Wild Caught Cod Filets that I bought at SAM's.

They are only 6 pts for two pieces!  

My leader, Nancy, said they tasted almost too good to be true and was going to double check the nutritional info.

Well, Nancy, I did put the nutritionals in the WW calculator and it's correct!

These are sooooooo good!

This is a really great option if you don't like to cook or you just plain don't feel like it.

I can't tell you how good these were.

Yummo!

Zucchini Lasagna & A Laugh For Today

Today I decided to make a recipe I haven't made since I started WW.

This recipe originally came from Clean Eating magazine.

One of the nice things about this is that it wasn't necessary to change this a lot to make it point friendly.

However, I felt it needed more spice so I did add in there.  

I also substituted the 1 egg it called for with liquid egg whites.

The laugh will come later..   ;)

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp minced roasted garlic(you can buy this at the store already minced and roasted)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained

1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage

1/2 cup liquid egg whites

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 cup white wine

1 Tbsp whole wheat flour

2 cups fat free cottage cheese

1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, divided

2 1/2 cups zucchini(about 2 medium), sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces, divided(My mandolin worked great for this!)

Broth of choice 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Spray a 9 x 13 inch Pyrex dish with cooking spray and set aside.  

Carefully cut the casings away from the Italian sausage and place in a non-stick skillet.

Using broth as needed, cook until done, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.  

Transfer the meat to a separate plate.  

Using the same skillet, saute onion and garlic over medium heat until tender.  

Add in the pinch of red pepper flakes.  

Throw in the wine and use that to deglaze the pan, scraping up and stirring in those brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  

Next add in the tomatoes, tomato paste and meat.  

Let this mixture simmer for 15-20 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

While that's simmering pull out a large bowl.

In it mix together the cottage cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella, whole wheat flour, Italian seasoning and liquid egg whites.

Again, with the zucchini, you can use a knife, but if you have a mandolin it works really well.  

The pieces are all uniform in size and it's so easy to use!

Place 1/3 of the meat mixture in the bottom of the Pyrex dish and spread it evenly.

This won't entirely cover the pan.  It's okay.

Next place a layer of zucchini over the top followed by another 1/3 of the meat mixture and then all of the cheese mixture.

Place another layer of zucchini over this and then top with the remaining meat and the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.  

Bake for 30 minutes covered and an addition 10-15 minutes uncovered or until the cheese is well melted and the zucchini is tender.

So here's the laugh I promised.  Check out the pictures above.

I think because I didn't pre-cook the zucchini separately(& keep in mind the recipe didn't say to do this) this thing was way soupy!

I literally stood there using a turkey baster sucking out some of the excess liquid!

CRAZY!!!  

Sometimes you just have to laugh at your cooking faux pas.  

Not only did I laugh at myself I'm sharing it with you. :)  

So, points- I set this to serve 8 and it came out to 5 points per serving.

Admittedly this Hungry Girl needed an additional salad and fruit with it to get full but it tasted GREAT!

.... even if it was a little swampy.  Hey, if you can't laugh at yourself who can you laugh at?

So, word to the wise:  I recommend baking the zucchini separately first.  I'd probably bake them for 10 minutes or so before I added them to the casserole.  

Hopefully with these changes it will come out well for you.  

Just goes to show you, cooking is always an adventure!

Happy Cooking!!!

G Hughes Smokehouse Sugar Free BBQ Sauce Original Flavor

So, this is a new product for me.

It's one I've seen over and over on CONNECT but hadn't tried yet.

It's G Hughes Smokehouse Sugar Free line of BBQ Sauce.

I bought the Original but it also comes in Honey flavor, Hickory and Maple Brown.  

It's 0 pts!

And the verdict?....

It's good.  

Not as good as my favorite, Kansas City's Gates, but it's the best sugar free BBQ Sauce I've tried.

So, if I'm out of points or saving them up for an occasion I'd be okay with doing this one.

But, if I've got points a plenty I'm still going to stick with my Gates BBQ Sauce.

I may be biased given I grew up in KC but it is awfully good, even at 2 pts a pop.

You get to decide.

Asian Veggie Bowl

Today was one of those days where you kind of rummage through the fridge to figure out what you're gonna make.

I had bought myself some shiitake mushrooms, which I freaking LOVE, and I didn't want them to go bad so I knew I needed to get them used up.

I went into my pantry and pulled out some canned baby corn and water chestnuts I'd had on hand as well as various veggies and tofu in the fridge and threw it together.

Just a quick note about toasted sesame oil used here:  It is amazing!!!!  Toasted sesame oil is much more than functional, although being a high heat oil it can withstand a wok.

It's flavor is beyond compare.  This is one instance where the oil is absolutely part of the seasoning here.

This can be found at your local Asian store or health food store.

I'm finding it more and more at the regular grocery store too.

It's a little pricey but definitely worth the money and a little goes a long way.

The shiitakes are also admittedly pricey but it's something I splurge on once in a while because they too have an incomparable taste and texture.

The dried shiitakes are more affordable but, for me, they don't taste the same.

So, here's what I did~


Ingredients

3 Tbsp BRAGG aminos(or coconut aminos or soy sauce)

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 cup broth of choice(I used chicken broth)

1 medium zucchini, cut into large matchstick pieces(or whatever shape you prefer!)

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2 package (7 oz) package extra firm tofu, cut into one inch cubes

7 oz canned baby corn spears cut in half

2 oz water chestnuts, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 tsp minced roasted garlic(or regular garlic)

8 oz shiitake mushrooms(or button mushrooms or mushroom of preference)



Instructions

Place the toasted sesame oil in the skillet on medium high heat and throw in the onion and red bell pepper.

Saute on high for 7-10 min or until they're cooked well done.

While those veggies are cooking pull out a small bowl for the sauce.

Add broth, garlic, oyster sauce, BRAGG aminos(or soy sauce), rice vinegar and mix well.

I bought the pre-minced, jarred ROASTED garlic.  This was so much tastier than the regular kind.

Well worth it as this is a zero point flavor punch.

To your skillet add in the remainder of the veggies and tofu and stir.

Note- to get matchstick pieces cut the zucchini in an oblong pattern, then stack the slices and cut out the matchstick pieces.

It doesn't matter what shape you cut this into.  I just get bored of cutting them into the same shape every time and I thought this Asian dish would look pretty with matchsticks.

Now dump in the bowl of sauce and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer.

Stir and simmer this for another 7 minutes or until the veggies are tender(not mushy).

Let's talk points~

I set this to serve 2 which yields GINORMOUS servings!!!  

Each serving is only 4 points!!!  Woo hoo!

This is juicy enough to put in a bowl.

And, it was light, fresh and delicious!!!

Happy Cooking!

In Gratitude

Just a short note today to express my thanks for all my friends, family and WW tribe.

A special shout out to my WW buddy Theresa.  She was so kind as to mention this blog in our meeting as a source of inspiration for her amazing 60+ lb weight loss.  Great job Theresa!

Of course the truth is that she did all the hard work.  No one could do it for her and she is a total star!

I could never express how much all of my tribe mean to me and how much your support has helped me along my path.

By just being who you are you uplift me. <3

Of course a lot of people ask me about weight loss but I think for me there is no ONE key to weight loss.

It's everything- the meetings, a great leader(Love you Nancy!), CONNECT, my trainer, my coach, reading things that motivate me, prayer, meditations, exercise, music and a multitude of other things.

The thing I'm really coming to understand is that this really never does end.

You just keep learning and that's not a bad thing.

What I now know is that most of my life I've been in such a hurry to lose weight that I didn't take time for all the lessons, all the trials I'd need to go through in order to build the tools I'd need to lose weight.

People on CONNECT often joke about being part of the "Turtle Club", meaning that they're losing really slowly.

What they don't realize is that they're doing it the right way.

After making Lifetime and gaining some of my weight back I am now more present and taking more time to get back to my goal.

I have my former WW coach and friend to thank for that.

I touched base with her a while back and was sharing my experience with her and the realization that I'd come to that I had missed out on some learning opportunities as I zoomed to goal.

We talked about strategies to move forward but there was one thing that she said in particular that really struck me.

She said "Carrie, I hear what you're saying but what I'm going to ask you is this- Are you in a hurry to get back to goal NOW?  Why not take the time you missed out on before?  Why not intentionally give yourself those experiences?".

Of course she was spot on.

I've gained 15 lbs back after making Lifetime and I'm taking my sweet time to get back to goal.

But I'm also learning much more as I go this time.

I'm giving myself more opportunities to go out to eat and be successful and find balance.

Sometimes I have my old fatty favorites and sometimes I have something much healthier.

I'm going through the holidays and celebrations with less trepidation.

I'm learning what it means to fall and really and truly hold no self loathing but rather be in a place of self compassion, self love and mindfulness for growth.

I'm learning to move forward and I think, for me, this just takes some repetition.

It's not something that's one and done.

It's over and over again like forgiveness.

We don't forgive one time.

We don't forgive seven times.

We forgive seven times seventy seven.

And that goes for self forgiveness too.

And so we keep going and we keep forgiving and we keep learning and eventually we come to a new place of understanding deep inside ourselves.

And when that day comes...

Well, let's just say that is truly

Beyond The Scale.

In Gratitude,

Carrie

Summery Lemon Pasta

Before this summer fades into history I want to savor every last, fresh bite.

So today I decided to make something light, bright and colorful, full of all of the flavors of summer.

This recipe was inspired by vegan cook, Christina Pirello.  You can find the original recipe here.

Christina has her own show called Christina Cooks that airs on PBS.  

I will confess that when I first started watching her show I balked at it all.  

I wasn't familiar with half the foods she cooked with and all of it looked so different than what I was used to eating.

But,....  I couldn't stop watching it.  It really intrigued me and I found I really wanted to learn more about vegetables and healthy, clean eating.  

While I am not a vegan or vegetarian I can now say I do LOVE vegetables!

And, I feel that keeping and open mind and watching her show was really a springboard for me into learning to love, work and cook with vegetables.  

This recipe is pretty easy and oh, so delicious.

I really wished I had artichokes on hand because they're just fabulous in this dish but, alas, I did not.

So, here's my make-do-with-what's-in-the-fridge version. ;)

Ingredients

1 (10 oz) bag Birds Eye Zucchini Lentil Pasta

1/2 bunch(about 6-8 spears) of fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

6-8 oz of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

1/2 cup mirin(you can get this super cheap at your local Asian store!)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves of pressed garlic

1 pinch red pepper flakes

lemon for zesting

Broth of your choice for cooking 

Instructions

I sauteed the onion and peppers, using broth as needed to prevent scorching, for around 7-8 minutes or until well done.  

Next, I tossed in the asparagus and cooked it for another 7-8 minutes or until tender and still bright green.  

Then I added in the garlic and cooked it for another couple minutes.  

Microwave the zucchini lentil pasta and set aside.  Be careful when you open this that you don't get steam burned!!!   It's hot!

Finally, I threw in the red pepper flakes, mirin and pasta and let it cook on medium low heat for 5 minutes.

Add in the zest of one small lemon just before you plate it up.

I set this to serve 2 which gives you rather generous portions.

This comes out to 6 points per serving.

Oh that summery, fresh flavor is fantastic!!!!

There are a lot of possibilities too!  

You could add in shrimp or chicken.

I also tasted both grated Parmesan and feta and really thought they both tasted quite nice with this.

Just add in the points for any extras you choose.  

Nothing says summer like fresh-from-the-garden-veggies.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Happy Cooking!