30.

Thirty! Thirty fat, gross pounds gone forever!! Well, maybe. I hope it's gone forever, anyway.

I have come to terms with the fact that there are some foods that I pretty well need to avoid for all eternity...like fast-food burgers and yummy potato chips. That's ok, there are plenty of yummy substitutions for those things. So in my quest for healthy substitutions for the foods I love, I found this:

HUNGRY GIRL MIRACLE MASHED POTATOES from Hungry Girl

Ingredients:
1 large (about 13-oz.) potato
3 cups cauliflower florets
3 tbsp. fat-free half & half
1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread
1/4 tsp. salt pepper and additional salt, to taste
Optional: 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

Directions: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, peel and cube the potato. Once water is boiling, add peeled potato cubes and cauliflower. Wait for the water to return to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes (until potatoes and cauliflower are very tender). Remove the pot from heat and strain out all of the water. Transfer contents to a large bowl, and add half & half, butter/buttery spread, salt, and (if you like) crushed garlic. Mash it all together with a potato masher, until completely blended. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt. Enjoy! Makes 5 servings.

***I used skim milk in place of the half and half, and fat-free sour cream in place of the butter.

My super-picky pre-teen didn't know she was eating cauliflower...I wouldn't have known there was cauliflower in there if I hadn't have cooked it myself. The only thing that sort of gave it away was the smell of the cauliflower as it cooked...sort of cabbage-y. Scott, being the mashed potato lover that he is, said he could eat it at every meal and be a very happy man :) .

Anyway, next recipe on my list to try is this:
Dr. Oz's Fettuccine Alfredo . It has something like 450 calories per serving...perfect for a special-occasion dinner.

Lite Fried Rice Recipe!!!

I love this recipe...I think I've made it 4 times in the last month. I portion it into 1.5 cup containers and freeze it, nuke it for 5 minutes at lunch (I have a crappy microwave) and it's good to go.

From Hungry Girl (you know, that girl who's on Rachel Ray!!)

VEGGIE-RIFIC FRIED RICE

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice, fridge temperature (very important)
2 cups frozen diced carrots and peas
1 cup chopped bean sprouts
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1/4 cup chopped scallions
One packet (about 1 oz.) fried rice seasoning mix (like the kind by Kikkoman or Sun-Bird)
1 tbsp. light or low-sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a small dish, combine seasoning mix, garlic powder, and ground ginger with soy sauce and 3 tbsp. warm water. Using a fork or whisk, stir until seasoning mix has dissolved. Set aside.

Spray a wok or very large pan with nonstick spray, and bring it to medium heat on the stove. Add egg substitute and scramble until cooked, using a spatula to break it up into bite-sized pieces. Remove scrambled bits from the wok or pan and set aside.

Add mushrooms and frozen vegetables to the wok or pan, and cook and stir until mushrooms have softened and all veggies are hot. Remove veggies and set aside with the egg-y bits.

Remove your wok or pan from heat, re-spray with nonstick spray, and bring to high heat on the stove. Add rice and seasoning mixture, and stir to combine. Add bean sprouts, scallions and the previously cooked veggies and scrambled eggs, and mix thoroughly to integrate. Cook and stir until entire mixture is hot, there is no liquid left in the pan, and rice is just beginning to crisp. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


MAKES 5 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 167
Fat: 0.5g
Sodium: 630mg
Carbs: 30g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 8.5g

POINTS® value 3*

****NOTE: I use white rice because I don't like brown rice. Chop up the sprouts and mushrooms really small, as in rice-sized, and they just incorporate right into the rice. I throw in an extra 1/2 cup or so, and my kids don't even know that more than half of the dish they're eating is vegetables. And I use a combo of whole eggs and egg whites...I never remember to buy Egg Beaters when I'm out.

It kills!!! Bwah ha ha ha...

I would give credit to whatever site I got this recipe from, but I don't remember. So I'll say I got it from my mom, who emailed me the same recipe a few weeks ago...

This spray works awesome for killing those pesky dandelions that pop up in sidewalk cracks or along the garage...you know, the ones that you can't yank out of the ground :) .

WEED AND GRASS KILLER RECIPE

1 L vinegar

1/2 cup of salt

1 tbsp of liquid dish soap

Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake very well. Works best on hot sunny days. Spray directly into the center of the dandelion, and make sure to spray the leaves. The dish soap helps the mixture stick to the leaves so it doesn't run off. Be careful, though, this will also kill grass or flowers or whatever else it happens to touch. Shake before every use.

Mmmm...syrup-y goodness...

A couple of recipes to start your week off :)

CHOCOLATE SYRUP

Put on the kettle to boil 1 cup of water.

Place a saucepan on the stove. Add 2 cups white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, and a pinch of salt.

When the water comes to a boil, measure one cup of water and pour it over the dry ingredients in your pot. Stir to thoroughly combine, then turn the heat under the pot to medium.

Continue to stir while the mixture comes to a boil. When it reaches the boiling point, allow to bubble gently for one minute without stirring. After the minute is up, remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

After the mixture cools, store it in the fridge...preferably in the empty bottle from the last time you bought chocolate syrup. Enjoy in a glass of milk, over ice cream or my favourite...squirted over a bowl of bananas and light vanilla yogurt. Yum. We haven't bought chocolate syrup in 4 years :)

VANILLA SYRUP

...prepare just like the chocolate syrup above, but omit the cocoa and increase the vanilla to two tablespoons.

So good in a glass of milk...tastes like vanilla ice cream in a glass.

Can't wait to try the vanilla syrup in iced cappuccinos this summer!

If summer ever comes, that is...for crying out loud...

A few recipes.

I meant to post the fondue recipe a while back, and forgot...so better late than never, right? I've also included 2 great Thanksgiving recipes. I make the pumpkin dessert every single year...this was the first year for the potatoes, but the way they went over, I'll be making them every year too!

CHEESY MUSHROOM FONDUE

condensed cream of mushroom soup, 2 ten ounce cans
grated sharp cheddar cheese, 2 cups
Non-fat sour cream, 1/2 cup
Chopped chives, 2 tbsp

Dippers: bread cubes (we use a baguette), wiener cubes, cooked potato cubes, steamed broccoli (cooked tender crisp)

Put all four ingredients into a double boiler or heavy saucepan. Stir often as cheese mixture heats and smooths out. When hot, pout into a fondue pot over low heat. Makes 1L.

***you can use low-fat cheese and low-fat soup, and we just actually mix everything right into our electric fondue pot.

GREAT PUMPKIN DESSERT

1 15 oz can solid-pack pumpkin (works out to 1 7/8 cups)
1 12 oz can evaporated milk (works out to 1 1/2 cups)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 package yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Transfer to a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with butter. Bake at 350F for one hour, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
***if you don't have pumpkin pie spice, substitute 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp cloves. White cake mix works in place of the yellow cake mix, as well.


CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

6lbs Yukon gold potatoes
one brick lite cream cheese
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes into large cubes and boil in salted water until tender.

Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and stir in the sour cream, milk and spices.

Drain and mash the potatoes in the pot, then stir in the cream cheese mixture. Spoon into a casserole dish or mound into a 9x13 pan. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, or proceed to baking right away. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350F (increase the time if the dish comes straight from the fridge). Serves 12.
***excellent dish for a potluck!!!

Iced Cap Recipe

Last summer when I was pregnant, Scott made these for us every night :D .

I'm pretty sure I've posted this before, and I don't really remember where it comes from, so I can't credit anyone. I know, it's sort of pointless to add Splenda if you're using chocolate syrup, but it's still way less calories than a Timmie's Iced Cap...and if you really wanted to, you could just use a bit of cocoa powder and another spoon of splenda. Or you could just leave the chocolate part out altogether if you wanted to. Anyways, let's get to the point:

ICED CAP RECIPE

1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee crystals (regular or decaf)
1 tray ice cubes
1 cup skim milk
3 tbsp Splenda
1 1/2 tbsp chocolate syrup

Throw everything in the blender and mix until smooth. Makes 2 tall, cool and yummy drinks.