Cheesy Beefy Quesadilla 230 Calories (31 Fat Cal, 3.4g Fat)

Deliciously crispy and cheesy beef quesadilla. Get your taste buds ready for this yummy treat!

Ingredients
2/3 cup Morning Star Farms Crumbles
2 Mission 96% Fat Free Whole Wheat Tortilla (Medium-Soft Taco)
1/2 cup chopped or sliced Roma tomato (1 Roma tomato)
1/3 cup chopped onions
1 stalk green onion
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 serving fat free cream cheese
1 serving Kraft fat free cheddar cheese
1 tsp Badia Fajita Seasoning (or any other dry Fajita or Taco Seasoning)

Directions

1.Chop onion, green onion stalk, tomato, and mushrooms and place in mixing bowl. Add Crumbles, add 1 tsp Badia Fajita Seasoning, Add 2/3 Cups Morning Star Crumbles mix well.

2.Spray small or medium saute pan with Non-Stick spray and bring to medium high heat. Add mixture and cook until onion, tomato and mushrooms are soft. Once soft, add 1oz (2 tblspoons) of Fat Free Cream Cheese, mix well until melted smoothly. Add 1/4 cup Fat Free Cheddar Cheese, mix well and remove from heat.

3.Spray Large Saute Pan with non-stick spray, bring to Hi heat, add tortilla, let cook on one side then flip with spatula. Add Half of prepared mixture, close tortilla and brown both sides of the tortilla. Remove from heat and cut into 4 triangles. Repeat to cook second quesadilla.

Makes Two Servings.

Garnish with Sour Cream and Salsa, Enjoy!

Calories: 230 (31 Fat Cal)
Fat: 3.4g
Carb: 36g
Fiber: 5.7g
Protein: 16.52g

Great treat! This would be a great appetizer or a light lunch. We enjoyed the quesadillas with sliced bell peppers (orange, green and red).

This was inspired from a HG Recipe, I changed it drastically, if your interested in seeing the HG Version, you can check it out on the HG website at http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1725

HG Cream Puffs 57 Calories, 2.25g Fat (if made w/ light butter 45 cal, 1.5 g Fat)

Flaky Cream Puffs filled with Vanilla Cream Filling

Ingredients
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Water
1 tsp Splenda
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 tbsp Light Butter
4 Med Egg Whites
1 Jell-o Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding 60 Calorie
1/2 cup Fat Free Cool Whip
12 Blackberries

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour, salt and Splenda together; set aside.

2.In a medium-sized saucepan, combine water, butter and vanilla. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Once mixture is blended and boiling, reduce heat to low. Add flour mixture and stir vigorously until a ball of dough forms. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, use an electric mixer at medium speed while slowly adding egg whites until mixture is blended.

3.Spray a large baking pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Drop 12 spoonfuls of mixture onto pan, evenly spacing them out. Cook for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Cook for an additional 10 - 15 minutes (until puffs appear very firm), then remove puffs from oven.

4.Pierce the top of each with a knife and allow them to cool completely. Once ready to serve, mix pudding and Cool Whip together. Pull top of puffs off and remove any doughy, undercooked insides and discard top and doughy undercooked insides.

5.Fill puffs with pudding mixture and top with a blackberry. Enjoy! Makes 12 creamy, dreamy puffs.

Okay, here's the skinny, in my opinion, this is just too much work for such a little treat. Of course, I put my own twist on it. I removed the tops completely and added a blackberry. This recipe reminded me of Bovarian Cream Tarts that I've made in the past...that's why I chose to add the blackberries. The blackberry really complemented the pudding/whip cream mixture, very yummy together.

Since these are low cal, you could eat two and if your willing to do an extra 10 or 15 minutes on the elipitcal, you could maybe even eat three. If you don't have guest over to help eat these little treats, I can certainly see this would be a problem to have in the house, especially if it called your name until you devoured them all, like what I did! I winded up eating 6 of these little bad boys and oh man, my stomach hurts! Here's the good news, I went to the Gym this morning and got in my 45 minutes on the circuit. This evening I got in a brisk one mile walk and played outside in the snow with the kiddos for an hour... hopefully this helps with the extra cal's)

So here's the skinny on the calories:

Cal: 57 (20 Fat Cal)
Fat: 2.25g
Carb: 7.16g
Protein: 1.85g

Keep in mind, we discarded the top of the puffs (this should reduce calories and fat slightly, I'm just not sure how to calculate that. Also, I didn't have light butter on hand, so I used Blue Bonnet 53% Vegetable Oil Butter. If I used light butter the actual calories would be:

Calories: 45
Fat: 1.5g
Carbs: 6.5g
Protein: 1.5g

Final Results: Yes, they are good but, a VERY BIG BUT... they are a hassle to make. Another thing to consider... they may be dangerous if left in the kitchen!

Taste = Two Thumbs Up
Time, Effort & Energy = One Thumb Down

What have you lost?

Your weight loss =

1 pound = a Guinea Pig
1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs
3 pounds = an average human brain
4 pounds = an ostrich egg or a sack of sugar
5 pounds = a Chihuahua
6 pounds = a human skin
7.5 pounds = an average newborn
8 pounds = a human head
10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year
11 pounds = an average housecat
12 pounds = a Bald Eagle
15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs
16 pounds = a sperm whale's brain or 4 sacks of sugar
20 pounds = an automobile tire or a large sack of potatoes
23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year
24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream
25 pounds = an average 2 year old
30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
33 pounds = a cinder block
36 pounds = a mid-size microwave
40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg
44 pounds = an elephant's heart
50 pounds = a small bale of hay or 200 sticks of butter
55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner
60 pounds = an elephant's penis
66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year
70 pounds = an Irish Setter
77 pounds = a gold brick
80 pounds = the World's Largest Ball of Tape
90 pounds = a newborn calf
100 pounds = a 2 month old horse
111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year
117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she's 5'11")
118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica
120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month
130 pounds = a newborn giraffe
138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year
140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year
144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she's 5'4")
150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary
187 pounds = an average adult man
200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds
235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 pounds = an average football lineman
400 pounds = a Welsh pony

What have I lost you ask, well, I have lost:

~ The Average Amount of Pizza an American eats in one year (WOW) or
~ A Tire and A Human Brain or
~ 10 Dozen Large Eggs, A Chihuahua, A Rack of Baby Back Ribs and A Guinea Pig

Woo-Hoo! What have you lost?

HG Sloppy Joes 250 Calories (30 Fat Cal, 3.38g Fat)

Delicious and Zesty concoction with a sauce that's finger lick'n good! Get your napkin ready folks and enjoy the ride!

Ingredients
1 Package Jennie-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey
1 can Tomato Sauce No Salt Added
1/2 cup Crushed Tomato (canned)
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tsp McCormick Grill Mates Steak Rub (or dry seasoning steak blend)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp Apriva/Kroger brand Splenda (or splenda)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
Dash of Salt
6 Sara Lee Heart Healthy Wheat Soft & Smooth Hamburger Buns


Directions

1.Spray a large pan with nonstick spray, and bring to medium-high heat. Add turkey to the pan. Spread the meat around in the pan to break it up a bit.

2.In a small dish, combine Splenda, salt and steak seasoning. Sprinkle this mixture over the meat, and continue to stir meat in the pan.

3.Add onions, peppers, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Stir, and then continue to cook for 5 minutes.

4.Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and paste to the pan and stir well. Reduce heat to low, and cook the mixture for an additional 5 minutes.

5.Toast the buns, if desired. Put 1/6th of the mixture (or about 1/4 cup) on each bottom bun, and then finish with bun top!


Okay folks, get your taste buds ready... this one is a huge hit! I was a little reluctant but this was delicious! If your a fan of sloppy joes, this is a must! Again, my son helped in the kitchen. He had a blast.

I usually don't toast my buns, I would suggest toasting the buns for this sloppy joe because the bread got a little soggy while it was on my plate. Very messy but finger lick'n good! Enjoy!

Calories: 250 each, 30 Fat Calories
Fat: 3.38g
Carb: 29.31g
Prot: 26.88g

EXCUSES

Are what got me to 330 Pounds

Are what got the inches around my abdomen to be taller than my height, for those trying to figure that one out: My height 5'3" which is 63 inches, my abdomen was 64 inches. YIKES!!!

Are what helped me to fit into a size 28 pant

Are what allowed me to wear a size 26/28 top

Helped my joints ache

Provided constant pain to my feet

Caused me to avoid all camera's and camcorders

Encouraged me to ignore mirrors at all cost

Created someone who didn't believe in herself

Brought out the very worst in me

Made it easy to ignore my needs

Festered and festered in each growing pound and inch

Allowed me to eat WHATEVER, WHENEVER

To lose control of my health

Put blinders on reality

Ignored my needs

Fogged my thoughts and feelings about myself

Robbed me of 10 years of my life

Gave me a reason to Give up

GOODBYE EXCUSES, THOSE DAYS ARE OVER, A NEW SHERIFF IS IN TOWN! Today, I wasn't feeling it, I didn't want to work out, I wasn't motivated to do a thing. I signed into Spark and there is was, Message Board: How do you get passed Excuses!

I quickly clicked on the link to take me to the thread, and I wrote:

Excuses led me to 330 pounds, its time to get up and do something different.

“Discipline is remembering what you want.”
(John Campbell)

After I wrote it, I read other member posts and was so glad that I still have the ability to get up and do something with myself. It helped me focus back on my mission of 2010 to overcome obesity and my addiction to food. So as I am here today, I am so glad that I did go to the gym, I hit the circuit for 45 minutes, I later did a 2 mile walk and I feel great.

Bye Bye Excuses, you are not good for me anymore!

Parmesan Herb Chicken 231 Calories (51 Fat Cal, 5.72g Fat)

Perfect balance of flavor and crunch with every bite of this classic Italian Dish.

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup Private Selection Parmesan Herb Panko Crumbs
1/2 cup Fiber One Bran Cereal
1/2 tsp Reduced Fat Parmesan
1/4 cup Reduced Fat Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Cup Crushed Tomatoes (canned)
1 tsp ground basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground oregano
2 large egg white

Directions

1.Heat oven to 375 Degrees. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray, set to side.

2.Using a Blender or Food Processor, crumb 1/2 cup Fiber One Bran Cereal. Mix fiber one crumbs with 1 cup Private Selection Parmesan Herb Panko Crumbs. Add 1/2 tsp reduced fat Parmesan Cheese, mix well, set to side.

3.Mix two egg whites in large container. Dip Chicken breast in egg whites, shake chicken to remove excess egg, now dip in panko/fiber one crumb mixture, coat both sides of chicken. Place chicken on baking sheet. Repeat until all 4 pieces of chicken are on baking sheet. Spray chicken with non-stick spray. Bake chicken for 10 minutes, remove from oven, flip chicken over, spray with non-stick spray and bake an additional 12-16 minutes (until chicken cooked completely).

4.Meanwhile, take 1 cup crushed tomatoes, add 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp oregano and mix well. Heat in microwave for 3 minutes at medium heat.

5.After chicken cooked completely, remove from oven. Add two tbls of tomato sauce on each chicken breast. Measure 1/4 part skim mozzarella cheese and even spread on top of all chicken. Place back in oven until cheese melted. Remove from oven, now enjoy!

This is my version of the Hungry Girl recipe, mine has been altered. I never tried the HG version but I am sure it is great, I like to play around and put my own twist on things.

This was a hit at our house. My son helped make it and he really enjoyed it. He gave it a 7 out of 10 rating (he did the rate the chili cheese burger on Friday night a 10 out of 10, so go figure). The chicken was surprisingly juicy and tender, it had a nice crisp and the crushed tomatoes complemented it greatly.

Calories: 231, 51 Fat Cal
Fat: 5.72g
Carb: 19.63
Fiber: 4.9g
Protein: 28.14g

Expecting Too Much of Ourselves

This morning I weighed in and felt a tinge of disappointment when I realized that I only lost 3 pounds last week. Hold up, was that three pounds? Yes, three glorious pounds that are gone, gone for good!

I told myself that it was good and it was only 7 pounds away from my 10 pound weigh loss goal for February! I did my best to tuck my tail between my legs and believe that 3 pounds was good (I lost 18 pounds last month which was an average of 4.5lbs a week).

I began to check emails and before you knew it, I was on Spark People and I found it, Do we expect too much of ourselves? I click on the link and there I am, a message board. I thought for a moment and began to think of one of my closes girlfriends. She lost 20 pounds last month (WAY TO GO CHICA) but for some reason, was not completely satisfied.

My response:
I believe we do, a friend of mine lost 20 pounds last month, which is incredible... she was disappointed. I had to reminder her that losing 5-12 pounds a week is not realistic unless your on the Biggest Loser and are working out 8 hours a day. Sometimes we put to much pressure based on someone elses accomplishments, be happy with your success and enjoy every moment of it. Don't rob yourself of pride, happiness or a simple treat (nice cup of hot tea, walk, bubble bath, new book) for doing your best and giving it your all!

Then it hit me, this is exactly what I am doing right now. This morning, I was not pleased with my 3 pound loss, I wondered what I should have done differently, did one of my new snacks have to much fat? Did I eat one to many bags of popcorn? Uh,oh... maybe I didn't work out as hard as I could have,oh wait, I think it is getting close to that time of month. Just one excuse after the next. I lost, not only did I lose, I took off 3 pounds, cooked dinner 6 out of 7 nights (one night we had subway - veggie delite, 230 calories) worked out at the gym 5 days, walked 5 days for a total of 6 miles. Come on, even if the scale didn't move... those are great accomplishments.

Today, I am taking my own advice. I will celebrate my success and not compare what I have done to anyone else. I will find happiness in my new lifestyle and enjoy my journey as it has been, I am doing great!

Super Bowl Sunday

Why is it that we celebrate the Super Bowl with food & drinks galore? How did this become part of a tradition? Do other countries do this? I don't know, but it is an American Tradition. Something that will not go away.

This year, I went to a friends house to watch the Super Bowl and of course, there was lots and lots of food, great yummy food. Before arriving, all I could imagine was nachos, wings, cheese, crackers, chicken crisper's, bean dip, hot sauce, hot dogs, ribs, sodas, cookies, cakes and on and on. Oh boy, my mouth was watering. I decided my best defense would be prepared. I decided I would take a few things of my own that I knew I could eat. I also decided if I have a few bites of something, I would not beat myself up.

Sunday afternoon, I took a 2 mile walk and then came home and cooked some goodies. I made the Chicken Taquitos from last week (this time using extra thin tortillas reducing the calories) and baked veggies (zucchini and squash). I have never been a beer person but I picked up a six pack of Miller Chill (Light Beer with Lime) which was only 100 Calories.

At the party, they did have lots and lots of food. I wasn't actually that hungry, there was tons to eat but it didn't really do anything, I had no problem walking away from the kitchen without trying some of this, some of that, a little more of this and that... I was surprised, food was not the only thing on my mind.

Maybe it was the company, the game or a little of everything, but this year, the Superbowl didn't do me in and I am not ashamed of the plate of food I did eat.

For those interested, I drank 2 Miller Chills, not bad especially for a non-beer drinker. Okay... it was 1.5 beers, but that is a lot for me considering I have probably only drank 3 beers in my adult life... lol! Now, I did hear that Applebee's is serving a 100 calorie Margarita... sounds like Lady's Night will be coming soon!