Day 243 - The Mess Monster Strikes Again

All proud of myself this morning for getting and getting my steel-cut oats with peanut butter made. I had to eat them on the go since I was meeting someone at the local mall. I thought it was brilliant to just take the bowl in the car with me to get in my whole grains AND get an errand run.

Two birds, one stone.

Then I decided to forget my half eaten bowl of heart healthy steel-cut oats was in my passenger seat awaiting my return--and I threw my lovely fuchsia handbag into the bowl.

AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!

If I'm not spilling food on myself during a meal, I'm finding creative ways to get my other possessions into the action. : /   Healthy food fail.

Day 240 - Peanut Butter Chocolate Apple Bowl

I'm into bowls. I'm also NOT into meals right now. This is mostly due to lack of time and energy caused by newest love (Baby). So I'm thinking outside the plate.

I needed to get some fruit in for the day and I was craving protein of some kind. So this is what I created, and it made a great mid-afternoon snack/meal-thing. Check it out...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Apple Bowl

Hmmmm.... just noticed that gigantic chip in my bowl. Time to head to Pier One : )

Here's the recipe and Weight Watcher's Healthy Checks breakdown:

• 1 small/medium apple (I like Granny Smith)
• 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup Bear Naked Heavenly Chocolate granola
• 1 tsp safflower oil

This provides:

• 9 Points Plus
• 1-2 servings fruit
• 1 serving heart healthy oil
• delicious whole grains and satisfying protein

It may seem like a lot of points, but when you have to squeeze in meals in the form of snacks, feel satisfied, and demand yummy things in your mouth... this works perfectly! The peanut butter adds the heftiest portion of points and I'm thinking of changing it up slightly for tomorrow using fat-free Greek yogurt instead. I'll let you know how it goes : )

How would you compose your snack bowl? I would love to hear your thoughts below!

Day 140 - 3 Foods I Can't Live Without

Clearly, I'm a girl who knows food. That conclusion can be made based on my career choice (Baking and Pastry) or by looking at my backside, or my hips, or my "Excuse me, I am NOT pregnant" belly. So I know a thing or two about yummy food. I love to make mostly anything I can from scratch-- but I do have a few go-to items that are always in my pantry or icebox. These things are daily/weekly staples in my eating plan right now, so you need not wonder if these foods are weight loss friendly... They are! Would you like to meet them? Great!

Cookwell & Company's Escabeche style salsa. It's not your traditional tomato paste-y, large chunk vegetables with little to no seasoning Americanized variety... This stuff is it! This is an authentic salsa that begins with escabeche marinade including lime juice and carrots and roasted chiles.

What I do with it: Top egg whites cooked omlet style with tomatoes and green bell peppers; use it as the 'pizza sauce' on my Avocado Chicken pizza; and it's scoopably yum-o with Tostitos MultiGrain Scoops tortilla chips. (I love dipping foods!)

Reasons I love it: 0 PP for Weight Watchers buddies, and packed with flavor.

Franks Marinara Sauce is hard to find. They are originally an Italian restaurant (go figure!) in Hartford, C.T. They have quite a list of famous names that have patronized them and their sauce is a little bit famous. My link will take you to their FaceBook page, but if you're near me, north of NYC or in the New England-ish area, I know you can find this at Hannaford Supermarkets.  Reasons I love it: 1 PP for 1/2 cup, versatile and light.                                                                                        

I'm a choosy mom, and I choose JIF. Mostly for myself. My boys and hubby would eat anything I placed before them, but I have discerning taste buds. JIF is the smoothest, most naturally peanutty of the big name brands and I have lots of fun uses for it!                                                                                                        What I do with it: Banana Sandwich... It's not what you think! Click to see why : ) ; a Tbsp. at the bottom of my morning bowl of steel-cut oats makes a yummy way to flavor your oats without the typical sugars or syrups; or I'll just drag my finger precariously through the tub and lick. Yes. I'm 31 years old. Don't judge.

I will continue rummaging through my pantry for your entertainment another day. Can't give away all my secrets at once ; )  I think I may make this a regularly appearing topic...

(Apparently, I also have an affinity for things that come with screw top lids...But I digress.)

This week: Quotes of wisdom and hilarity from my Weight Watcher's Boardies! I can't wait! It's gonna be so much fun...

Day 135 - Me and My Steel Cut Oats

Have I told you how much I love steel cut oats? If I haven't, let me declare to the world my undying affections for those little bundles of chewy, tender, wholesome goodness! Prepared with organic skim milk (yes- I'm an organic milk kind of gal) and served over a tablespoon or two of creamy peanut butter is one of my favorite morning meals.

Why am I pining over my beloved steel cut oats? Because my meal plan for the week is in need of a makeover. I'm not satisfied throughout the day and need to reconfigure my meal plan that I had laid out for the week. Don't get me wrong, I've stuck to it faithfully but to ward off an overreaction to feeling deprived I need to address the fact that my body is not being given what it needs.

So let's start at the very beginning. It's a very good place to start. I promise I won't break into song, but I will change my breakfast. This morning. Out with the old (cereal) and in with the new (oats). I'll let you know how it goes. In the mean time, watch Chef Keith Snow prepare these yummy oats!

(While his serving suggestion at the end looks tempting I will resist! Too many points that aren't worth it to me. Peanut butter. Just peanut butter.)

Day 134 - Hand Over Your Lunch!

My lunches this week are following the same convention as the breakfasts I talked about yesterday- I'm being repetitive but I don't mind if it will get my butt back on track. Everyday, while I'm letting my egg whites sizzle away in a hint of safflower oil, I begin composing the midday eats that accompany me to school. Yes, I take lunch to school-culinary school. I do in fact see the immense irony in this, no need to point it out. Let's move on.

Middle of the day tends to be about quick and satisfying as far as food goes. I pack a simple sandwich of whole wheat bread, extra lean deli ham, American cheese and yellow mustard rather precariously in my nice bright pink ('overly expensive' according to my husband) handbag. The sandwich always brings it's friend String Cheese along.
I then ask my banana/peanut butter sandwich if it would like to join the traveling party (it always responds in the affirmative). Here I use the term 'sandwich' lightly: it does not include bread-- my relationship with carbs needs a time out, if you'll recall from this past Sunday. I slice the banana lengthwise like you would for a banana split, then I lovingly spread 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter over one half and top it with the remaining slice of banana. Soooooooooo good! It's a wonder this snack makes it to campus ever, not an easy feat.
Lastly, depending on which schedule day it is, I may bring an afternoon snack with me. I love hummus, the tomato and basil variety to be specific. And I discovered that the best veggie to dip into hummus happens to be the greatly under-appreciated green bell pepper. Though not as vibrant or fun as it's red, orange and yellow cousins, it seems to be the least sweet which compliments the rich and almost sweet flavor of the hummus excellently.

He was watching me lick my lips taking this picture. Poor guy. He knew what was coming.

Later this week: A Guys Perspective- Talking with my friend Matt, another culinary student on a successful quest to drop more than a few pounds.