My Turn

Remember my resurrection post? Well, if you recall, 3 coworkers and I decided to take turns bringing healthy lunches for each other. On Wednesday, my designated day, I decided to bring Weight Watchers' Heart Turkey Chili. Since our climate changed, chili seemed like a satisfying choice.

Weight Watchers Hearty Turkey Chili
POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 25 min
Cooking Time: 58 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	1 tsp canola oil
	1 large onion(s), chopped
	2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
	2 medium carrot(s), thinly sliced into rounds
	1 pound(s) lean ground turkey
	2 Tbsp chili powder
	1 Tbsp paprika
	1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
	1 tsp ground cumin
	2 medium tomato(es), chopped
	1 cup(s) canned tomato sauce
	1 cup(s) canned chicken broth
	1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
	1 1/2 cup(s) cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
	1 medium green pepper(s), chopped
	1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
	1/4 cup(s) scallion(s), chopped

Instructions

• Coat a large pot with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add oil and onion; sauté onion until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and carrots; cook until garlic is softened, about 1 minute. Add turkey; brown meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Stir to break up lumps.
  
  
• Add chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, beans and green pepper; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper; garnish with scallions. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Recycled Turkey

Me, like so many other millions of Americans continued to eat leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Let's see, I made turkey sandwiches on Orowheat's Sandwich Thins, turkey pizza with portabella mushrooms, and this dish pictured here, turkey salad.

Recycled Turkey Salad
1 boiled egg white
3 oz. of turkey (shredded)
1 TBSP Miracle Whip
A few squirts of course ground mustard
2 chopped scallions
curry
ground red pepper
black pepper

Did someone say pizza?

Pizza...pizza...pizza...my kryptonite! I could eat pizza morning, noon , and night! On this particular day, I created a pizza for breakfast.

I started by preparing 2 egg whites in my Redi, Set, Go.


I toasted a Joseph's brand pita in the oven until crisped to my satisfaction.


Next I placed my egg on to the toasted pita.


For sauce I used HEB's salsa. I chose to spread the salsa on the egg rather than the pita. I figured the sauce would make the pita soggy.


I added Morning Start Vegetarian Italian Sausage and 1 serving of Kraft's Mexican 2% Cheese.


Ooops, I almost forgot to add my HEB pico de gallo! Lastly, I baked the pizza in the oven for about 8 minutes.


I removed the pizza from the oven and devoured it. I wanted to add bacon instead of the veggie Italian sausage, but I forgot to pick up some veggie bacon during my weekly grocery gathering excursion.

Papas Caliente!

During music class the other day, the teacher asked the students what game did they want to play next. In unison, the students shouted, PAPAS CALIENTE!" I thought for a second and then I said aloud, "Ooooooooooooo, hot potato." I then turned to the music teacher and requested, rather shouted, "PAPAS CALIENTE!"

Papas Caliente

4 oz. potato
3 oz. chicken breast
1 point worth of avocado
1/2 cup black beans
2 TB fat free sour cream
2 TB salsa
4 oz. pico de gallo

1. Bake or microwave potato and then cut into smaller pieces.
2. Top the potato with chicken, black beans, pico, and avocado.
   
3. In a small bowl mix sour cream and salsa to make dressing.
4. Pour the dressing mix over the potato.

Feel free to change the toppings to suit your taste. Thanks TJ for inspiring papas caliente!

Here's the loaded potato I made for my son.

What's Popping?

...caramel corn that's what. My mom made some "waistline friendly" caramel corn.

Waistline Friendly Caramel Corn: serving size 1 cup

6 Caramel Squares
1/2 tsp Water
2 TBSP Corn Syrup
10 Cups Popcorn

1. Air pop 10 cups of popcorn. Or you can use the popper from Target pictured below.
2. Next, place the caramels, corn syrup and water in a microwaveable cup or dish.
3. Microwave for 40 seconds.
   
4. Stir.
5. Microwave for another 30 seconds until melted.
6. Place the popcorn in a glass or ceramic dish.
7. Carefully pour the HOT caramel mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat.
   
8. Spread the caramel coated popcorn on a cookie sheet and bake for 6 minutes at 350º.

What a perfect snack to take care of cravings for sweets!

Resurection...

I decided to resurrect this blog with a new post. This summer I cooked some amazing and sometimes creative dishes. As of late, I felt my current dishes failed to measure up to my summer cuisine, so I chose not to post.

BUT... then I thought about my decision. Regardless of where my dishes fall on the fabulous meter, I decided to post them anyway.

So, on my other blog Ah Me So Hongry, I wrote about my participation in a lunch experiment. Here's the post:

Last week, a co-worker called me and proposed a novel idea. She suggested that myself, as well as 3 other teachers take turns bringing lunch for each other. So, in other words, I only worried about packing my lunch 2 days this week:

• Monday: Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potatoes...7 points. I paired raw carrots with mine.
  
• Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup...4 points. I paired cucumbers with my portion.
  
• Wednesday (my turn): My mom prepared Enchilasagna from Devin Alexander's cookbook The Most Decadent Diet Ever! 8 points for the entire portion, or 4 points for half. I devoured the entire portion. For my veggie serving I ate cucumbers.
  
• Thursday: Taco Bake...not sure of the points, but I requested the recipe. I paired the taco bake with green beans.
  
• Friday: Since only 4 of us agreed to this experiment, Friday we're on our own.

My only reservation about this lunch experiment...the lack of control. Although the ladies use Weight Watchers cookbooks to prepare the meals, I worry about the ingredients, specifically salt. Like I said this is an experiment, and we shall she what the results yield. But you must admit, it's a great idea with awesome benefits.

So, this week for my turn I decided to make Chicken Stroganoff in the crock pot....super simple.

Mix FF sour cream and 1 pack of Lipton onion soup mix together.

Throw some chicken breast and the sauce mixture in a crock pot and BAM...Chicken Stroganoff!

I regret to inform you that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product...my bad. You can pair the chicken with either whole wheat pasta or brown rice. Bon Appetite!

The Roof...The Roof...The Roof is on Fire!

...the roof of my mouth that is. Okay so a few weeks ago I made some personal pizzas in my Express RSG. Well, the pizza looked so mouthwatering, I failed to allow proper cooling time and just dove in.

FAIL (as my kids say)! The hot pizza burned the crap out of the roof of my mouth.

I used ready made pizza dough. I wanted a true pizza experience and wanted nothing to do with the whole wheat crust I usually make.

I also cut and prpared my toppings.



I placed the dough in my Express Ready Set Go and added the toppings.

More toppings...

Yum!!!

FLT

For days I craved a BLT, so using my facon (Morning Star Farms Veggie Bacon) a.k.a. fake bacon I created this FLT (Facon, Lettuce, and Tomato)!

Trina's Cantina

So the other day during lunch a couple of teachers walked into the teacher's lounge and declared, "Man, it smells good in here!" Another teacher answered, "That's Trina's lunch!" The Redi-Set- Go (RSG) strikes again!


First I threw some onions and bell pepper into the RSG.


Next, I threw in some shrimp and added a little seasoning.


And last, I wrapped the shrimp and veggies inside these marvelous low point tortillas, thanks to TJ. You can eat 4 of these babies for 3 points. SHAZAAM!

Now that's what I'm talking about: quick, easy, and tasty.

Recession...Smession

Although this recessions continues to restrict frivolous purchases, my weight loss financial backer (a.k.a. my Mother) managed to scrape some funds together to purchase this bad boy.

Recession, smession. If you can scrounge up $60 bucks, purchase an Express Redi-Set-Go. Anyway, on to my new dish, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms.

First start with 1/2 cup of imitation crab. Chop up the crab into little chunks.

After you chop the crab, add 1 teaspoon of mustard. I used course ground mustard.

Next add 1 tablespoon of mayo. I used Miracle Whip Lite.

Next I added some chopped onions, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Wash and remove the stem from 6 mushrooms.

So I thought the next step consisted of stuffing the mushroom and placing them in the Redi-Set- Go. WRONG! Actually, I filled each well with the stuffed crab mixture AND THEN...

THEN...I placed each mushroom on top of each filled well.

I waited 7 minutes and then BING!

In order to remove the mushrooms, place a saucer on top of the mushrooms and flip over the removable wells pan.

I decided to add a little cheese.