From Freezer to Plate: Trader Joe's Hake En Papillote

I am always on the lookout for good freezer meals. A lot of people will say that you shouldn't eat them because they aren't good for you, or that they are loaded with sodium, or that they are in the plastic that shouldn't go in the microwave (look, I used to work with a lot of older ladies who had a lot of paranoia). Although some of these concerns may be valid, I also know that there are some out there that are awesomely delicious. 

I am a busy mom that works a full time job and quite often I eat lunch at my desk. I also have a picky husband (I think I have stressed this before) and sometimes the meal he may want for dinner  may not be something I should or want to eat. Both of these places are where frozen meals fit into my life. Some people live off of Weight Watchers meals and there are some that are tasty, but there are a world of options out there for all of us far beyond a Red Box.

Here is the delicious frozen Hake En Papillote I found at Trader Joe's:

This was a delicious piece of white fish that was dressed in a nice pesto sauce with zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Oh my, was this tasty!! I will start by telling you a little food secret about me. I LOVE zucchini!! Any squash really. I can eat bowls and bowls. Yellow or green, spaghetti or summer, I love them all!! So having that in this dish with the pesto was fantastic. The fish was moist and melted in my mouth. 

This is what the package looks like when you open it. The outside of the box from TJ's tells me that "en papillote" directly translates to in paper. Trader Joe's took the process of cooking fish in parchment paper to a whole new level. They have made an origami box that has a top and bottom. You toss this in the microwave on a microwave safe plate and when it is done all you do is take the top off  and enjoy.

My final thoughts on this dish:

It was fantastic with only one complaint. I don't like cooked cherry tomatoes. The skin gets gross and the tomatoes taste weird so I picked them out. The rest was outstanding.

The whole serving is 6PP. It is a great alternative to all the other low point frozen dishes!!

The one serving was $3.99 and although that may not be the cheapest for an individual frozen meal, it is completely worth it. I will buy it again without even thinking twice.  The other day, after having the microwave make my house smell scrumptious with this meal, I told the hubby that the meal seemed pricey at $3.99. Then I caught myself and said to him "what am I talking about? I never thought twice about ordering a value meal at McDonalds for over $6 at lunch time!" Eating healthy is not cheap but its not that much worse than the horrible choices I was making before. What I may put out in money to make this change I will gain back in time I get to spend with my child because I am getting healthy. As far as I am concerned, that time is priceless and that is what this journey is truly about. So $3.99 for lunch is the best $4 I could have ever spent!

Chocolate...'Nuff said

Like most of my Weight Watchers companions, I have jumped on the Greek Yogurt train. I tend to eat on container at about 10 AM most days. I find that it helps to keep me full until lunch time so that I don't reach the point where I feel like I am starving and over eat at lunch. I have been trying many different brands but the one that I always find my way back to is Yoplait's Greek 100. They are only 2 PP and come in a variety of flavors. There are usually coupons in the paper and they tend to go on sale for $1 each quite often. It also helps that I love the consistency of them. Some of the Greek yogurts can sometimes be a whole lot thicker than I really like and can also start getting very high in point value for yogurt (again, just my opinion, but isn't that what I am here for?)

Tonight, I decided that I wanted to try another Pinterest recipe using some new stuff I found. A user on Instagram had posted this Peanut Spread and everyone was talking about. I am almost out of PB2 so I thought it may be worth a try. 

This Peanut "spread" from Walden Farms has a surprisingly good flavor. I would say it is a little looser than regular Peanut Butter but at 0 PP for 1 TBSP it is completely worth it. It was $3.48 a jar at Walmart and that is not much different in price from most other peanut butters. The only place I have been able to find the PB2 locally is at a Lite for Life store about 5 minutes away but they charge $7.99 a jar!! That is just insanity to me. It is very good stuff but clearly I wasn't thinking straight when I paid that much for it (I think I was too excited to try it).

Back to my little snack concoction. Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt for 2 PP!!

Here's what you will need:

1 small container of Vanilla Greek Yogurt 

(the original recipe calls for plain and then to add stevia but why bother of you can just start off with a nice base of vanilla)

1-2 Tbsp of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder ( I used 2)

1 Tbsp Peanut Spread

Throw it all in a bowl, mix it up, and enjoy. 

I will tell you that you can just use the yogurt container to mix it up but it just becomes a mess. You get cocoa powder everywhere and cocoa dust in your eyes and up your nose. Just use a bowl people, I promise, you will thank me later!!  

You will more than likely thank me for finding this on Pinterest and trying it out for you too. It was delicious. Not super heavy on the Peanut Butter flavor so you can always add more if you like. I have made this with the PB2 as well and although the flavor was good, it did thicken up quite a bit. I am also considering throwing this in the freezer for a bit next time. Only problem is that I usually don't like to wait for my chocolate fix. 

Breakfast on the Go: Special K Nourish

Everyday during the week I usually have the same breakfast (for the most part). I have Sugar Free Maple Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal between 8 and 8:30. I usually have two packages for 5 points because I purchase the Safeway store brand when it is on sale and for some reason that particular brand is lower points vs. Quaker or even Walmart's brand. Ok, so it may only be lower by 1 point for two packages but in my world...1 point could be the difference between a dessert of chocolate pudding or sugar free jell-o!! 

Anyway, the point of my rant is that I have tried many different low point instant oatmeal flavors and brands because I can get my hot water at work and eat at my desk. For many Mommies, breakfast needs to be on the road or at our desks. Either way, I have found to be successful, you need to start your day by fueling your body and I stay full longer with oatmeal.

Enter my trip to Walmart this weekend. I found a coupon online for Special K Nourish Oatmeal. It was a high value coupon of a $1 off of 1 and I thought I would try and see if Walmart carried it. In fact, they did and they came in about 3 different flavors and were regular price of $2.78 for 2 small individual cups of oatmeal. Paired with the coupon it made them $1.78 which I found to be a little high for two servings of oatmeal but I thought they would be worth a try. After all, I am a big fan of other Special K products that they have been putting out lately. I chose the Cranberry and Almond flavor and they rang in at 5 PP per serving.

I guess I should also say that Special K does not seem to be referring to these as "oatmeal". They are calling it a "hot cereal" that is a "multi-grain blend with Quinoa". After trying it, it does not seem to taste much different than oatmeal and has a the same texture. Each packet does come with its own little nut and dried fruit blend that you are supposed to mix in after you steep the cereal in the cup.

Upon opening the top to add the water, I noticed that there did not seem to be very much cereal in the cup which seemed very disappointing for 5 PP. But I put my water in and let it steep. After the 2 to 3 minutes that the cup recommended, I went to stir in my fruit and nuts. This is what I had...

Now it may be hard to tell from the picture but that cup is less than half full and I have not had a single bite yet. Just like everything, the product has its strengths and weaknesses. The downside is that I feel that for the price of what I paid for two days worth of breakfast, I can get four days and much larger servings if I stick with my instant oatmeal. I am not gaining or losing any points that way either so that is a wash. I was disappointed in that regards. 

The flavor was fine. Now, I am a woman so understand and read that word accordingly...it was FINE! Nothing spectacular, nothing bad either. Just FINE. I love cranberries so it was nice that they were there but I can add 7 Craisins to my oatmeal anytime. 

The plus side is that it does add a nice little crunch by having the almonds there. I also think that the packaging an easy of portability in the container is great. In my opinion, if you were looking to try something different, you probably aren't going to be blown away here. My advice would be that if you could find a great deal somewhere soon and pair it with the coupon then they are ok, but at almost a dollar a serving (more if you pay full price) I would tell you to look elsewhere first. Sorry Special K, I'll keep buying those delicious Pastry Crisps though ;)

Snack Time: Trader Joe's Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip

I will have to say that since I have been on Weight Watchers, I am more inclined to try new foods. I am constantly looking for something new and exciting. I believe the way that we don't get bored with food is by constantly changing it up. Plus, how will you ever know if you are missing something FANTASTIC?? If we always eat the same thing every day we may get bored and then fall back into old routines. I don't know about you, but my old routines are what got me to a place that made me need the Weight Watchers program. Not looking to go back there any time soon (plus, I already gave my fat clothes to Goodwill!)

So let's get to business. I took a trip to Trader Joe's this weekend (watch for more great posts this week about all of the delicious looking stuff I bought to try) and while my 4 year old was busy telling me how she and Daddy "needed" the chips and dip that I just let her try out at the sample counter, I realized that there had to be something good for me to dip into too. I think that too often when people go on a diet they tell themselves that there are all these things that they can and can't have. The thing that I love about WW is there is nothing that I can't have because it is a lifestyle change that I am making. I can eat the Sea Salt Ridge Potato Chips with Bacon Cheese Ranch Dip that the little one loved and wanted to take home to Daddy. But, instead, I made a CHOICE to find something better for me.

Spinach Dip is something I love at parties and I always have. Usually, it is made with some sort of full fat sour cream of some kind sitting inside a delicious bread bowl surrounded with bite size pieces to dip in. You all know what I am talking about...yummmm...the crunchy french bread. Sorry, forgot where I was. Anyway,  Trader Joe's has a delicious Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip.

The cost on this tub is $3.99 and it is 1 PP for 2 TBSP. Yes, only 1 PP which makes it a great snack. I thought that the dip had great flavor. I noticed quite a few of these "reduced guilt" labels around the store as well. Be careful when you see those and actually put things into your calculator. I picked up a meal that said that and it was 9 PP which didn't seem to reduce much of anything to me. Now you can choose to pair this up with some baby carrots for no additional points or you can do what I did. I paired it with this new found snack from Walmart.

These little guys come in at 2 PP for 6 crackers. They are a decent size cracker and although 6 crackers doesn't seem like a lot, it was enough to eat the 2 TBSP of dip. They also came in a Mediterranean Herb flavor that I am disappointed I did not pick up. My husband loves pita chips but he likes them plain (I told you...picky eater!!) and I figured I better get the standard Sea Salt flavor in case I didn't care for them. They were on the saltier side, but since I was looking for a salty chip replacement, I didn't mind it.

 You could add the carrots along if you would like too. The chips were $2.50 a box and I paired it with a $.70 off coupon from coupons.com and it made for a nice little deal at $1.80 a box to try something new.

Here's my 3 PP snack for the afternoon. For those of you paying close attention to detail, I am aware of the fact that the picture is only showing 5 crackers. Do you also see the small missing section of dip?? I was so excited to try it all that I dug in before a snapped the photo. I also think this would be great to bring to a party if you wanted to make sure there was an appetizer that everyone, including you, could enjoy. 

Can't wait to show you all the other great stuff I grabbed. Enjoy!

Cutting back the caffeine..

Like many other dieters, I switched to Diet Coke long ago to try and cut down on some of the calories I was taking in. The problem is I never cut back on the caffeine I was taking in. I have my cup of coffee in the morning and bottles of Diet Coke all day and all night long. A while back I decided to start to cut back on the caffeine (as a side note, I will cut back on the soda but my morning cup of coffee will never be replaced!) and I started drinking fruit juice. Well, I know what you are already thinking...not a smart idea!! 

Then I am sure some of you are thinking why is she drinking more water??? I'll be honest, water has never been my favorite thing. Although, I know that I should drink more of it since it is a great way to help weight loss, I just have huge problems doing it and instead I find myself not drinking enough at all.

Enter Safeway's refreshe brand sparkling flavored water. They have a ton of different fruit flavors and with the added bubbles it makes my brain think I'm having a soda when I'm not. They taste great and are often on sale at your local Safeway. A few weeks ago I snagged a bunch at $.79 each for the 1 liter bottle. They also come in a 4 pack of smaller bottles. If you are looking for something new to try, add these to your rotation!! 

On top of all of it they are 0 points!!

These are just three of the awesome flavors I have enjoyed!!

Hawaiian Pizza, 6 Points Plus

Recently, I have become obsessed with Flatout flatbreads. I love that they can be used for so many things and that they also come in different flavors. I decided that I would try one of the recipes for pizza that I found on their website for dinner. You can find the original recipe here but please note that I changed it a little bit on the amounts that were used. This recipe serves one so feel free to multiply it as many times as you like. The original says it serves 2 put I would say only if you using it as an appetizer.

Flatout Light Original

You will need the following ingredients to make this Hawaiian Pizza:

1 Flatout Light Original Flatbread

2 Tbsp Pizza Sauce

1/4 cup Kraft Mexican Shredded Cheese

1/4 cup Pineapple Chunks (in their own juice)

4 slices of Oscar Mayer Deli Sliced Smoked Ham

Cooking Spray (I used my Misto)

The original recipe calls for you to grill this pizza which would be great if you were BBQing but thankfully they were smart enough to add alternative directions to use your oven. That is the technique that I used.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Lightly spray both sides of your flatbread with your cooking spray. Place in the oven directly on the racks and bake for 7 mins.

While its in the oven take a minute to cut your four slices of ham and your pineapple chunks. I chose to cut the chunks in half to make them a bit more bite size.

This is how I chose to wedge my ham and since it is thinner I also chose to layer it. If you would like to use a thicker ham, you can but I chose this ham for its great flavor and low point value. (plus I use it to make sandwiches so I have it on hand and can usually pick it up with a coupon and on sale...BONUS)

By now your flatbread should be done, so take it out of the oven.

This gives it a nice crisp. Now add your pizza sauce...

Then your cheese (you can choose to add the cheese after the ham and pineapple if you like)...

Then add your pineapple and ham and throw it back in the oven (straight on the rack) for another 7 minutes. Once its done its ready to enjoy.

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PLUS: 6 POINTS PLUS

My husband is a very VERY picky eater. Some recipes I have made he may not even finish. Some he loves and asks me to make again. SO that being said, I have decided to poll my picky eater and resident non-dieter to ask him for his input as I tell you all about these recipes I try. I gave him a scale... 

Hated It

Its OK

Loved It

OMG!!

This one received a LOVED IT!! 

That absolutely means we will have it again because I thought it was fantastic. Experiment if you like with different toppings and other flavors of flatbread (like the Italian). I know I will!!

Starting with me...

So here I sit on page one deciding what I should talk to you all about first. I realize that we should start with me. Talking about my weight was not something that I ever thought I would do. Until recently, my husband never even knew how much I weighed because I didn't think it was important that he knew and I wasn't exactly comfortable telling him what the scale said. I had always been a thick girl and after I had my daughter my weight continued to slowly rise. I knew I wasn't very happy in my own skin but I didn't have a whole lot of time to give it a second thought.

 Me in May 2011

In January of 2013, a coworker decided to start Weight Watchers. I was so proud of her and she was doing so well. I remembered that I had been on the program once before and I was successful for a short while. Like most people, I dropped the first 20 pounds and I was thrilled. I then slowly fell off the plan and back into my old ways. Now, I had given notice at my job of 10 years and I was about to embark upon a new journey with a new company and I was very excited about it. I figured if I was going to make a change then why not do it now? Why not start fresh from day one? So I did. I signed up, I stepped on the scale, and I took to Pinterest to find every recipe I could that would help me along. I loaded the apps on my phone and decided I would hit this full throttle.

By June 2013, I have lost 32 pounds.

July 2013

Every day is a constant temptation when you remember how good things taste when they are bad for you. The plus side of Weight Watchers is that I am not restricted to what I can and can not eat. I make the decisions of what I put in my mouth. Sometimes regular sugar is better than fake sugar. Sometimes full fat is better than fat free. Fruit and vegetables are your friend and an orange is always better for you than orange juice. Regardless, no diet should have you drop a bunch of weight too quickly or keep you unbalanced with your food intake. I eat more now, on WW, than I ever did before and its crazy!!

I have encouraged people to take the journey with me whenever they asked. It is an amazing feeling that I can not ever really explain. I am proud of myself and I feel great. I hope to inspire someone to start the journey while they read this or to get back on the wagon. Food should never be the enemy. Too often I see people diet and they are so upset that they are forced to eat things that they don't want to or are trying to live off of a shake for hours at a time. I still bake cupcakes, make pudding, and eat chips. I have days that are hard and I really want to eat a tub of ice cream. Those are the days that I find an alternative to take the need away and I go to my support team. I have great friends and family and most importantly, a very supportive husband, that gives me a high five every Sunday on weigh in day. Even if it is only half a pound that week!

Hopefully, I will be able to begin to share with you the great finds I come across and even some saving tips. I will share my highs and lows because life is not always gumdrops and rainbows. Sometimes, you just gotta eat cake...