Green Smoothie

The thought of a "green" smoothie doesn't sound to good does it, but it is.

Elizabeth, my WW leader, had this recipe to make a green smoothie.  It had yogurt in it, but I don't care at all for yogurt.  I substituted a WW Vanilla Smoothie Packet (2 PP) for the yogurt. 

I know I need a new blender!  I've had it since we got married, 13 years! 

So, here's the recipe that I use:
1 WW Vanilla Smoothie packet
1 cup of water (+ a little more if it won't mix up well)
2 cups of berries (I use strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
1/2 banana
3-4 cups of spinach
Little ice
I also add my 2 tsp of healthy oil in my smoothie (olive oil).  You can't taste it and if you wouldn't get it in any other way it is great to do it this way.

I can give you a tip that works for me, I freeze all the fruit and the spinach so that it keeps the smoothie cold and icy.  Also, don't be worried after it turns from a purplish color to brown.  It's from the berries and the spinach mixing colors together.

Here is the breakdown of the smoothie:
3 cups of spinach = 3 servings of veggies = 0 PP
2 cups of berries = 4 serving of fruit = 0 PP
1/2 banana = 1 serving of fruit = 0 PP
2 tsp olive oil = 2 PP
WW Vanilla Smoothie packet = 2 PP
4 total PP

YUMMY!!!!!

~Crystal

Grape dessert

I LOVE grape salad, but the kind I like I'm sure isn't very point+ friendly.  When I found this recipe for Creamy Grape Dessert on Skinny Taste's website I was so happy.  It is 4 points+ for 1/8th of the dessert.

The only thing I was leery of was the greek yogurt.  I HATE, I mean HATE yogurt.  There's something about the way it tastes like soured milk that I just can't bring myself to eat it.  I thought the sugar would cancel out the sourness in the yogurt, but I was still able to taste it a little bit.  It wasn't too bad though and I'll just have to adjust my taste buds to it.

~Crystal

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Here's another recipe I found and tried from Skinny Taste's website.  I decided to try the spinach stuffed shells with meat sauce.  They were time consuming to make, but well worth it.  Three shells with a little bit of sauce is 8 points+.  I didn't have enough filling to fill all the shells so I was able to have 4 shells for what I figured on the Points+ calculator for 10 points.  You should check Gina's website to for the exact points values and measurements.

This wasn't something that my kids liked, but I did tell them they had to eat one to try it.  They did and decided it wasn't their favorite.  Craig liked it and I had enough left over to make 3 helpings and I put them in the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner for later.  This was a keeper in my book, but for Craig and I only.

~Crystal

Turkey Cutlets

I wanted to find some recipes that my whole family would enjoy.  I looked on Skinny Taste and My Kitchen Adventures websites and found several that I wanted to try.  The first one I decided to try was turkey cutlets with Parmesan crust from Skinny Taste's website.  They were so good and the kids loved them, which to me is so important they like the things that I need to be eating.  My goal is to not have to cook 3 different meals for everyone i.e. something for me, something for my kids and something for my husband.  My daughter thought it tasted like country fried steak...I think I'll let her keep thinking that! ;-) 

5 points+ for a 4 oz cutlet

Very delicious and I felt like I was indulging in something.

~Crystal

Gina's Skinny Recipes

I have been really worried about cooking dinners that my family will enjoy without killing my Weight Watchers points. I had come to grips with the fact that I was going to have to make a dinner for myself (probably chicken), and then prepare an entirely separate dish for the rest of the family.  Well, Crystal came to the rescue when she shared a site that she had discovered.  It's called Gina's Skinny Recipes, and it has been a life saver!  Gina provides a plethora of recipes including everything from appetizers, to main courses, to desserts!  The best part is that she has already calculated the Weight Watcher's points for you.  All you have to do is follow the recipe, eat the serving size, and then log in your points.  How simple is that?!  I absolutely LOVE it! 

On Sunday, I made the Petite Turkey Meatloaves.  I followed Gina's recipe, but when it came time to divide the mixture into four mini loaves, I divided it into five patties instead.  The meatloaves were 5 points apiece, so I calculated that the patties were only 4 points each.  Everyone in the family enjoyed their meal, and I was happy that we were all eating the same thing.  I think Gina's site will help me avoid burnout by providing me with delicious, healthy alternatives to just plain chicken.

Here is what I ate for dinner:

Meal Breakdown:

1 Turkey Burger ~ 4 pts

1 Healthy Life Whole Grain Sandwich Bun ~ 3 pts

8 Kroger Sweet Potato Crinkle Cut Fries ~ 2 pts

Total Points ~ 9

It was a pretty filling meal.  For Gina's Petite Turkey Meatloaves recipe, click here. 

You won't be disappointed!

~Hope