Special Occations.... hmmmmmm

Snow, snow, go away! Don't come back... until NOVEMBER!!! :)
I hope all is well with y'all today. Are you getting geared up for the spring holidays? Easter is right around the corner. At our home, half of us have birthdays within a few weeks of each other. This is a time of year when there is a lot of celebrating and eating out. This week in our meetings, we will be discussing some great ways to help us through those special occasions. Come on out and take 45 minutes of your week to really get some great strategies for navigating these fun times :)
...And for some dining out tips and techniques check out this article from WeightWatchers.com

Multi-Grain Pancakes with Canadian Bacon and Maple Syrup

POINTS® Value: 7 Servings: 6

Ingredients

	1 cup(s) whole wheat flour
	2 tsp whole wheat flour
	1/2 cup(s) rolled oats
	1/2 cup(s) uncooked cornmeal
	2 tsp baking powder
	1/2 tsp table salt
	3 large egg white(s)
	3 tbsp canola oil
	2/3 cup(s) maple syrup, divided
	1 3/4 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
	6 oz Canadian-style bacon, thinly sliced

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine all of flour, oats, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; mix well and set aside.
  
  
• In another bowl, lightly beat egg whites until frothy but not stiff. Add oil, 1/4 cup of maple syrup and milk; mix thoroughly.
  
  
• Pour egg mixture into flour mixture; mix until just combined.
  
  
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (or heat a griddle to about 350°F to 375°F). Drop batter by 2 tablespoons onto skillet (or griddle) and cook until bubbles on surface of pancakes start to pop; flip pancakes and finish cooking, about 3 to 4 minutes total. As you finish each batch of pancakes, set them aside in an oven-proof dish in a warm oven (200°F) until ready to serve. Repeat with remaining batter.
  
  
• Warm Canadian bacon slices in skillet (or on griddle).
  
  
• To serve, stack four pancakes on each of 6 plates, top each with 1 ounce of bacon and then drizzle each serving with about 1 tablespoon of syrup.

The Dining Out Dilemma!

I think it is snowing outside! I am pretty sure that the first day of spring was on Friday :) Spring in the Rocky Mountains, who knows what the weather will bring?
Dining out has become a major part of our culture these days. I think most of us can remember when eating out was a rare and infrequent treat. Now a days restaurants are providing many of us more meals than we prepare ourselves. It is important for us to learn how to deal with dining out. We need to be able to make great choices. Don't miss this weeks meeting. It is all about learning how to manage eating out. There are some really great ways to help us ensure that our restaurant trips don't under mind our weight loss goals!
Hey- for the cooks out there, remember that there are some really simple ingredient swaps that can bring the POINTS values down in many of our favorite recipes.

Ingredient Swap

Here are a few ingredients that you can swap for a lower POINT value one. There is virtually no difference when using the light versions of these favorites. The Fat Free versions are nigh undetectable in many recipes. A little experimentation is really useful. You will find that some ingredients are not worth changing, while others don't make the least bit of a difference.

Sour Cream:
Regular 14 POINTS per cup
Light 7.5 POINTS per cup
Fat free 3.5 POINTS per cup

Cream of "Whatever" Soup:
Regular 8 POINTS per can
98% Fat Free 3.5 POINTS per can

Cream Cheese:
Regular 22.5 POINTS per 8 oz pkg
Light 12.5 POINTS per 8 oz pkg
Fat Free 4.5 POINTS per 8 oz pkg

Cheddar Cheese:
1 Cup 12 POINTS
1 C low fat 8 POINTS
1 C fat free 3.5 POINTS

Mayonnaise (Best Food's or Hellman's):
Regular 42 POINTS per cup
Light 19 POINTS per cup
Reduced Fat 9 POINTS per cup
Fat free 3.5 POINTS per cup

Funeral Potatoes
Regular 9 POINTS per serving
Using the light substitutions 5 POINTS per serving
Using the fat free substitutions 4 POINTS per serving

The Poor Pizza Guy ;)

Feeding Your "Soul" - Not Your Taste Buds

Hi Everyone!
I am so sorry that it has been so long since I have sent out an email. I hope everyone is well :) I am just loving this spring-like weather and even the day staying lighter longer. I do have to confess that I took the time change quite personally and have not adjusted to the missing hour of morning sleep ;)
Did you love the meeting this last week? Activity is just plain VERY IMPORTANT. How we eat is totally #1, but as I say all the time, if there could be another #1, it would be activity. Take time to fit in a bit of activity nearly everyday. Even if you need to start with just a few minutes, THAT IS GREAT!!! Just get moving and over time you will be getting in your 30 minutes, most days of the week. Take it from the Queen of the Couch Potatoes, activity is the BEST THING EVER!!! I never thought I would say that, but I can now and I mean it 100%!
Now this week is something we all need to be reminded of often and work on. We all have needs and many of us have learned to feed all of them with something from the fridge ;) Come in this week and learn some tricks and tips to staying out of the pantry and really helping ourselves to feel better! I can't wait to see you!!!

Grilled Chicken Tostadas Lynda Broadbent
Marinade-
½ C lime juice
¼ C soy sauce
1 T honey
2 t minced garlic
1 ½ t chili powder
Tostadas-
6 BS chicken thighs or breasts
8 small corn tortillas
1 ½ C shredded lettuce
Optional toppings- Cheese, guacamole, sour cream, olives, cilantro, green onions
Instructions:
Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-size zip-lock bag and add all the marinade ingredients. Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken, place it in a bowl, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight), turning the bag occasionally. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to start grilling. Prepare a charcoal fire or set a gas grill to medium-high, close the lid, and heat until hot -- about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the thighs from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until it's no longer pink inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side on a gas grill. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it into 1/2-inch strips. Spray both sides of the tortillas with vegetable oil spray. Grill them on each side until they turn slightly brown, about 1 minute on a gas grill. Before removing the tortillas from the grill, sprinkle each one with 1 tablespoon of cheese. To serve, layer the tortillas with shredded lettuce, the chicken strips, the remaining cheese, and any additional toppings. Serves 6 (4 pts) to 8 (3 pts) You will need to add points for any of the optional toppings.

To DIE For Cherry Brownies
2 pkg, Hershey's Kisses Brownie Mix (2 - 1 lbs 4 oz mixes) Costco has a 6 pack
1 - 15 oz can black beans w/ liquid, pureed in the blender
4 egg whites
¼ C water
12 oz frozen cherries, cut in half (about 2 ½ C)
Puree beans in the blender with their juice, and the ¼ C water. Once pureed, add the egg whites and blend to incorporate. Pour blender contents into a bowl with the brownie mix. Mix until just moistened. Fold in Cherries. Do not over mix. Bake in a large 9x13 (10¼ x 15¼), greased baking dish, for 40 min, 375 degrees, and 10 min with the oven off. Cut into 32 squares (4x8). 3 POINTS per brownie ( vs. 5 POINTS w/o modifications)