Cream of Broccoli Soup- Zero (0) points!!!!

I have been walking each morning with my next door neighbor. It is so nice to have a chat while getting some great exercise. She is a WW lifetime member and has shared so many great tips with me. Today she gave me the recipe for Cream of Broccoli Soup... LOVE IT!! She said it is a zero point recipe... so eat up and enjoy. It is really good!!!

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

Ingredients: 3 cans fat free chicken broth (however I seem to use more)
1 pkg. (2 lbs) bag of frozen broccoli (chopped)
3/4 c. diced carrots (again I use more)
1 sm. onion chopped
2 pkgs Pioneer no fat country gravy mix (I always have to hunt for this stuff) Bi-lo's usually has it or Food Lion. The no fat is extremely hard to find but for zero points it's important.
Add carrots and onions to broth, simmer until softened, add broccoli. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix gravy according to directions when soup comes to a boil add 2 cups of water then stir gravy into soup slowly (it will thicken) cook until heat through. You may find you will need to add a little chicken broth into the mixture if needed. That's it!

First Day Back to....

well for the kids it's back to school. For me it's back to routine and as far as my healthy lifestyle, routine is good. I did cry this morning (I always cry the first day back).. I really miss them and each year they are more fun to be around all summer. This year is hard. My oldest is a senior and all I could think about is next year I won't be there on her first day of class to take her picture... well I guess I could be she may kill me!! I can't believe how fast she has grown.. I am very proud of her!

Got everyone out the door and then ate cantaloupe (from my garden) and some fiber one yogurt with some granola. My neighbor is a WW lifetime member and walks everyday, so I asked her if I could join her once school started. 3 miles and 45 minutes later I was sweating like a pig (already 92 at 10 am) and felt great!!!

Looks like a quiet afternoon, catch up on some chores and be a little lazy- I feel like I deserve it!! The afternoon/evening rush will be here soon enough!

In scale news, I am down another 1.6 pounds as of this morning- Weigh in Friday should be a good one!!! Hope all of you are enjoying your day as much as I am enjoying mine.

"Healthified" Peach Cobbler

It's peach season and I can't wait to try this!!!

"Healthified" Peach Cobbler
from eat better america

What is "Healthified"?
We've replaced ingredients with great-tasting alternatives to create better-for-you recipes that are just as yummy as the original.
Substitution
If fresh peaches are available, use 4 cups sliced peeled peaches instead of the canned peaches. Or, you can use a 16-oz bag of frozen sliced peaches, thawed.
Did You Know?
The lemon juice used in this recipe adds a little sparkle that perks up the peach flavor.


5 ratings - Click to rate39% fewer calories • 57% less fat • 95% less sat fat fat than the original recipe. Cobbler like mom used to make – now healthified for more health-conscious times. You’ll feel just peachy!

Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:1 hr 30 min
makes:6 servings

1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup fat-free (skim) milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 can (29 oz) peach slices in light syrup, drained
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish, stir Bisquick mix and cinnamon. Stir in milk and oil with wire whisk or fork until blended.

2. In medium bowl, mix sugar, peaches and lemon juice. Spoon over batter in baking dish.

3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand about 20 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with ice cream.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 280 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 49g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 35g); Protein 3g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 15%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3 MyPyramid Servings: 2 tsp Fats & Oils, 1/2 c Fruits *% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Garden Blessing!!!

Wow! I haven't had a garden in 4 years an d I really missed it! We are up to our ears in tomatoes and cucumbers, the watermelon and cantaloupe are almost ready. I think I have gotten rid of most of the squash bugs and the new crop of zucchini is coming. They killed all of my beautiful plants from the first planting but with diligence I am keeping up with it. I can't seem to get rid of them any other way but to use duct tape to remove their eggs from my plant leaves. I usually find a couple while I am doing this, they get the duct tape too... YUCK!! I swear they multiply like rabbits, every time I catch one I actually catch two... if you know what I mean.. Apparently Squash bugs have a very healthy libido!! They are trying to spread to my pumpkins. Anyone have anything great to get rid of them? I tried using sevin, it works some but I hate to use it when the flowers are blooming because it says it will kill an entire nest of bees if anyone of them gets contaminated. I wonder if that is why the bees are disappearing?

So I was down last week 2.8 pounds and should be down another 2 this week!! YAY!!! Between the great veggies and all of the fresh, super sweet super juicy peaches we have right now, I don't have any room for any other food!!! So I am grateful for this time of year- it is wonderful to have such filling satisfying food- a lot of which I grew myself.

From weight watchers website... MMMM GOOD!

Summer Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder



POINTS® Value: 4Servings: 4Preparation Time: 20 minCooking Time: 15 minLevel of Difficulty: EasyWorks with Simply Filling

Sweet summer corn can't be beat. Highlight it in this chowder along with buttery Yukon Gold potatoes and smoky Canadian bacon.

Ingredients

1 medium Yukon Gold potato(es)
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1/2 cup(s) celery, chopped
1/4 cup(s) onion(s), chopped (or 1 large shallot)
4 piece(s) corn on the cob, kernels removed with a knife
1 cup(s) sweet red pepper(s), diced
4 oz Canadian-style bacon, diced
2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Instructions

Pierce potato in several places with a fork; microwave on high power until tender, turning over once, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool; peel and mash.
Meanwhile, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, corn and red pepper; sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Stir bacon and milk into saucepan; stir in mashed potato and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; stir to combine. Cover and simmer 10 minutes (do not allow to boil). Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Notes
Feel free to substitute your favorite fresh vegetables like asparagus and broccoli for the red pepper. Or to save time, substitute 2 cups of frozen corn and 1 cup of frozen, diced bell pepper for the fresh corn and red pepper.

WW Banana Berry Smoothie

I got this recipe in my email from weight watchers today. I tried it and the only thing I changed was adding some splenda and ice. It was really great, you could always substitute the milk choice with soy or almond, and I also used the greek yogurt- just seems creamier! Enjoy


1 small banana (or 1/2 large banana)
1/4 cup raspeberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup plain fat free yogurt
1 cup skim milk
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
2 packets of splenda

4 points

Put everything in the blender and blend 15-20 seconds... I also like to add 1/2 cup of ice to make it frosty...