My Eating Clean Journey

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My Trip Back to Weight Watchers

That’s it.  I did it….again.  I joined Weight Watchers.  Out of all the programs I have ever followed, I have found Weight Watchers to be the easiest to follow and I’ve always had success with it.  Plus I have about 10 20 50 100 Weight Watcher Cookbooks and although they change their points program on an almost yearly basis, they have their nutritional info included on each recipe.  That makes it easy to convert to the new SmartPoints Program.

Week one has finished and I’m down 5.4 pounds.  With the new SmartPoints plan fruits and vegetables that you chew (compared to drink), don’t have any points value – so you can eat as many as you’d like.  Bravo!  I have been so impressed at how much I can eat and how big a serving portion is.  Me and the SmartPoints Program are now best friends.

When I joined Weight Watchers online I received a Welcome Kit and included in that is the most-amazing-cookbook-ever, “Fresh & Easy”.  All recipes are for 1 or 2 servings and they give you tips on how to use your leftover ingredients.  I am a BIG one on meal planning and as I sit down and create my menu for the week, I use my cookbooks as my guide.  Having the tips in this cookbook helped with pairing meals, one after the other, so I could use up the ingredients.

Here are some of the items from the Cookbook that I cooked this last week.

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Butternut Bulgur Chili – One Serving is 4 Smart Points

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Spanish Chicken with Chorizo Rice – Each Serving is 8 Smart Points

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Garden-Style Penne with Sausage and Ricotta – 6 SmartPoints

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Prosciutto-and-Mozzarella Panzanella Salad – 9 SmartPoints

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Italian Turkey Burger with Crispy Oven Fries – 9 SmartPoints

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Turkish Meatballs with Yogurt-Pomegranate Sauce – 9 SmartPoints

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All of the recipes for these dishes can be found in the Fresh and Easy Cookbook by Weight Watchers.  

 

Chicken Apple Sausage Patties

I posted a photo of my Chicken Apple Sausage patties on Instagram (and Facebook) and a few people have contacted me for the recipe.  It’s perfect for Phase 2 of the hcg/Omni Drops Program.  When you cook it, just add some water, not oil, to soak up all those awesome cooked bits in the pan and give your patties that nice golden color.  I sauteed some cabbage with the patties.

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chickenapplesausage

 

Chicken Apple Sausage
Phase 2 Approved
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Ingredients
  1. 4oz ground chicken breast
  2. 2 tablespoons minced apple
  3. 1 serving Melba toast crumbs (optional)
  4. 2 tablespoons chicken broth or water
  5. 2 tablespoons apple juice
  6. 1 tablespoon finely minced onion
  7. Dash of garlic powder
  8. Dash of onion powder
  9. Dash of cinnamon
  10. Dash of clove or nutmeg (optional)
  11. Dash of cayenne to taste
  12. Stevia to taste (optional)
  13. Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine ground chicken, diced apple, and dry spices in a small bowl. Add in the minced onion and apple juice and mix thoroughly. Form into 2-3 round patties and fry in chicken broth until fully cooked and lightly brown. Deglaze periodically with a little water to intensify the flavors and keep the patties moist.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Chicken and Asparagus Bake

Asparagus is awesome.  If you haven’t had a chance to try it yet, please do.  This recipe is super easy, cooks/bakes in only 30 minutes and gives you that “comfort food” feel.

chicken asparagus bake

 

Chicken and Asparagus Bake
Serves 1
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Ingredients
  1. 4oz cubed chicken
  2. Asparagus chopped
  3. ½ cup chicken broth or water
  4. 1 Melba toast or Wasa cracker crushed (optional)
  5. 1 clove garlic crushed and minced
  6. 2 tablespoons onion chopped
  7. Dash of paprika
  8. Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place chicken, asparagus, liquids, and spices and pour into small baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Top with crushed Melba toast crumbs and sprinkle with paprika.
Notes
  1. Omni Drops Phase 2 Recipe. If you're making it for the whole family, just double, triple or quadruple the recipe.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/


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Spicy Orange Chicken and Asparagus

I originally posted the Spicy Orange Chicken recipe on April 24th and last night we enjoyed it again for supper.  This time I included asparagus with it and added in a chopped jalapeno (may not be on your particular protocol for the Omni Drops).

This morning I’m on R3P2D10 (My 3rd round, phase 2, on day 10) and I’m down 11.2 pounds.  Last night I had a little slip up.  What is it about going for a ride on a beautiful summer evening that makes you crave a soft serve ice cream?  I broke down last night and enjoyed one.  It was so good.  Ice cream is my biggest weakness and it’s what I crave all the time.  I haven’t found a good substitute but would love some suggestions.  Right now the only way to not give in is to just not go for our evening ride to enjoy the sunset on the lake.

spicy orange chicken asparagus 2

spicy orange chicken asparagus

 

Spicy Orange Chicken and Asparagus

Round 3 and a Hamburger Stew Recipe

Last weekend my husband and I loaded for our third round on the Omni Drops Program.  I was so ready to get back on track and start losing weight again.  I completed phase 3 over a month ago but had to hold off on starting another round until after our cruise on the Carnival Splendor out of NYC.  I wanted to enjoy the cruise, especially the food, and not worry about what’s approved to eat and what isn’t.  I’m happy to report that after 10 days of indulgence, I only gained 4 pounds.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much ice cream I consumed on the cruise.  

Now that we’re home we’re back on track.  Time to start losing again.  Last week was my first week and I lost 9.2 pounds while my husband lost 11 pounds.  Omni Drops are truly a fantastic program.  Many people look at the approved food list and feel that there isn’t enough variety.  I definitely disagree with that and I hope that my blog is helping some of you out with additional options.  One of my favorite recipes is so quick to make and includes one of your fruit servings for the day – Hamburger Stew.

hamburger stew 2

 

 

Hamburger Stew
Serves 1
Phase 2 friendly for the Omni Drops Program
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Ingredients
  1. 4 oz ground beef (hamburg)
  2. 3 oz tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned - no sugar added)
  3. 1 apple, peeled and chopped
  4. 1 oz spinach
  5. 2 squirts of mustard (spicy brown is okay to use also)
  6. salt, pepper and cayenne, to taste
Instructions
  1. Brown the ground beef in a small pot. Add in the tomatoes, apple and mustard. Mix and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the spinach and cook until wilted (about 1 min). Add salt, pepper and cayenne. Serve.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowl with Lime Nut Sauce

If you have never tried Spaghetti Squash, you don’t know what you’re missing.  It’s so versatile and you can treat it just like you would any other pasta.  It’s a great low-carb, gluten-free alternative but even if you aren’t following a special diet, give it a try.  You’ll be thanking me.  

If you need steps on how to bake one, stop by my blog post on that.

spaghetti squash noodle bowl collage

Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowl with Lime Nut Sauce
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 large spaghetti squash
  2. 2 cups of kale, chopped
  3. 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
  4. 3 T sesame seeds
  5. 2 T basil, chopped
  6. 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets, steamed
  7. salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the spaghetti squash on it bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes, to cool. When it's cool enough to handle, cut the squash in half and remove the seeds from the inside and discard. Take a fork and scrape the "strands" from the inside of the squash. Place in a bowl. Add the kale on top of the squash so the steam can slightly wilt the kale.
  3. Toss the squash and kale together and divide evenly into four serving bowls. Top each bowl with 1/2 of the cauliflower, sesame seeds, basil and shallots.
  4. Drizzle with the Lime Nut Sauce and serve.
Notes
  1. low-carb, paleo, phase 3 Omni Drops Program
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/
peanut sauce ingredients

 

Lime Nut Sauce
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 tsp ginger, dried (or 1/2" of fresh, peeled and minced)
  2. 2 tsp of garlic (or 2 cloves, peeled and minced)
  3. 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
  4. 2 T almond butter
  5. 1 lime, juiced
  6. 1 T apple cider vinegar
  7. 2 packets of Sweetleaf Stevia
  8. 1 1/2 T Bragg's Liquid Aminos
  9. 1 tsp sesame oil
  10. 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a blender and blend. Serve on top of the Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowl or as a salad dressing.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Eggplant Parmigiana Low-Carb Style #EatClean

The last two years I have been growing Eggplants in my garden.  This past weekend we started the planning process of our garden for this year and again, we’ll be planting many varieties of eggplants.  Yesterday I planted radishes and spinach.  Growing your own vegetables and being so close and in semi-control of your own produce (I need to give Mother Nature part of the credit), is a great feeling.  I can’t wait until July through September when I can pick my vegetable for my dinner and minutes later be enjoying it on my plate.

Today’s recipe is spotlighting these magnificent, purple vegetables called the eggplant.  We’ve all heard of Eggplant Parmigiana but this recipe won’t be coated with a thick high-carb bread crumb, instead I used crushed almonds to give it that nice crunchy, yumminess (is that a word?).

 

eggplant parmigiana

 

Eggplant Parmigiana Low-Carb Style
Serves 4
Low-Carb, Phase 3 of Omni Drops Program
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Ingredients
  1. 2 large eggplants
  2. 2 eggs
  3. 4oz finely grated parmesan
  4. 4oz almonds, finely chopped or ground
  5. 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  6. 2-4 T Coconut oil
  7. salt and pepper, to taste
  8. 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  9. 3 scallions, chopped
  10. 1 T cilantro, minced
Instructions
  1. Slice eggplants lenthwise. Sprinkle sea salt onto the slices and set aside for 30 minutes to help draw out some of the moisture from the eggplants. Using a paper towel, wipe the eggplants to remove the water and some of the sea salt.
  2. Using a whisk, mix the eggs and the salt and pepper in a deep plate. Mix the cheese, almond and garlic in another deep plate.
  3. Heat the 2T of the coconut oil in a pan. Dip the eggplants into the egg mixture and then into the dry ingredients, until well coated. Place them into the hot skillet and fry on both sides until they are a golden brown. You may need to add extra coconut oil after your first batch.
  4. While they are cooking; mix the tomatoes, scallions and cilantro in a small bowl.
  5. Top the golden brown eggplants with the tomato salsa and serve immediately.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Thoughts on Self Image and Zucchini Pizza

I’ve always heard that the negative thoughts in your head could harm you and harm your weight loss efforts.  I think there is another type of thought you can have that can also possibly cause you harm – thoughts that you aren’t as big as you really are.  Now that I’ve lost 44 pounds and I look at myself in the mirror, I still can’t believe I’ve lost 44 pounds.  I feel like I currently look like what I have always thought I looked like.  Imagine if someone who is severely obese doesn’t recognize that it’s gotten that bad.  That was me.  Even more unusual is the thought that once you’re obese, it’s hard to picture yourself anything but that.  I know I still have a ways to go to hit my goal weight and I should be celebrating the weight loss that I’ve already lost (went from a size 20 to a size 14 pant) but I still look at myself as being obese, therefore I find it semi-hard to celebrate my weight loss.  I wonder if I’ll ever not categorize myself as not obese, even when I’m at my goal.

I’d love to hear from others who have gone from being severely obese (also known as morbidly obese) to being at their goal weight.  What are the thoughts in your head?  How do you push through and stop looking at yourself as being fat?

 

zucchini crust

 

Yesterday was Friday and in the past we’d celebrate it with ordering pizza.  Now that we can’t do that, I decided to make our own pizza with the crust made from zucchinis.  It was so delicious and just as good as our cauliflower crust pizza.

You can top your pizza with whatever you’d like but in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo coming up, I went with a Mexican themed pizza.

mexican pizza with zucchini crust

Zucchini Pizza Crust
Serves 4
A great low-carb option for a pizza crust. If you're following the Omni Drops Program, it's for Phase 3.
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Ingredients
  1. 2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 2 cups)
  2. 2 eggs
  3. 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet or pizza stone with parchment paper.
  3. Shred your zucchini. With your hands, squeeze the zucchini to remove excess water. Add the eggs and cheese; mix well. Your hands work really well for this step.
  4. Spread the "dough" onto the pan/stone making sure you spread it evenly. If the middle is thicker than the ends, the ends could burn before the middle is cooked. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is cooked. Remove from oven and top with your desired toppings.
Notes
  1. Depending on your toppings, oven times will vary for putting it back in the oven. I topped mine with Pepperjack Cheese and Taco Meat and baked it for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top with shredded lettuce, scallions, tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Cinco de Mayo Roundup with #Foodelicious – Spaghetti Squash Taco

Are you following the Omni Drops Program or another low-carb diet and wondering what you’re going to enjoy on Cinco de Mayo (May 5th)?  This recipe is phase 3 friendly.  I love Mexican food and have really missed eating it while following this plan.  Last week a friend of mine shared this recipe with me and I knew I had to make it.  If you haven’t tried Spaghetti Squash yet, you must.  I love it and it’s a great alternative to spaghetti or just any carb in general. In this dish I layer the spaghetti squash, taco meat, tomatoes, onions, peppers and pepperjack cheese.  Enjoy and please let me know if you make this and what your opinion was.  I love comments.  🙂

Also, don’t forget to check out the other great Mexican inspired dishes below.

Spaghetti Squash Taco

Spaghetti Squash Taco
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with this Mexican inspired low-carb dish
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Ingredients
  1. 1 Spaghetti Squash
  2. 1lb Ground Beef
  3. 1 Tomato, diced
  4. 1/2 Onion, diced
  5. 1/2 cup, Pepperjack cheese, shredded
  6. Jalapeno pepper (or other type of pepper), diced
  7. 2T Taco Seasoning
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the spaghetti squash on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for about 15 minutes or until it's cool enough to handle. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Using a fork, shred the squash into threads that look like spaghetti.
  2. Cook the ground beef in a pan until browned. Add in the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water. Mix well and remove from heat.
  3. Layer the squash, taco meat, tomatoes, onions, peppers and cheese. Top with Cilantro (optional)
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

cinco clip art

My #Foodelicious friends and I all got together to show you some other great Mexican dishes you can enjoy on Cinco de Mayo.  Be sure to jump along to and visit all of them.  Friend them on facebook, follow them on Pinterest or sign up for their newsletters to stay in touch with them and their other delicious recipes they share.

Beef Carnitas – Mooshu Jenne
Tequila Sunrise Jello Shots – I Love My Disorganized Life
Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers – Little Family Adventures
Roasted Vegetable Chili – Foody Schmoody
Spaghetti Squash Taco – My Eating Clean Journey
Potato Tostadas – Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen