Soup, Squash and whole grain GF bread

This is the same spinach soup I put on here before but we were out of black beans so I substituted kidney and I added 1 small zucchini chopped which I added into the chicken right at the end to get all those flavors before I added the chicken stock.  You can't hurt that soup it's so good.  Jeremy didn't even know the zucchini was in it!!  Then we roasted some squash in the oven with a little grapeseed oil over the top to keep soft.  My fave way to eat it! And the bread you see here is my Gluten Free bread that I baked into mini loaf pans so that the little slices are only 2pts WW each.  It is mostly oats, and brown rice flour, sweetened with honey.  If you want the recipe just email me at sashbillette@yahoo.com and I'll shoot it to you.

Quesadilla and Grilled Chicken salad

Talk about easy.  Grabbed a pack of the pre-grilled chicken I made yesterday from the freezer, made up a salad and took the fresh corn tortillas from costco in a pam sprayed skillet and cooked them then added cheese into middle and finished toasting and melting them together.  These have very little additives unlike the already cooked and packaged one on the shelf.  Costco has them for very cheap and they fill the house with a wonderful corn smell and they taste great.  You don't need more than oil than Pam to make these cooked, warm and comforting at 1 WW pt. each!!!

Faux Grilling to keep it juicy!!

So grilling makes everything taste better, but I don't like things dried out!!!  My favorite way to do chicken breast is place them in a 13x9 pan season them with garlic salt, pepper, (etc if you so desire) and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for 50-60 min. depending on size of breast.  Then I get the grill pan on the stove super hot and spray with pam.  I place the bottoms on first to get off the juices they were sitting in and then flip just till I get those grill lines.  It adds the smokiness and they are still moist and tender and delicious.  Our new fave way to eat the zucchini on the grill is the same.  I steam them and then paint lightly with and olive oil garlic salt mixture and put on the grill.  Super yummy!!!. I'll usually use the brush with leftover olive oil garlic salt mixture and just lightly brush a little on my steamed potatoes and its just enough for them to be scrumptious.   But I don't stop there.  I cooked three times the amount of chicken, grill and sliced them and put them in packs in a larger bag into the freezer to make life easy the rest of the week for salads etc.  Oh yeah!!!

Stuffed peppers

We made stuffed green peppers tonight.  Now my Aunt showed up late so the Cotija cheese is a little over browned, but it tasted great besides.  The traditional way to make these is horrid.  Put stuff in and hope it cooks all the way.  NO THANKS!! :)  I put on one cup of rice in the rice cooker with 1 tsp. Turmeric and 2 tsp. Cumin. and started on the rest.  I just cut up a softball size onion and sauted in a couple Tbls. of olive oil.     Added about six chopped cloves of garlic.  Added in 2 Tbls. Cumin, 1 tsp. Coriander.  When onions started to be translucent and get some browned color put in 1 large carrot shredded and stirred into mix and then put mix into a bowl and in the same pan threw in the 2lbs. hamburger.  This was a fattier cut from local cows that we get from our neighbor for very inexpensive and antibiotic/hormone free so worth this next step I did.  After the meat was browned I poured it into a colander in the sink and rinsed it with hot water.  This essentially makes for fat free red meat.  I would only do this when doing a highly seasoned recipe like this so you aren't asking.."Where's the beef?"  I then put it back into the hot skillet to dry it out for a min and dump in the yummy onion mixture. Then I added two tomatoes chopped, and a can of low sodium beef broth.  Then I tasted and added more garlic salt, pepper, cumin, and red pepper flake to taste. I simmered the meat mixture for about 10 min. and added in the finished rice.  Stuffed them into hollowed peppers to a half inch over, stuffed extra mix around the peppers to help them stay up and sprinkled Cotija cheese over the top and cooked in a 350 degree oven for an hour and a half. put on bottom rack to prevent my browed cheese up there..lol.  Each pepper is under 170 calories and is only 7pts. WW.

Fajitas ...so good.

Made yummy Fajitas tonight to use up the rest of the fresh tortillas.

We started by salt and peppering, and browning a pork roast and cooking in the pressure cooker.  These are awesome and make it easy to make inexpensive cuts of meat moist and easy to use.  But most people would cut up grilled chicken breast or get the cut pre-grilled strips from the freezer section to really save time.  We just don't have that option because of all the allergies in this house. My mom can't even have soy or artifitial flavors. I just halved onions and cut into strips and started cooking in a Wok on med/high heat in a few Tbls. of Olive oil.   Then I added 2 Tbls. Cumin, 1tsp. ground coriander, 1tsp. chilli powder, 1/2 tsp. Chipoltle powder, and 1 Tbls. Garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  Stirring into the onions until they were getting soft.  Then added frozen veggies from Costco and stirred.  Then I put on low and deglazed the pan with about a cup of broth from the pressure cooker and added 1 tsp of sour cream just to give the sauce some body.  I heated our cast iron skillet on med and sprayed with pam just to cook the tortillas till browned and soft.  I sliced the meat and stirred into the veggie mix and served.   I'm telling you that the tortillas fresh in the refridgerator section are really worth it.

Half Veggie Half Meat Tacos

Okay, you may think I'm crazy, but everyone loved these bad boys and they are half ground beef half zucchini, tomato, onion, and garlic.  Mostly the zucchini.  Everyone devoured them and couldn't tell without looking what was lurking inside!!

The corn tortillas we used are fresh that we cooked in a small amount of oil. We found these beauties by the wonderful Cotija cheese that is crumbled over the top in the refrigerated section at Walmart with other Mexican food products.  They were so worth it having a wonderful strong corn flavor.  The meat is antibiotic/hormone free 85/15 ground chuck from Windor Farms.  I just paper toweled out the extra fat.  Take a big skillet, add 4 Tbls. Olive oil and on medium heat sweat out two large onions.  Once looking more translucent, add 5 large garlic cloves chopped and cook a couple min.  Push this to the sides and add two pounds low fat ground beef.  Add 2 Tbls. Cumin, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. Mexican oregano, 1 tps. black pepper course, and salt.  Break up and cook and mix in with onion mixture until cooked thoroughly.  Add two cans stewed tomatoes or one jar home canned stewed tomatoes drained.  Add half a bunch of cilantro chopped and stir and keep cooking.  Turn down heat a little while shredding 2-3 small zucchinis and add to meat and stir and cook.  Crumble Cotija cheese with hands into a bowl.  Chop tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, etc.  My three tacos above were 15pts.  And were AWESOME~~

Lasagna Night with old friends

We got to catch up with our old friends Tiffany and Ryan and their baby girl Ella, so we wanted to do something yummy for when they came over.  Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles, low fat Ricotta, and tons of shredded zucchini made this very healthy vegetarian lasagna.  The pork roast was awesome and the hit of the night was steamed zucchini halves brushed with olive oil garlic salt italian seasoning and pepper mix and sprinkled with Romano cheese and broiled until melted over the top!  Even Ella (9 mos.) was chowing down on the zucchini and her mom says she won't touch hers!!  Everyone loved it and couldn't believe there was zucchini in the lasagna.

In the ricotta I mixed two eggs, pepper and a lot of fresh basil sliced thinly. That was the layer I alternated with fresh marinara sauce I added to 8 chopped cloves of garlic and 4 cups of grated zucchini and cooked it down.  Super yummy with just a little Romano cheese melted over top at the end.  I made this the night before and covered with parchment paper and aluminum foil and then just popped it in the oven at 350 degrees an hour before our friends showed up.
This you'll want to figure out your own points for due to the differences in store bought sauces and homemade and brown rice pasta vrs. white etc.  But it was surprisingly low for me.  About 18pts for what's pictured above.

Psych night smothered Tamales!!

Smothered Tamales???  What??  Come on son!!!  Sorry, it's Psych night tonight. One of Jeremy and my mini dates weekly.  Atticus is tucked in and we watch one of our faves Psych.  What better dinner than smothered Chimichangas for Jeremy and GF SF smothered Tamales for me!! Oh yeah and I made them in half and hour.  Crazy you say?????  Nope...this is thanks to cooking days and freezes.  I cooked tamales one night and froze them up and Chimi's another night and froze and then today when I needed a quick fix for everyone here I heated them for a few in the micro put them in 9 x 9 in glass pans, poured over Verde salsa and sprinkled Tillamook pepper-jack cheese and Tillamook sharp cheddar over thees top and put in a 350 degree over for about half an hour.

All you have to do is pick up a bag of Masa in the Hispanic section of your supermarket made for Tamales and the recipe is right on it. (Spanish on one side and English on other) It is very easy especially if you make like three batches and freeze them for the next few months of easy grabs without the easy on lbs.

2 med Tamales  10pts
2oz. cheese        6pts
Salad                  0pts
Verde salsa         0pts
Ranch                 6pts
Psych'd Dinner    22pts

Lettuce Wrapped Sliders

We had lettuce wrapped sliders tonight! With carmelized onions, extra sharp Tillamook Cheese, tomatoes, baby pickles, Apple slices and Lays potato chips.  Super yummy!!!

2lbs. Natural anti-biotic free lean ground beef, shake in some garlic salt, pepper, and onion powder, and 1Tbls. Olive oil, and mix in by hand.  Form little pattys and cook on grillplate on stove or your preferred method.  Add 2Tbls. Olive oil to a large skillet and add 2 softball size onions chopped and cook stirring frequently till soft sweet and browned.  Build your burger on large green leaf lettuce and I put it into a wax paper bag to hold together.  Super yummy, super fast!

I had two wraps, one serving of Lays, and an apple and it came to 12pts.WW

This soup rocks for just about anyone!!! Spinach Soup!!!

Okay...this soup really is awesome.  Even my Veggie-shy Husband loves it.  It is low cal and only 2pts per cup on WW without the cheese.  The gluten free cornbread is my old standby of Bobs Red Mill GF cornbread mix, and is moist and dense and delish!  It's 5pts per serving and worth every point!!!


Spinach Soup
In a 12qt pan on med\high heat add three Tbls. Olive oil.  Add two softball size onions chopped and cook them for about seven min. stirring occasionally.  Add 4 large garlic cloves chopped and cook for 5 more min.      
Add two large breasts of  raw chicken chopped and cook thoroughly.
Then add two to three Jalapenos chopped finely and 2 Large carrots shredded and cook for 5 min more.  Add 2 Tbls. Thyme and 1 Tbls Oregano and salt and pepper.  Add 10 cans or equivalent of chicken broth and 1 can of black beans.  Bring to a boil on med heat.  Then add 3-4 large tomatoes chopped.  Bring to a boil again.  Turn off heat and add immediately 1 lb. of spinach and stir to incorporate gently.  This tastes even better the next day.  We love to garnish with fine shredded romano...but it's delish without!!  Salt and pepper to taste if needed.

1 Cup of this soup is 2pt. WW
1 oz. of Romano is    3pts WW
1/16 cornbread is      5pts WW   (above is an 8th of the pan and 10pts)

Old school spaghetti night

Old school spaghetti night!!!  Are you sure this is a diet????  Saved points for date night in with Jeremy.  Atticus slumbering made this a leisurely meal tasting better than most spots we could have gone in this town.

Half this plate was 21pts.  Not too shabby, especially topped with the balsamic reduction I made.  Trader Joes sure knows aged balsamic.

Dinner for two
Start salted water boiling.  Add 8oz. Tinkyada Brown Rice Spaghetti pasta and stir.  Then start your sauce.
Med high heat skillet, add 3 Tbls. Olive oil. Put in about 3 to 4 cups of grape or cherry tomatoes.  Let them cook till they pop and their juices come out.  About five min.  Then add salt and pepper and four large garlic cloves sliced thin.  Stir and turn heat to low.  Stir pasta.  In a small saucepan add 4 Tbls. of aged balsamic vinegar on med. heat, and cook about 5-7 min. until a little thicker.  Take off heat and set aside.  When pasta is done, drain and plate.  Then add 1 Cup of torn fresh basil to tomatoes and stir.  Remove from heat.  Add tomato mixture on top of pasta and add fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.  Then drizzle reduction over top.

My dinner portion was ;
4oz. pasta              11pts
1.5 Tbls. oil            4pts
tomatoes                0pts
Basil                       0pts
Romano 2oz           6pts
Garlic                     0pts
Date night dinner=   21pts

Tostada Night

I love Tostadas!!!!!   Tonight we needed quick, so this is pretty easy.  Plus we cooked extra meat and put in fridge for easy taco salads etc. for everyone to eat lunches for tomorrow.

Homemade taco meat
2 lbs  85/15 ground beef
1 (softball size) large onions
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbls Ground Cumin
2 teasp. Ground coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
2 small tomatoes chopped up small for meat
2 Tbls. Cilantro (dried) or 1/2 cup chopped fine
1 teasp Garlic powder
Then tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro to top.

In a large skillet on med/med high heat add 2-3 Tbls. EVOO.  Add chopped onions and sweat down for about 5 min.  Add meat and spices and cook till browned.  Add tomato and fresh Cilantro if using and cook another 5min or so on med. heat.

1 cup of meat mix        7pts
2 tostada shells            4pts
1 oz. cheese                3pts
chop tomato                0pts
baby leaf lettuce          0pts
2 teasp sour cream      1pts
Dinner=                       15pts

Leftovers open faced Sammie

So, here is an example of leftovers making my life easy.  This is a sun dried tomato Aidelle Sausage one of the three I cooked a couple nights ago. Makes life easy!!

So ...Rice Cake            1pt                                          
 1/2 an avocado            4pts                                        
1 Aidelle sausage          5pts                                        
1 Babybel Semisoft       2pts                                        
2 50 cent size tomatoes 0pts
salt                                0pts
1 honey crisp apple
thinly sliced                   0pts
Lunch=                       12pts  

 So just cube and scoop out avocado and salt and
  stir together with cut up tomato.  Spread onto rice
  cake.  Slice babybel and sausage and stack.  And
  it's so worth thinly slicing the apple, tons of cruch!

Dinners Salads with Jeremy

Dinner tonight with Jeremy.  (Costco grapefruits rock, by the way.  We got mangos from there all packaged so they weren't bruised the other day.  It was awesome.)  Jeremy had salad with cheese and a ton of sunflower seeds...he loves this. I on the other hand love this one as of late.

Salad greens 0pts
Tomatoes 0pts
1oz Cheese 3pts
1/4 cup pistachio nuts 5pts
2Tbls. Hidden Valley Ranch 5pts
Grapefruit with Truvia 0pts
Dinner=13pts total.

Yummy Aidells GF SF Hormone Free Nitrate Free sausage

So yummy!!!!  Made three kinds.  Each sausage is 4-5pts.  Steamed large potatoe 7pts. Steamed Carrots 0pts.  Salad 0pts. Ranch dressing 6pts.  This is a larger meal than I eat usually but eat small and sometimes and have a warm comfort meal.  So 17-18Pts., for a nice meal.

Gluten Free Sugar Free Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake Recipe GF Low Sugar

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
3/4 cup finely chopped GF Pecan Sandies Cookies
2 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
1 1/3 cups Truvia Baking blend or Truvia
5 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup GF all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:
Crust Directions:
1. Mix all nuts and GF cookie crumbs with melted butter and press into a 9 inch buttered springform pan, trying to line the sides as much as possible about 1 1/2" up the sides of the pan, set aside.
Cheesecake Directions:
1. All the filling ingredients should be at room temperature.
2. Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy with an electric mixer set on low (keep the setting at low during the entire mixing process).
3. Add the Truvia a little at a time and continue beating until creamy.
4. Add one egg at a time and beat after each egg.
5. Add  GF flour, vanilla and lemon juice, mix well.
6. Add the sour cream and beat well.
7. Pour cream cheese mixture into the springform pan.
8. Place on the top rack in the middle of a 325 degree F preheated oven for one hour and 15 minutes.
9. When time is up turn oven off, prop open oven door and leave in oven for one hour.
10. Remove from oven and let cool then refrigerate for 24 hours.
11. Remember this important tip : A cheesecake should season. The wait is worth it. The flavor ripens and becomes enriched.

Gluten Free Sugar Free Chocolate cake from black beans!!!

Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake  (Cut into 18 slices 13pts per slice Weight Watchers)
Adapted from a recipe at LowCarbFriends
Makes a 9″ one layer cake
Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR coconut oil
3/4 cup erythritol + 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract
OR 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey + 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1 1/4 cup Splenda (using Splenda is not recommended)
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon water (omit if using honey)

Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract (in place of 2 teaspoons vanilla)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9″ cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.
Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or honey) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving
~58g net carbs for the whole cake using erythritol/stevia.
~6g net carbs per 1/10th
~126g net carbs for the whole cake using honey/stevia.
~13g net carbs per 1/10th


Refined Sugar Free REAL Buttercream frosting
Ingredients:

• ¾ c. sucanat or organic cane sugar (you could use honey or maple syrup too — just follow the directions but skip the water)
• ¼ c. filtered water
• 2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks (room temperature)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 lb. unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

You will need:

• Large glass bowl (or stainless steel bowl from a stand mixer)
• Stand mixer or hand-held mixer with whisk attachment
• Small saucepan
• Candy thermometer

Directions:
Gather up all your supplies now, because you won’t have time to do it as this is happening.  The temperature of the eggs and butter is very important, so set them out ahead of time.  A stand mixer will make this quite a bit easier, but it is possible to do it with a hand mixer — I did.
In your saucepan, add your sugar and your water.  I wanted a “pure” vanilla flavor, so I’m using organic cane sugar.  I have used sucanat before too and it is yummy, it just adds a definite “flavor” to it.  Attach your candy thermometer to the pot so that it is in the sugar but not touching the bottom.  Turn it on medium high.  Do not stir.

Meanwhile, add your eggs and yolks to a large glass bowl and add a pinch of salt, maybe 1/8 tsp. if you like measuring.  I don’t.

While your sugar syrup is cooking, whip your eggs until they are thick, quadrupled in volume, and almost gelatinous — they should form very soft peaks, though because of the yolks they will never be a “meringue.”  This is okay.

You are waiting for your syrup to reach 240 degrees, the “softball” stage.  Watch the thermometer.  Mine’s not quite there in the picture below, but almost.  This process took 15 – 20 minutes.

When your sugar syrup reaches 240, remove the candy thermometer.  If using a stand mixer, turn it on low so it’s constantly beating the eggs.  If not, then grab your hand mixer in one hand and turn it on (in the eggs, please, so there’s not a mess!) and grab the pot handle in the other hand.  You are going to pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl.

Notice how close to the edge I am.  This is important.  Running it down the side lets it cool off slightly before hitting the eggs, making it less likely to cook them.  It prevents it from splashing up and burning you.  It also allows it to incorporate slowly.
Beat the egg mixture constantly as you add the sugar syrup.  It is cooking the egg proteins gently, making them fluffy.  Once the sugar syrup is all in, the mixture should resemble marshmallow in taste and texture.

I stopped my mixer just to taste it and play with it for a minute.  Keep beating it, though, until the mixture is cooled down to room temperature — this should take less than five minutes.  And it is important.

Now, it’s time to add your butter.  It’s important that it be room temperature and very soft (like mine above).  We are creating an emulsion here, and if the ingredients are vastly different temperatures, it will not happen.  It will fall apart into a soupy mess (which is possible, though annoying, to fix).  If the egg mixture is too hot, it melts the butter and separates — put it in the fridge for a few minutes and resume beating.  If the butter is too cold, it doesn’t incorporate well and you have the same issue — place it over a pot of simmering water to heat it up and then keep beating.  Or, make sure your ingredients are the right temperature and skip all that.

Start adding butter, a couple tablespoons at a time.  Your mixture will deflate and become very runny and strange looking — that is normal.  It will stay thin and odd-looking until you are adding the last 1/2 cup of butter.  Then, suddenly, it will thicken and whip up nicely.  Frosting!

At this point, add your vanilla and mix again, briefly.  It’s done!  Transfer to a glass storage dish and keep in the fridge for a week or so, or in the freezer for a month or more.  You will need to let it soften before you can frost a cake with it.
Store frosted cakes in the fridge or freezer.  Try the chocolate cake I posted last week.  I covered the outside of mine with sliced almonds!

Down Seven pound and heres lunch today!!!

I love albacore!!!  This lunch is 12 points and gluten and sugar free.  But I reserve one third to half of the tuna mixture for later to add onto a 1 point lightly salted Rice Cake. 

1 Can solid albacore

1 Tbls. mayonaise

2 oz. Sharp Cheddar

pepper, dill, garlic salt, to taste.

Serve on baby lettuce wraps and a side of red pepper chips of course!!!

Fighting to LIVE

I have been sick half of my life.  I have stuggled with weight my whole life.  Finally I have found out I'm absolutly allergic to Wheat/Gluten and Sugar.  My highest weight got me up to 388lbs!!!!  Just by omiting Wheat and sugar within nine months I was down to 345lbs.  But that is where I leveled off.  So many diets I have tried and they are beyond hard and for example Atkins made me irrational and irritable, and wasn't worth the contention in my home.  So I'm now a Gluten Free Sugar Free person on Weight Watchers.  I love it!!!!  So I'm sharing all my GF SF and WW Recipies and my journey!!!!  I hope this inspires you to make changes in your life if you're needing a nudge like I did.  Thank you to Tracie England Taylor my BFF who showed me this easy path.  She and I are doing this together for ourselves, to be better Mothers in Zion and servants of Jesus Christ!!!     PS...I'm the chubby blonde in the red shirt next to my Hubby and baby Atticus.