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Source: Weight Watchers

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Weight Watchers Butternut Squash Soup

February 18, 2016 By Linda 17 Comments

One point Weight Watchers butternut squash soup recipe: easy, delicious & satisfying

I recently purchased a photography ebook from another blogger. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t cheap. But I’m truly committed to improving my photography and I’m hoping it proves to be a smart investment.

You see, I don’t just suffer from body dysmorphia. The condition has expanded to include just about every aspect of my life. My hair. My clothes. My home. My blog …

and my photography.

Sigh.

It’s my burden to bear. And I’m learning to cope. Avoiding mirrors helps. But I can’t use avoidance tactics with the blog and my photography. Each and every day they are front and center. Staring me in the face. Larger than life on my computer screen.

I bring this up because the photos of my One Point Weight Watchers Butternut Squash Soup recipe were taken before the somewhat pricey ebook’s purchase. And as I edited them for this post, I realized just how much they do not reflect the tips and pointers I’ve since culled from the ebook. They do, however, reflect quite a few of the ‘what not to do’s‘ and ‘what I should’ve done’s‘ that my new photography ebook has opened my eyes to.

Take that first photograph. The one above.

So many infractions.

The biggest ‘no no’ is my focal point. I focused on the garnish. Turns out, you should not focus on the garnish. You should focus on the food.

Okay, that seems like a no-brainer and yet my brain thought it was okay to get that mint leaf fully focused.

ebook lesson learned.

Then there’s this photo.

Take a look at the spoon. See that glare? And those shadows? The ones under the bowl? Yeah, turns out it’s another ‘no no.’

Oh, and if you look back at the first photo you’ll see even more shadow ‘no no’s’ there too …

Turns out I need to use a reflector. Which can be as simple as holding up a white poster board or foam core board.

And this photo?

The soup is getting cold. And old. And the garnish has seen better days. I should have cleaned it up. Scooped out that sad, soggy mint. Reheated that soup. Sprinkled on a bit more nutmeg. And tried again. Away from shadows. And focusing on the food, not the garnish.

Sigh.

So much to learn!

Oh, and on all three set ups I should have used a Q-tip to clean up the soup and spices from on the sides of the ramekin.

Yet another ebook tip.

But can you guess my biggest infraction of all? Turns out when you write about food you should get right to the point. Right to the recipe. And leave out all the mumbo jumbo blah blah blah about your life and your day and the weather and your thoughts. And in my case, about your food photography dysmorphia …

One Point Weight Watchers Butternut Squash Soup

Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 3/4 cup | Weight Watcher’s Points: 1

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable broth (fat free)

12 oz uncooked butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes

¹⁄₂large uncooked onion, cut into 2-inch cubes

¹⁄₂small apple, peeled and cut into to 2-inch cubes

¹⁄₄tsp table salt, or to taste

¹⁄₈tsp black pepper, or to taste

¹⁄₈tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste

Directions

Step 1:

In a large stock pot, combine broth, squash, onion and apple; cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover pot and reduce heat to low; gently simmer until squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.

Step 2:

Puree soup in pot using an immersion blender (or puree in a regular blender in batches, careful not to splatter hot liquid). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; serve. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

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One Point Weight Watchers Butternut Squash Soup

You Might Also Like These Weight Watchers Recipes …

Zero Point Weight Watchers Vegetable Soup (click here)

Zero Point Weight Watchers Spicy Cabbage Soup (click here)

*some affiliate links included.

Zero Point Weight Watchers Soup

January 27, 2016 By Linda 14 Comments

Zero Point Weight Watchers Soup: Spicy Tomato Cabbage Soup

Dear Oprah,

Let me start by saying welcome back to my living room! While you may not be hanging around for an hour each day, seeing your smiling face and hearing your comforting words one 60-second Weight Watchers commercial at a time has truly lifted my spirits …

And those words you speak really resonate with me. Okay, maybe not the words about red carpet events, but the ones about embracing our best bodies.

To which I’ll add a caveat.

Because there is no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks that my body today could ever compete with my body in my 20’s. But I still buy into the idea of striving for my best body for this particular decade in my life.

Now Oprah, I’m thrilled to be joining you on this journey. I’m not even a little hurt that you started without me (congratulations on that 26 pound weight loss!). Or that you have a vested interest in Weight Watchers …

But with your encouragement and words of inspiration, I’m hoping my 2016 diet will finally achieve the success I so desperately desire. Because my attempts in 2015 were a complete and utter failure that went something like this: 1-2 weeks really great; 2-4 weeks not so great.

;(

I hit rock bottom (with a very large bottom) around Thanksgiving …

and then there you were. In my living room. With that comforting soundtrack and your ‘we’re in this together mantra.’

Which sent me back to the recipe archives. To the Weight Watchers plan and recipes I successfully followed to drop the baby weight all those many years ago.

This zero point Weight Watchers spicy tomato cabbage vegetable soup was my go-to back then. And has been my go-to since the start of January …

Zero Point Weight Watchers Soup Recipe: Spicy Tomato Cabbage

0 Weight Watchers Points | Makes 12 one-cup servings

Ingredients

29 oz. tomato sauce, canned

32 oz. fat free vegetable or chicken broth

4 cups cabbage

2 cups carrots

2 cups broccoli (frozen or fresh)

1 cup green beans (frozen or fresh)

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Instructions

Spray bottom of sauce pot with Pam. Brown garlic and onions briefly. Add all ingredients. Bring to boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 30-45 minutes (until vegetables are soft).

Oh, and I’m going on 3 1/2+ weeks of being really, really great. I’m feeling so optimistic that I’m off to join Planet Fitness today.

I wonder if Oprah wants to join with me …

🙂

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Zero Point Weight Watchers Soup

You Might Also Like …

Weight Watchers Gumbo Recipe (click here)

It All Started with Paint

Sharing: | Inspiration Monday | DIY Showoff | Between Naps on the Porch |

Bloody Mary Recipe

December 29, 2015 By Linda 15 Comments

A Bloody Mary for New Year’s Day …

or, as I like to think of it, New Year’s Day brunch.

Because, when it comes down to it, this Bloody Mary recipe is one part mixed drink and two parts meal. Or is that three? Let’s count:

(one) asparagus speer; (two) bacon slice; and (three) and (four) blue cheese stuffed olives.

That sounds like a delicious New Year’s Day brunch to me. Washed down by a spicy Bloody Mary with Guinness Ale and horseradish and celery salt.

Yum.

You could also call this a New Year’s Day hair of the dog.

But I still like to call it New Year’s brunch.

Bloody Mary Recipe

12 ounces of Spicy V8 Tomato Juice

1.5 ounces vodka

1 ounce Guiness Ale

Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1-2 teaspoons prepared horse radish

1 teaspoon Worcester Sauce

Tabasco Sauce (optional)

Lemon

Cut lemon into slices and rub along edge of glass. Dip rim of glass into Old Bay seasoning. Pour V8 into glass. Mix in Vodka, horseradish, celery salt, Worcester, and Tabasco (a few drops). Stir well. Pour Guinness Ale over top. Garnish with your favorite Bloody Mary brunch ingredients (asparagus or celery stick, cheese, meats, bacon, olives, etc.) and enjoy!

For even more New Year’s Eve — and Day — celebratory ideas, check out some of these great food, craft, and drink ideas from my blogging friends (be sure to keep checking back all week long):

Sunday, 12/27:

Duke Manor Farm

Cupcakes and Crinoline

Monday, 12/28:

Tuesday, 12/29:

Housepitality Designs

Town & Country Living

Wednesday, 12/30:

Sondra Lyn at Home

Finding Silver Pennies
Maison Decor

Thursday, 12/31:

Celebrating Everyday Life

Sew A Fine Seam

Sharing: | Savvy Southern Style | Work It Wednesday |

Weight Watchers Breakfast Recipe

November 23, 2015 By Linda 1 Comment

I’ll be perfectly honest with you. When I spotted this Weight Watchers breakfast recipe on the Weight Watcher’s site, I wasn’t 100% sold on the idea.

I mean, I liked the 2-point value.

I liked the idea of eggs.

I liked the idea of tomato sauce. Served up spicy.

I liked the idea of fresh basil.

I just wasn’t sure if I would like all those ingredients mixed together.

And then I thought, what the hay? You only live once. Why not just give it a try …

I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? Not liking it?

Egg in Spicy Tomato Sauce Recipe

2-Points | Servings: 1

Source: Weight Watchers

Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) canned tomato sauce (chunky style of your choice)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 large egg

fresh basil

Instructions

Heat tomato sauce and pepper flakes in small skillet over medium heat. Make a small indentation in middle of sauce and crack egg into. Cover skillet and cook until egg is cooked through (I gave it about 4 minutes). Serve with fresh basil.

And you know what? Now I’m 100% sold.

It was so tasty. And satisfying.

And I can’t wait until tomorrow morning to have it again.

🙂

You Might Also Like:

6-Point Blueberry Danish

0-Point Vegetable Soup

Weight Watchers Recipe Ideas

What’s That Gnarly Thing? Ginger Root Tea

November 5, 2015 By Linda 22 Comments

My metabolism died on February 14, 2012.

I know the exact date because it’s the day I gave up my pack-a-day smoking habit.

Though, I’m not sure about the exact time. I’ll venture a guess that it was around 6:00 AM; the time I would have lit up my first of the day.

For 25 years, my pack-a-day smoking habit kept my weight in line. The one-two punch of the nicotine fueling my metabolism and dulling my taste buds meant I was only ever chasing after five or ten pounds at a time.

But now? Now I’m chasing metabolism boosters as I tackle double that number. And when I say that number I mean the ten pounds. Not the five.

Oh how I wish for the days of chasing five to ten!

But not enough to take up the habit again.

And then one day my daughter and I were at the supermarket. And in front of us we saw this gnarly looking root thing rolling down the check out line.

We were curious about this alien food-like substance. A conversation was struck. And we came to learn it was ginger root. And how it’s used in cooking. And tea. But not just any tea.

Metabolism boosting tea.

Yes, please!

So, naturally, I Googled it when I got home. And checked out some ideas on how to best work with that gnarly ginger root. And am now sharing with you my metabolism-boosting recipe idea …

Ginger Root Tea Recipe

Ingredients

Medium Ginger Root

2 Cups Water

Optional: Lemon, Cinnamon Stick, Honey

Directions

Peel ginger root and cut into 12-15 slices. Add to 2 cups of water (lemon slice and cinnamon stick optional) and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 15-minutes. Serve with honey or sweetener (again, optional).

Now I’ll be chasing that 20 extra pounds with one cup of ginger root tea at a time! 🙂

You Might Also Like …

Zero Point Weight Watchers Vegetable Soup (click here)

Sharing: | Link Party Palooza | Between Naps on the Porch |

Fish Tacos

September 18, 2015 By Linda 3 Comments

Birthdays around here are celebrated with a dinner out. Birthday celebrant’s choice. And being creatures of habit, we always tend to end up at the same place. The only time we change venue is when we’re forced to …

like when our favorite-within-walking-distance restaurant closed.

For my birthday, I decided to change things up. I wanted to be outside. Near the lake. So I chose The Dock at Montrose Beach.

I know, crazy.

It opened a few years ago. An outdoor venue on the sand. Casual. With music at night. And a menu that featured fish tacos.

I was hooked like a fish on a line. 😉

So we headed over on a Sunday evening, figuring the beach and marina and surrounding park would be cleared out. I mean, it was a work night after all. The beachgoers would surely be at home preparing for the next day, right?

We couldn’t have been more wrong.

The line of traffic snaking it’s way toward the beach should have been our first sign to turn around. But we prevailed. And before we knew it, we were trapped like a rat in a maze. There was no way out. We were forced to very slowly follow the car in front of us as we tried to exit the beachfront. Less than two miles and an hour-plus later we finally broke free.

Yes, you read that right. It took an hour-plus to travel less than two miles!

Apparently, Sunday night at Montrose Beach was the place to be.

Can you guess where we made a beeline to once we broke free? That’s right. Our regular place.

Sigh.

And while the trip to The Dock at Montrose Beach left a bad taste in my mouth, it also left me craving a fish taco. Or two. So I had no choice but to make my very own.

How To Make Fish Tacos

Ingredients

Tilapai (or fish of choice)

Creole Seasoning (I used a premixed brand by Tony Chachere’s)

Red Cabbage

Scallions

Tomatoes

Mangos

Cilantro

Limes

Hard taco shells

Season fish to your liking and cook (you can either grill or pan cook) until crisp on outside and flaky inside. Chop vegetables and fruits. While fish cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm taco shells in oven for 1-2 minutes before serving. Then just pile it up with your favorite toppings.

I still want to try the tacos at The Dock at Montrose Beach, though. Perhaps a weekday night might be less crowded?

Though, I’m just not sure I can convince Mike and the kids to try again …

🙂

Pins of my recipe are always greatly appreciated!

You Might Also Like …

Weight Watchers Gumbo Recipe (click here)

Zero Point Weight Watchers Vegetable Soup (click here)

Weight Watchers Ice Cream

May 27, 2015 By Linda 8 Comments

This post brought to you by Weight Watchers® Ice Cream. The content and opinions expressed below are that of It All Started With Paint.

You know how I’ve declared this The Year of the Blog. Well,I’ve also declared it The Year I Get Healthy.

Hence all the Weight Watchers recipe ideas I’ve been eating — and sharing — here.

But I have to say, it’s been challenging. For both Years. And there are plenty of parallels.

Like getting down on myself … and getting down on the blog.

Like not feeling like I look good enough … and not thinking my my house and/or pictures and/or projects look good enough.

Like how I should just quit. Give up. Resolve myself to an unhealthy lifestyle … and like how I should just shut down the blog. Thinking no one would notice. Or miss me. But then.

Then.

Then I remembered all the little wins along the way. And how they made me feel big.

In the good way. 🙂

Like when I shopped for a new pair of jeans and went down a size … and like how my blog’s pageviews were super-sized when a post went viral.

Like when I participated in a 5K and felt amazing when I crossed the finish line … and like how amazing I felt when a major magazine photographed my dining room makeover and it was a cover contender.

Like when I got dressed up for a date with my husband and felt really, really good … and like how really, really good I felt when a publisher found my blog and asked me to write a book.

The little wins have an enormous impact. Because life isn’t a race. It’s a journey. And those little wins along the path keep us going. Motivated. Moving forward.

And speaking of little wins, when I discovered Weight Watchers Ice Cream in my local Jewel, I knew I found a winner. Or, more accurately, the perfect freezer case partner to help me be a winner in my The Year I Get Healthy journey.

Because one of my biggest get healthy challenges … and downfalls … is my sweet tooth. But Weight Watchers Ice Cream comes in so many different styles.

Bars, cones and sandwiches.

And flavors.

Giant Chocolate Fudge Bars, English Toffee Crunch Bars and Dark Chocolate Raspberry Bars.

It was near impossible to pick a favorite.

A winner, if you will. 😉 Needless to say, I took my sampling marching orders seriously.

Very seriously.

Starting with the Giant Chocolate Cookies & Cream Bars. With a 4 PointsPlus® value, they were a satisfying dessert option on day one.

Two thumbs up.

Day 2 had me sampling the 3-point Cookies & Cream Bars with the dark chocolate cookie crunch coating.

It had me at dark chocolate cookie crunch coating. And then …

then there was the Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Bars.

I hate to show favoritism, but in my journey to a healthy lifestyle this might be the biggest littlest winner of all …

🙂

Weight Watchers® ice cream can be found in Top Retailers including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Stop & Shop, Shoprite, Supervalue.

WEIGHT WATCHERS on foods and beverages is the registered trademark of WW Foods, LLC. WEIGHT WATCHERS for services and PointsPlus are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. Trademarks are used under license by Wells Enterprises, Inc. ©2015 Weight Watchers International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Stuffed Peppers Recipe

May 11, 2015 By Linda Leave a Comment

Stuffed Peppers Recipe – Weight Watchers Recipe Ideas.

I can count on one hand the number of times bell peppers have crossed the threshold of our home over the past 20 years.

It was not my decision. Okay, perhaps a decision was made by me. But it was out of love.

You see, Mike is not a fan. And by not a fan I mean he despises bell peppers with every inch of his being. The look. The feel. The smell …

and especially the taste.

His hatred of bell peppers ranks right up there with clowns. And bridges.

It was an adjustment for me. Bell peppers were an big part of my diet growing up. Especially my mom’s stuffed peppers recipe. With ground beef. And tomato sauce. Served with a side of rice.

I’ve been dreaming about those stuffed peppers. And tried to recreate them using my Weight Watchers Recipe Builder. But no matter matter what I tried, the ground beef kept upping the points value. And in the end, I went a different direction with the stuffing …

Stuffed Peppers Recipe with Rice & Black Beans

7 Weight Watchers Points | Recipe Makes 1 Serving

1 medium uncooked bell pepper

1/2 cup canned black beans

1/4 cup uncooked onions, chopped

1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cooked white rice

1/4 cup canned dices tomatoes with green chilies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Drain and rinse black beans; chop onions; cut peppers in half, clean & rinse

3. In a medium bowl, mix cooked rice, black beans, chopped onions, and canned tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place pepper halves in shallow baking dish. Add 1/2 cup of water to bottom of dish.

4. Spoon rice and bean mixture in pepper halves. Cover and bake for 20-30 minutes.

5. Remove cover and add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese to peppers. Cook and additional 10-15 minutes.

All that’s left to do is enjoy. With a clown. On a bridge.

😉

You Might Also Like:

Zero Point Cauliflower Snack (click here)

Fish Tacos (click here)

You can find more of my Weight Watchers-friendly recipes here …

Weight Watchers Recipe Ideas

April 13, 2015 By Linda 5 Comments

Weight Watchers Recipe Ideas – Soups, Meals, Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks

Although I spent my Spring Break vacation with the kids firmly rooted here in Chicago, I somehow managed to indulge in food and drink as if I was living it up in some tropical locale.

You could say I was eating and drinking my way through all those Spring Break Facebook posts reminding me that my friends and family live much more fabulous lives than I! 😉

But now it’s time to buckle down. A hint of warmth over the weekend was a much-needed reminder that I’m not quite ready to let go of my over-sized sweaters and coats. And I’m faaaaaaar away from even thinking about putting on a bathing suit.

* shudder *

And to keep me in line, my daughter is going to join me for healthy dinner options. Not as a weight loss plan (though what teen girl isn’t chasing after losing that five pounds) but more as a lesson for her in portion size and control. I fear she has inherited my binging ways.

So I thought I’d pull together some of our favorites here all in one space ….

Sesame Chicken & Rice – 10 Weight Watchers Points

Blueberry Cheese Danish – 6 Weight Watchers Points

Cauliflower Poppers – 0 Weight Watchers Points

Chicken Fajitas – 9 Weight Watchers Points

Vegetable Soup – 0 Weight Watchers Points

Spicy Tomato Cabbage Soup – 0 Weight Watchers Points

Butternut Squash Soup – 1 Weight Watchers Point

Stuffed Shells – 7 Weight Watchers Points Points

Healthy Gumbo – 5 Weight Watchers Points

Fish Tacos – 7 Weight Watchers Points

Ginger Root Tea with Honey – 1 Weight Watchers Point

Dry Roasted Almonds – 1 Weight Watchers Point

Canellini Bean Soup – 4 Weight Watchers Points

2-Point Egg in Spicy Tomato Sauce Recipe

2-Point Garlic Shrimp

2-Point Honey Mustard Dressing

Weight Watchers Zero-Point Cauliflower Poppers

March 25, 2015 By Linda 16 Comments

Weight Watchers Zero Point Recipe Idea – Weight Watchers Zero-Point Snack.

Have you heard about the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music? Did you see the behind-the-scenes Diane Sawyer special about it this past weekend?

I did. And I watched.

Only thing, it made me very emotional. I watched with tears streaming down my face. Not exactly sad tears. More like nostalgic tears.

And I realized that movies like The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz bring back memories of my sister Janet. And how if she was still here, I would have been on the phone with her all week long to talk about the special. And our favorite characters. And favorite songs. And favorite moments …

You see, watching movies was Janet and my “thing.” The two of us were couch potatoes on the weekends (which, admittedly, I still am. Or, more accurately, try to be). Growing up, we would often curl up to watch movies on a weekend night. And even when Janet moved out to start a family of her own, we continued that tradition. Not every weekend, mind you. I did try to have a social life after all. But once a month. Or every other month.

So when big, sweeping classic movies like The Sound of Music come on, I get nostalgic. And I miss my big sister …

And now you’re probably wondering what this Weight Watchers cauliflower poppers recipe has to do with The Sound of Music and my sister Janet.

Well, absolutely nothing.

The only connection is when I was editing these pictures, Kelly & Michael was on in the background. And they were interviewing Julie Andrews about the 50th anniversary …

and I started to well up again.

Source: Weight Watchers

Print Recipe

0-Point Weight Watchers Cauliflower Poppers

Course: Snack

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 spray cooking spray
1 head medium uncooked cauliflower
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder, or more to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Cut cauliflower florets into bite-sized pieces (there should be about 4 cups).
3. Place cut up cauliflower into a medium bowl and add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
4. Spread cauliflower onto prepared baking sheet in single layer. Bake until cauliflower is tender, but not mushy. Stir halfway through (about 10 minutes, for a total of approximately 20-minutes cooking time total).
5. Yields 1/2 cup per serving.

And there you have it. An easy, zero point Weight Watchers snack that will leave you wanting to climb every mountain …

So sorry. I couldn’t resist!

😉

Linda

P.S. If you’re interested in the ramekin dish I’ve served up the Cauliflower Poppers in, you can buy a set of four 12 oz. ramekins at this link … *

You Might Also Like …

Weight Watchers Gumbo Recipe (click here)