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Weight Watchers Garlic Shrimp (click here)

Weight Watchers Garlic Shrimp Recipe

May 25, 2016 By Linda 26 Comments

Weight Watchers Garlic Shrimp Recipe – 2 Points

Ladies, I have a public service announcement for you.

Yoga pants are evil. They lull you into a false sense of security with their super stretchy fabric pulling in tummies and slimming legs. They embolden you to eat more.

I implore you to trust me on this one. I’ve done the groundwork. And I can personally attest to the dangers. In fact, just last week I floated another test run. For whatever reason – comfort, laziness – I decided to wear yoga pants.

All. Week. Long.

It started out a-okay on Monday. Weight Watcher’s business as usual. Breakfast went off without a hitch. Lunch was the usual healthy fare. Dinner kept me within my allotted daily Weight Watchers points. And then something clicked in the early evening. The yoga pants waste wasn’t pressing into my stomach with a gentle reminder to stop eating.

Nooooooo …..

Those evil yoga pants led me into the kitchen. They compelled me to open cabinets. They egged me on as I pulled out out one after another of my 100 calorie almond packs. They suggested some yogurt might complement those 100 calorie almond packs. Two 80 calorie yogurts wouldn’t be all that bad …

This was Monday.

By Wednesday I was cracking open the wine. Over the weekend I championed my daughter’s idea for Chinese take-out and eagerly placed the order. Or, more accurately, over order. I had enough food to feed half the neighborhood.

Sigh.

Monday morning was a rude – but very much needed – awakening. My jeans were just a bit snugger. Just a bit more uncomfortable.

I don’t even want to step on the scale.

Those evil yoga pants have been tucked back into the drawer. Only – and I emphasize that only with underlines and exclamation points and capital letters – to be removed and worn when physical activity is involved. And no, walking to the refrigerator does not qualify as physical activity. Neither does walking the dog. They can only be worn if there will be crunching of abs or lifting of limbs. And sweating. Lots and lots of sweating.

Ahem.

So I’m back on the Weight Watchers bandwagon. And created a super yummy Weight Watcher’s garlic shrimp recipe that feels like I’m still yoga-pant-cheating …

Weight Watchers Garlic Shrimp Recipe

4 Servings | 2 Weight Watchers Points

Print Recipe

Weight Watchers Garlic Shrimp

2 Weight Watchers points/serving

Course: Main Course

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 tsp olive oil
20 large uncooked shrimp (I used frozen, pre-peeled, uncooked)
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 2 tsp olive oil.
2. Add shrimp to pan in single layer (break into two batches if all won't fit in single layer and use 1 tsp oil per batch).
3. Cook shrimp until golden and orange (10 seconds to 1 minute per side). Immediately transfer to plate.
4. Reduce heat to medium-high and add remaining 2 tsp of olive oil.
5. Add garlic and cook until light golden (about 2 minutes).
6. Return shrimp to pan. Stir in paprika.
7. Reduce heat to medium and cook shrimp until done, about 1 minute.
8. Fold in parsley, cilantro and lemon juice. Salt to taste.

The only down side: These Weight Watchers garlic shrimp are so delicious, I’m tempted to put on my yoga pants and eat them all in one sitting! 🙂

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Source: Weight Watchers

*some affiliate links included.

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

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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.

🙂

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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! 🙂

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Zero Point Weight Watchers Vegetable Soup (click here)

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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!

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