Happy New Year!

Happy New Year blogger friends :).

I wanted to swing by real quick this morning to wish you and your family the very best for 2012!

As I look back on this blog in 2011, I am pleased with the progress I've made in my weight loss journey, and I know I owe a chunk of that progress to those of you who read and comment.  You keep me going.  You keep me accountable.  You make me want to come back here to own up to my setbacks, or celebrate with you in my successes.  Thank you for taking time out of your day to read and/or comment and share your encouraging words.  It is always appreciated.

I will leave you with some of my favorite posts of 2011:

1. It All Started With a New Tradition.  The engagement story :).
   
2. Drawing Inspiration From Places Other Than the Scale.  The story behind what really got my butt kicked into gear to lose this weight once and for all. 
   
3. Setting Goals for 2011.  The start of my plethora of 5Ks in the spring and early summer.  So proud of myself for that.
   
4. March of Dimes March for Babies 5K.  A first hand look at how the money raised for organizations like this can really make a difference.
   
5. Why Do You Want to Lose Weight? An outline of my reasons.  I plan to do a follow up post on this to reflect on what goals, if any, I achieved on this list in 2011.

Cheers to the best year yet to come for both you and me! Wishing you and yours a blessed 2012!

Weigh In + Weekly Goals + More Christmas Celebrations

Well the verdict is in.... I am up 0.5 lbs and I'm okay with that.  After the serious eating challenges I've had almost the entire month of December, I'm not fretting about 0.5 lbs.  I know that things will start to move in the right direction this week!

sad that Christmas is over though

As I stated the other day, this Christmas was awesome.  They seem to get better and better each year!  Despite my battles with the baking, I am still glad I did it because the recipients seemed so grateful.  Plus, there is something about putting in some hard work and seeing the smiles it brings to people's faces that make it all worth it :). 

Together, Joel and I made this red velvet cake that we took to his grandparents on Christmas day.  It was quite a hit!

I did the baking and the white icing, Joel hand drew & iced the reindeer and Noel.

The only thing I would do differently in regard to this cake was bake it for less time.  It was a little on the dry side, but overall, not bad for my first try at red velvet.

Another rewarding part of Christmas is giving to my niece and nephew.  It's so cool watching them open their gifts and seeing their reactions.

Rexon in his new Bumbo with a book, of course :)

Oh, hey Merlin!

Oh yeah, and then there was Dad and one of his new toys - the self-proclaimed Gift of the Year...

Also, another decision that was made final this week was our wedding date:  October 6, 2012!  We made our deposit on Wednesday when I took my parents to see the wedding venue.  I'm so glad and relieved that the venue has been decided upon and we can begin to proceed with photographer and dj selections.

On to the weekly goals!

Goals for the week:
Stay within daily Points+ allowance (39) for 5 of the 7 days. If I have to delve in to the Weekly Points+ allowance, I want to use no more than 34 of them, leaving a balance of 15.

Potential Challenges + Solutions:

1. New Year's Eve: I think I will be safe on the menu part since I am preparing the food, but the alcohol consumption will be a challenge. 
2. Going over daily Points+ allowance:  Back to this again.  As I've stated before, I struggle with this every week.  I have a 4 day weekend coming up ahead of me and with that time I plan to construct a menu for the upcoming week to keep me well on track.    

Planned Activity:
I'm sticking to 2 days of activity this upcoming week again.  If I do more, then that's a bonus.  The activity of choice will most likely be the elliptical.

Speaking of activity options, Joel and I had started the New Rules of Lifting challenge back in August.  I really enjoyed this because it shook up the dull cardio routine that I had been doing for almost 8 months straight.  We slacked off on the challenge big time in October and November, only completing Stage 1.  Last week, while on lunch at work, I read through Stage 2 and once again I'm intimidated.  Many of the moves seem like they will be difficult to learn, and I'm not too excited about re-acclimating myself to the meat-head side of the gym. It will be even worse this time of year, with all the New Year's resolution people.  Dang it.  We desperately need to get our butts back in gear with the weight lifting - it was really helpful and it broke up the same, dull routine of cardio.  I just can't find the motivation to do it.

What are your plans for New Year's Eve?  Almost every year since I've lived in the DC area, my parents come between Christmas and NYE and we end up doing nothing.  So lame we are. 

NYE two years ago... LAME

This year, Joel doesn't have to work for once, and so we want to at least go out to a bar for a few drinks and then come back here to hang out.

Happy New Year to you and your family!

Merry Christmas + Week Recap!

I'll get the sad parts out of the way first.

I've been doing a LOT of eating over the last several days, and I can feel the affects.  Next year I will have to come up with a better game plan if I'm going to do all that baking.  Not only that, but I will have to institute a better strategy for all of the Christmas-related parties I've attended.  I talked with my WW leader, Sharon, about it this last Wednesday.  She suggested that I only pick 1-2 holiday parties to "indulge" and the rest need to involve conscientious eating.  Let's just say I'm glad to be home the rest of this week so I can detox and get myself back to a better way of eating.

How did you do with Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever you celebrate?  I'm already planning the NYE menu so there are no slip ups there.

******

On to better things...

As usual, God blessed me in many ways this Christmas.  For one, I got to spend time with my own family (and my parents are arriving today from Pennsylvania for the rest of the week) AND Joel's family for Christmas.  We did a lot of driving between PA, MD and VA, but it was worth it.  Additionally, I received some awesome gifts and was able to give some pretty great gifts as well.  Each year I strive for the "gift of the year" (a phrase I started giving to what I thought was the best gift I was able to give someone each year), and this year is no different.  Let's just say I'm looking forward to seeing my father's reaction when he opens his brand new Wii :).

For now, I'm only going to share one of my favorite Christmas gifts so far.

I got this beauty from Joel...

Nikon D3100

Two years ago for Christmas, Joel got me the Nikon Coolpix L100 (below) as a transitional camera from the point and shoot to the DSLR.

I loved that camera but there were limitations, and as one of my goals, I planned to buy the D3100 as a reward.  I was VERY surprised when I unwrapped this gem of a gift... I cannot wait to learn all about it!

I'm going to leave you all with this picture of my work outfit from last Wednesday.  I call this my "Ariana outfit" :).  Ariana - if you're reading this, notice how I'm also utilizing the work restroom to snap the pic ;).  I will admit that I wasn't initially feeling the look of this outfit at all - I was slightly uncomfortable in the belt (not because it was too tight, I just felt like it didn't look right).  I must have been wrong though because all day long people complimented me on the "awesome outfit".  Thanks for the inspiration Ariana!  If you don't read Fatale Fashion already, go over there right away and see what fashion finds Ariana has on display - she's so cute and has such a great fashion sense for gals like us :).

Just like Ariana does, I'll post where I got the items I'm wearing... though keep in mind I do not have current prices on any of the stuff because it was purchased so long ago.

• Sweater - White Stag - Walmart
• Black and White Polka Dot Shirt - Lane Bryant Outlet
• Belt - Walmart
• Silver Necklace - Ten Thousand Villages
• Black Dress Pants - Lane Bryant

Are you still off from work this week, or are you back to the grind already?  I'm working at home 2 days this week and spending time with my parents the other 2.

One Day at a Time

It really has to be that logic at this point... "one day at a time".  The opportunities to fail or succeed in eating/drinking situations are never ending these days. 

Last week it was our office holiday party.

This week it was both a luncheon (with pizza from my favorite pizza place) and a happy hour for my coworker who is leaving our office for another division in our agency (please don't throw stones - I'm a government employee! eek!).  Miraculously, I made it through the luncheon without even so much as glancing at that pizza.  I sat and talked and talked the entire time and tried to ignore my rumbling belly.   Instead I opted for my own packed lunch, which I ate after his luncheon. 

Then I hosted this happy hour for him, but I didn't even want to go because I knew it would involve beer and possibly bar food.  I just didn't want to set myself up for failure, because at this point, I know I'm just not strong enough to resist such temptations, at least not two in one day!  So 2 large beers were consumed, and so were boneless wings.   

The thing is, I really enjoy being social.  I particularly enjoy happy hours.  I'm not a drunkard, I just enjoy having a few beers and relaxing with friends.  How do you go to a bar and not have a drink?  Ok, it's possible, I'm sure.  Not for me, but for others with far more self control, sure.  But let me rephrase that.  How do you go to a bar and only have one drink?

I think I failed to mention that I attended a holiday party this past Friday.  I only had 3 beers. They happened to be Bud Lights.  Do you know that 1 Bud Light (can or bottle) is 4 Points+?  And 3 of them are 11 Points+!!!!  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Joel's getting so skinny - down to 218 lbs - I can really tell in his face

I'm not trying to complain here.  I just want to put it out there: if you're struggling this very minute, trust me, you're not alone.  I made it through Thanksgiving fairly well.  I didn't expect Christmas to be so challenging, but guess what?  It has been. 

Lord help me!

Friend Making Monday: Have You Ever

I really should participate in this fun little blogger social activity more often.  Kenlie @ All the Weigh hosts this weekly event.  Go check her out if you haven't already - she's already lost more than 100 lbs and is still going strong.

FMM: Have You Ever?

1. …traveled outside of your home country?  If so, where?  I've been to Canada. haha.. .I'm not a brave flyer.. but I have big dreams of going to Europe some day.  I'd also love to go to Japan as well.

2. …performed on stage in front of at least 1,000 people? If so, share some details!  Never.

3. …watched an episode of Jersey Shore?  I have, but no by choice.  I was at a friend's house and they were watching it.  I'm not a fan.

4. …baked a cake from scratch?  If so, what’s your specialty?  I have many times.  I've done carrot cake and this pumpkin layer cake that I make every year for Thaksgiving for Joel's family.  This year I'm going to try my hand at a Red Waldorf Cake (like red velvet) for our Christmas Eve dinner at Joel's grandparents.  So excited to try it out!

5. …worked in a grocery store?  No.  Does a drug store count?

6. …dated someone who was your best friend first?  No - Joel and I were perfect strangers.

7. …made a difference in someone’s life during Christmas? I hope I have by providing donations of gifts/money or just by bringing a smile to someone's face when they open a gift I've given them.  But this is all speculation on my part :).

8. …been on TV?  Yes, as a child.  It was the local news.

9. …had cosmetic surgery? No and I don't ever plan on it.

10. …learned a second language?  If so, what else do you speak? I did learn French in both high school and college.  While that proved useful in Canada, in the U.S., particularly in Washington, DC, it would be much more advantageous to know Spanish.  Someday.. once I get done w/ these nursing classes!

Now you try out these questions and post your link at Kenlie's page!  Happy Monday!

Giveaway Winner & Weekend Recap

Well let's get right down to business, shall we?

The winner of the $40 Target giftcard was announced on Saturday evening on The Big Weight Facebook page, but just in case you (or the winner) missed that, the lucky person is:

Jena Rae!!!!!!

Jena Rae - please send me an email (thebighweight@hotmail.com) with your full name and address so I can get the goods sent to you as soon as possible :)... hopefully you can take advantage of those after Christmas sales!

With the impending Christmas holiday, I don't know about you, but I've been SUPER busy.  I'm not only behind on my own blog, but I cannot keep up with my other favorites either!  

By the way, last Friday I had a small gain 0.8 lbs.  I didn't sweat it.   

What I am sweating is that this weekend I baked over 300 cookies (for gifts, not for me!!).  So, what I want to know from you is this:  is it even possible to bake cookies and not sample them????  

I started off really well - just kind of focusing on making the cookies, and not dwelling on how awesome they might taste.  Then I transitioned to cookies that I hadn't ever made before, so I wanted to give them a taste.  Ok - no problem.  A small piece of one cookie (then pawning the rest off on to Joel) was no biggie.  But then shortly there after it quickly went downhill.  All day Saturday, and for about 6 hours on Sunday, I baked the following: Oreo balls, Snickerdoodles, Melt In Your Mouth Sugar Cookies, VF's Chocolate Chip Cookies, Buckeyes, Peanut Butter Blossoms and Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles.

Let's just say that from Monday to Thursday, I have to be ON POINT with the Points+ counting.  I mean, at this point, I may very well have a gain on Friday as it is, but I am going to try very hard to redeem myself from this weekend's self-sabotage.  Lord help me!

Thankfully all those cookies are tucked safely in my deep freezer... hard as rocks by now :).

I'll leave you all with this: 

For 4 hours on Friday, Kim at La Dolce Vita Salon changed my hair color from blonde to purple.  Love love love!

Things I Love This Week

Love #1
Shortly after Halloween, while shopping in my local Safeway, I stumbled upon these Keurig gems: Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa K-cups.  They were 50% off, though I'm not sure why.   One K-cup is 2 Points+.  If you're like me, and one K-cup just doesn't quite get your cup full enough, then 2 of them are just 3 Points+!  Have you tried these?

The Market Pantry large marshmallows (from Target) are 2 Points+ for four.  You can really do without four of them though.

Love #2
The next thing I am loving is the veggie dip recipe that I snagged from Kelly @ No Thanks to Cake.  Incredibly easy to make and rather versatile based on the dip mixes available from Hidden Valley.  The serving size I chose is 48 grams (determined on eTools) for 1 Points+.  It has definitely inspired me to eat more vegetables, which is always a good thing for this picky eater!

Love #3
The last thing I'm loving are the awesome comments you've all made on the Giveaway page in regard to what you're most excited about for Christmas.  I am going to hold off on commenting on them individually because it will make it easier for me to total up the count when it comes drawing time.

For the readers who are parents, I can somewhat identify with you on that front - watching your kids open gifts on Christmas morning.  Isn't that the best?  Ever since I was blessed with a niece, Christmas is that much more enjoyable - her reaction to things are hilarious.  Last year my parents got her this view finder.

Remember these?

We could NOT convince her to move on to her other gifts.  She just had to play with that one thing.  (She was 2 years old at the time).  Each time she would look through the view finder she would say... and I quote: "What you do seeeeeeeee?" ... really dragging out the 'e' sound! Too cute!

What are you loving lately? Any new/cool/genius WW friendly product finds?

A Giveaway!

Well friends, in honor of my recent "20+ pounds removed" weight loss goal, I've decided to host a giveaway in its honor, and in yours as well.

Now, normally I like to keep the giveaway value in line with the total weight lost - last time it was a $10 giftcard for reaching the 10 pounds removed goal.  This time it should be $20 right?  Consistency can be fun.

You might remember how I was complaining about feeling guilty for spending so much money on myself?  Well, it's time to pay it forward!  What better time than now to spread the holiday cheer.

But first - allow me to give credit where credit is due.

Thank you all SO MUCH for your support throughout these last several months.  It's shocking to me that I even have regular readers.  I mean, seriously, look at how long (on the left) it took me to make some real progress around here!  It's amazing that you've even stuck around.  I'm supposed to be a weight loss blogger, not weight-maintaining-but-really-need-to-lose-it-blogger.

Promise me that if you win the $40 Target Giftcard that you will spend it on yourself!  You deserve it, I'm sure of it!

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you. - Deuteronomy 16:17

Here are the conditions for winning (U.S. & Canadian residents only please):

1. Leave a comment here telling me what you're most excited about this Christmas season.  It can be a gift you hope you receive, something you're thankful for, the opportunity to travel to see family/friends, etc, etc. This counts as 1 entry.

2. Like The Big Weight Facebook page & comment on the page letting me know you've done so (handy dandy button on the right to do so).  This counts as 1 entry.

3. Post about this giveaway on your blog!  Then come back here and leave a comment with the link to your blog entry. This counts as 1 entry.

A winner will be randomly chosen on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 9 AM - so please hurry :).

**While I did contact Target last week about sponsoring a giveaway, they have yet to get back to me.  So, this $40 giftcard has been purchased using my own money, and also because I feel like at this point it is more meaningful for me to provide the card myself than to receive it from Target. I still love you Tar-jay, I just can't wait around forever :). 

Weekend Recap (1 Day Late)

Boy those weekends come and go before ya know it!

Friday night after work, I ran over to the National Harbor to pick up my new Pandora charm.  I went with a glass bead, though the other one will be a purchase in the near future no doubt.

I have yet to purchase the VB bag.  I feel guilty dropping so much money on myself this time of year, when I should be getting Christmas gifts for others.  And then there's that little old wedding I have to pay for too.

Speaking of weddings, we checked out a venue on Saturday in St Mary's City, MD.  It's on the campus of St Mary's College.

State House

The place doesn't have a great website to show you pictures, but it's really nice if you can use your imagination.  The State House will be where the cocktail hour and cake will most likely take place.  Guests will enter the ceremony site through this building.  It's rather rustic inside.  Outside, directly in front of the building, will be where the ceremony will take place.  It overlooks the St Mary's River, which ultimately dumps into the Chesapeake Bay.  The reception will be held outdoors in a tent to the right of the building.  We have penciled in the State House as our venue (pending responses from other venues).  The date is tentatively October 6, 2012!  Unbelievable, still, for me to imagine that by this time next year I will be married!!  I really think this is the place!

After wedding venue shopping, I wanted to get our pictures taken for our Christmas card. 

It was absolutely freezing cold along the water... and VERY windy!  This shot is along Piscataway Creek in Joel's hometown in Maryland.

Some people in this picture were not pleased with the cheesiness that was the handmade heart.

Then we crossed the river back in to Virginia to try out the park near our condo.

It was so much warmer over there with the trees shrouding our picture taking frenzy.

I'm such an amateur photographer, but it's something I really like doing and want to do more of.  I love capturing a perfect moment of a human being - I'm not so much about landscapes.

We ended our lovely weekend with a Sunday road trip to Fredericksburg, VA to pick up a case of Joel's much loved wine, Rappahannock Red from Hartwood Winery.  I love wine so much - it really helps ease the tension of a day at work.

I've been doing MUCH BETTER at staying On Plan this week than last.  Despite all the travels we did this weekend, I've still stayed within my daily target two days so far and have not surpassed my Weekly Points+ allowance yet (and it's Tuesday!).  Usually by now I would have blown through the WP.  I currently have a balance of 15 - which is great considering I'm only allowing myself 39 this week, instead of 49.  So I technically have more left but I'm going to forget I even typed that ;).  I've also hit the gym twice this week, earning 8 of the planned 14 Activity Points.  So far, I'm setting myself up for what should be a successful week. 

How was your weekend?  How has your "healthy eating" week been progressing so far?

Weigh In & Weekly Goals

I just have to blurt this out because I can hardly contain the excitement I have for this week's weight in!

I lost 1.7 lbs, bringing me down to 242.7!!!

242.7 is a record low weight since I've started this journey in March 2011.  Not only that, BUT I have now removed 21.1 pounds of weight.  AND, now that I've met another 10 pound goal, a giveaway is fast approaching!  AND, now that I've met another smaller goal, I get to buy my VB bag & Pandora Charm.  Stay tuned :).  

These are the potential charm choices:

 Inner Strength

Pink Flowers Bead

Pink Polka Dots

Lavender Candy Stripe

I'd like to add some color to my bracelet, so that is why I am so heavy on the glass beads.  Your thoughts?

This is the bag I'm looking at:

Side by Side Tote - Rhythm & Blues

I'm so incredibly proud of myself, especially after this week's events.  After the cookie meltdown, I tried hard to stay within my 39 Points+ this week, and did really well on both Wednesday and Thursday, not evening consuming all 39.  That's okay though, because I definitely went over my Weekly Points+ again despite the goals I set. 

Here's what happened with last week's weekly goals:

Goals for the week:
Stay within daily Points+ allowance for 5 of the 7 days. - I achieved 2 of the 7 days.  Not superb.

Potential Challenges + Solutions:

1. Weekend lunch date with the ladies.  I was proud of how I did with this, eating only half the sandwich and a few fries.
2. Cookie Madness.  I definitely indulged not only that night, but one other night later this week.  *Sigh*  Moving on...

Planned Activity:
I went to the gym on Wednesday and did 37  minutes on the elliptical.  I'll take it!  I earned 4 Activity Points+ and was pleased with that effort, even if I didn't meet my goal of 2 days (though totally doable, someone is just l-a-z-y!).

Here are my new goals for the week.

Goals for the week:
Stay within daily Points+ allowance for 5 of the 7 days. If I have to delve in to the Weekly Points+ allowance, I want to use no more than 39 of them, leaving a balance of 10.

Potential Challenges + Solutions:

1. Office Holiday Happy Hour: There will be drinking and eating.  Thankfully most of the food being served  I don't like.  To combat this I plan to eat my lunch before the HH (it starts at 12).  I will definitely want to have a drink, but will try to limit it to no more than 2-3.
2. Going over daily Points+ allowance:  I struggle with this every week.  Rarely am I ever able to achieve a perfect week of staying within my daily Points+.  You know why?  Poor planning.  As they say, without a plan, plan to fail.  What I need to do to stay on track is make sure my breakfasts/lunches are packed the night before.  Also, I need to make sure I have plenty of healthful snacks, including 0 Points+ fruits/vegetables to snack on when I have cravings and 0 Points+ left for the day.  

Planned Activity:
I wrote up an activity schedule for the week, but realizing that I have to reacclimate myself to getting back to the gym, I'm going to aim for 2 days of the gym this week again.  If I do more, then it will be a bonus.  Also, I tried out that new feature on eTools where it gives you a weekly Activity Points+ to work toward, and mine is 14.  I'm going to try to reach that this week in whatever way I can.

What are your weekend plans?  I still need to get some Christmas shopping done.  Joel and I are going to check out a wedding venue on Saturday, and we're going to take our Christmas card picture as well.  I'm so behind this year :(.  It's making me crazy!

Deen Family Cookbook: Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies

As you'll soon find out, these cookies had a ton of ingredients in them, making the taste oh-so-delicious.  The resulting texture of the cookie was unexpected.  Mine turned our rather crumbly.  They remained whole when I'd pick them up, but they almost felt like sand in your hands.  Hard to describe, and I'm not sure if I did something wrong or if that was the intended texture.  I saw a few reviews online where people had the same result, so I guess that was supposed to happen?  They were still delicious!

 

Deen Family Cookbook - Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies (3 Points+ each)
Ingredients
-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon cream of tartar
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
-1 cup granulated sugar
-1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
-1 cup vegetable oil
-1 egg
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 cup puffed rice cereal
-1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
 -1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
-1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one. Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut, and oats. Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough on 2 cookie sheets, leaving at least 1-inch of space around each drop. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Makes approximately 60 cookies. Mine made 74.

Note: If you Google this recipe, the one shown on Foodnetwork.com is slightly different.  That one shows them dipped in chocolate sprinkled with crushed candy canes, which sound amazing, but this was not how it was published in the cookbook.

BHG Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles

These Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles are very similar to your typical chocolate crinkle cookies, except with a hint of coffee taste.  I'm not a huge fan of coffee, but I did love these - the taste was so subtle. 


The cookies come out similar to the photo below should you choose to use powdered sugar.

Not my picture, because I totally forgot to take one!  Source.

Better Homes & Gardens: Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles (1 Points+ for one cookie)
Ingredients:
-1/3 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-2 egg whites
-1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/4 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar or powdered sugar


Directions:
Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally.

Beat in egg whites and yogurt until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon.  Refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Place granulated sugar/sifted powdered sugar in a small bowl.  Drop dough by heaping teaspoons into sugar and roll into balls.

Place balls 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm.

Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool.

Makes approximately 40 cookies, though mine made more, making them 1 Points+ each.

Hungry Girl 1-2-3: Fiesta Bites

These Fiesta Bites were a huge hit at the cookie exchange.  No one knew they were "diet friendly" food either, which I love :).  That little "secret" makes them all the more delicious, wouldn't you say?  I topped some with tomatoes and some without, since the chef doesn't eat tomatoes unless it's coming from a Heinz bottle!   

Please note my modifications that make them come out to 1 Points+ each.  Also, my version below is doubled.  In her book the recipe is halved - making only 12 servings.

Hungry Girl Fiesta Bites (1 Points+ for one "bite")

Ingredients:   
-24 small square wonton wrappers (I ended up using 30)
-4 tablespoons taco sauce
-2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese, room temperature (I used WW block cream cheese)
-2 teaspoons dry taco seasoning mix
-Two 9.75-ounce (or 10-ounce) can 98% fat-free chunk white chicken breast in water, drained and flaked
-1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
-1/2 cup corn, thawed from frozen
-1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese (I used 2% shredded cheddar)
-2 plum tomatoes, chopped
-Optional: salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Place each wonton wrapper into a cup of the muffin pan, and press it into the bottom and sides.

Lightly spray the wrappers with nonstick spray. Bake in the oven for about 4 minutes, until the corners begin to brown. Leaving the oven on, set muffin pan aside to cool.

Mix taco sauce, cream cheese, and taco seasoning together in a bowl. Add chicken and stir until coated. Add beans, corn, and cheddar cheese. Stir well. If you like, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Evenly distribute mixture into the wonton shells, about 2 tablespoons each (Note: I only used 1 Tbsp for each won ton, which seemed to be plenty!). Return pan to the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, until the chicken mixture is hot.

Once cool enough to handle, remove the filled wonton shells, and top evenly with tomato. Serve and enjoy!

MAKES 30 SERVINGS

Have you had these before?  What is your favorite Hungry Girl recipe?

Weekend Recap

I knew this weekend was going to prove challenging when it was going to be focused around food!  Alas, I have already blown one of my weekly goals, and so I'm hoping I can somewhat redeem myself for the remaining 4 days I have left in my WW week.

But wait!  What happened, you might ask?

Half Success
Saturday I had lunch with some lovely ladies at a local and delicious restaurant called Carlyle.  I had a grilled chicken sandwich with french fries.  I ate half of the sandwich and only a few fries (they were shoe string fries too).  I considered this a huge success.  I even planned to take half of it with me, but forgot the box at the table when we left.  It was probably better that way anyhow!  Then I didn't have to feel obligated to eat the leftovers. 

After that, I headed to a friend's house to visit.  Her and her husband just bought a house and so we hung out Saturday evening.  I had dinner there and tried to be modest with my eating as much as possible.  Still, I went over my daily Points+ for Saturday.

Failure Begins
Sunday was the big cookie exchange.  Could there be a worse event for a Weight Watcher?

The tempting spread... and this didn't even include the appetizers

*sigh*  

I spent all day Sunday baking two separate types of cookies, as well as an appetizer (recipes to come for all). 

Hungry Girl Fiesta Bites - 1 Points+ each

I made Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles (1 Points+ each) from the breast cancer Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.

You can kind of see them in the lower left hand corner of the bowl.

I also made Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies from the Deen Family cookbook (3 Points+ each).

They had a million things in them!  But everything I made was sooooo good!

Still, as you might imagine, it didn't end well.  Remember how I told the host that I wouldn't be taking any cookies home?  I knew that I would be interrogated by the ladies for why I wasn't taking cookies (that is the entire point to this, afterall!), and I didn't feel like fielding questions.  I'm still not crazy about sharing my journey with others.  I sampled several (or a million - who's counting?!) cookies.  Still, I brought that entire cookie bag to work today and let those people go at it.   At least that's good right? 

I kept a few favorites and hid them in the back of my pantry, like these babies:
 

Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies - kind of taste like
Girl Scouts Thin Mints

Out of site, out of mind... I hope?! 

How was your weekend?  Do you participate in a cookie exchange (or something similar) during the holidays?

Weigh In Results

The scale told the tale this morning....

After a week of eating foods like this:

WW 5 Points+ Pumpkin Pie - found on Etools

Several indulgences in Asti and beer..

And just generally enjoying a lot of food due to the holiday and TOM cravings...

The verdict is in!

I gained 0.4 pounds this week.  

Uhm.  I will take it!  This was not my most stellar WW week ever, but I am still proud of how I combated the big eating holiday that is Thanksgiving.  I am also proud that I managed to track every single thing I ate... even if it did put me into the red!

I am looking forward to a fresh week of staying within my daily Points+ range.... and definitely staying within my Weekly. 

I use both eTools and the paper tracker.  At the start of every week with the paper tracker (the book, not the individual pamphlets given out at meetings), it asks you to define any goals for the week, any potential challenges with solutions, and break out your planned exercise schedule.  Rarely do I ever write anything down in this section.  Well this week, I'm going to try something different:

Goals for the week:
Stay within daily Points+ allowance for 5 of the 7 days.

Potential Challenges + Solutions:

1. First up is a lunch date with some friends on Saturday. Lord knows I struggle with eating out and counting Points+. This time, I'm going to look up the menu ahead of time, have my selections already mapped out, and then I won't be tempted to order something less Points+ friendly if I would have waited until doing so at the restaurant.
   
2. Then, there is a cookie exchange on Sunday with another group of friends. I've already informed the host that I will not be taking any cookies home this year because of our commitment to WW and getting in shape for the wedding. She was totally cool with it :).

Planned Activity:
I have not been consistently active since the beginning of October. Joel and I did finish the first "set" of the New Rules of Lifting for Women, but we never moved on to the other weeks, and I would like to get back to doing that. Weight lifting provided some variety that I enjoyed. So, to keep my goals attainable and expectations low, I'm going to plan to do just 2 days of activity this week. If I do more, so be it. But I want to ease back in to regular activity.

What are your weekend plans?

Post-Thanksgiving Week

How did you survive Thanksgiving?  Yes, a week later and I am just now getting around to this!

First, we had Thanksgiving at Joel's family on Thursday.  I was extremely mindful of my eating, and practiced Mental Rehearsing beforehand (a WW concept).  I told myself over and over to only eat small portions ("mini islands of food" - as we were advised at last week's meeting) and not to finish anything I did not truly enjoy.  I passed up bread.  I left the stuffing and sweet potatoes on my plate.  And I was even able to enjoy my favorite part of Thanksgiving: the 5 Points+ Pumpkin Pie I made especially for Thursday.  I was so pleased, impressed, and proud of how well I did on this holiDAY (as Sharon, my WW leader reminds us, it's not a holiMONTH or holiWEEK, it's a holiDAY).  My non Weight Watchers weigh in day is on Friday, and as you can see, I had a nice loss for the week.  Success!

However, then I had to travel to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving Part Deux.  I started Saturday off with a trip to the local-PA WW meeting center.  I clocked in at a loss for the week on their scale as well.  Great!

Still, currently I'm sitting at well over -35 WEEKLY Points+ for the week.  Fellow Weight Watchers, did you read that correctly? NEGATIVE WEEKLY!  Ugh.  How did this happen???   

My salad size plate at my sister's house: turkey, mashed potatoes, noodles,
stuffing and green bean casserole.

I used a small plate, and made small islands of food.  Everything was a 1/2 cup size or less.  I thought I did well.  I only had seconds on the green bean casserole. 

I had these pumpkin cupcakes for my dessert (and very small servings of 2 other desserts my mom made - which I accounted for):

While I didn't eat much of this on T-Day Part Deux (it was bland and needed more spicing up), I have been eating this in my lunch all week:

Sweet Potato Casserole

IF I have a gain tomorrow, and I'm praying I do not, but IF I do, it will be because, yes, I did eat a little more than I normally would this past week due to Thanksgiving.  Also, it was.... that special time of the month, and I have been absolutely ravenous all week.  Actually, I believe a lot of the negative Points+ have come as a result of this more than Thanksgiving to be honest. Do you ladies ever get like this during the actual week of the "event"?  No amount of food or anything in particular has been satisfying.  Not even chocolate!

I was able to avoid one "war" this week with Five Guys (Joel was having a craving and he indulged, I did NOT)... but I lost the battle last night to Japanese from our favorite restaurant.  Still, I had very small portions of the Japanese food and only ate until just satisfied. 

I really don't want a gain tomorrow, not only for obvious reasons, but because I am really proud of how I handled Thanksgiving this year.  I am proud of how I managed Joel's family's feast, and how I even managed my own family's spread.  I'm also proud that I made 3 WW friendly substitutions (pie, casserole and cupcakes) and that I have still accounted for EVERYTHING this week, even if I am in the deep, deep red of Points+.  It really does feel better when you write it down, even if you are borrowing from next week's Points+ bank ;). I'm also proud that I visited WW while traveling.  I'm really trying to stay focused! 

Today (Thursday) I am sucking down the water and trying to stay within my 39 Points+ for the day.  Tonight we have a happy hour for the 3 couples who got engaged in my office, and so I'm going to have to fight another war tonight... I will get 1 beer and that is it! I <3 beer.  But I don't love gains, and no amount of beer is worth a gain!!

What is your self assessment of how you handled Thanksgiving?