Watermelon Slush

Watermelon Slush

PointsPlus Value:       0

Ingredients:

2½ cup watermelon cubes

1 cup ice

2 fresh mint leaves

Process in blender to desired consistency.  Serve in tall glasses.

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni & Cheese

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Servings:                     8

Serving Size:                1 cup

PointsPlus Value:       8

Ingredients:

12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp light butter

¼ cup flour

¼ cup minced onion

2 cups skim milk

1 cup fat-free chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)

8 oz (2 cups) Sargento shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar

Salt and fresh pepper to taste

12 oz fresh broccoli florets (I used pre-cut bag)

1/8 cup grated parmesan

Cook pasta and broccoli together in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions for al dente (or slightly under cook 2 minutes).  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt butters.  Add onion and cook over low heat about 2 minutes, add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well combined.  Add milk and chicken broth and whisk, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick.  Season with salt and pepper.

Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and broccoli and mix well.  Pour into a prepared baking dish.  Top with grated cheese and bread crumbs.  Spray a little more cooking spray on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes then broil for a few minutes to get the bread crumbs golden.

Basil Peach Chicken Breasts

Basil-Peach Chicken Breasts

PointsPlus Value:       5

Prep time:                   45 minutes

Cook time:                  20 minutes

Serves:                        8

Ingredients:

4 breast(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s)

1¼ tsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 cup(s) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp ground ginger

4 large peach(es), pealed and sliced into 1/4 –inch thick slices

2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced

1 medium uncooked shallot(s), thinly sliced

12 leaf/leaves basil, finely chopped

½ tsp Gefen Black Pepper, Ground

Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.     Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper

3.     Heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet.  Cook chicken over medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet.

4.     Reduce heat to medium.  Add shallot to hot drippings and sauté 3 minutes or until tender.  Add ginger and garlic; sauté 45 to 60 seconds or until fragrant.

5.     Add basil, chicken broth, and peaches.

6.     Return chicken to skillet and turn to coat.

7.     Place skillet in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until done.

Oreo Cookies and Cream Milkshake

Oreo Cookies and Cream Milkshake

1 cup reduced-fat (1%) milk or ½ cup fat-free and ½ cup reduced-fat 2%

2½ reduced-fat Oreo cookies

1 tablespoon instant vanilla pudding (dry mix)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package Splenda, Stevia or Equal

1½ cups ice cubes

1. Add all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add a few more ice cubes if the shake isn’t thick enough.

2. Serve at once.

Makes 2 servings, (1 cup each) for 3 PP!

THE GOOD GETAWAY

I thought you might want to read this article.  It is really good.  Hope you enjoy it.  Diana

The Good Getaway

Strategies, tips and tools to help you make smart choices and still have a great time.

Article By: Melissa Sperl

Extra weight is one souvenir no one wants to bring home. But the average vacation weight gain ranges from five to eight pounds. So why do so many people end up with extra baggage? The culprit — vacation amnesia! It can creep in when you've slipped into full R&R mode and before you know it, you've taken a break from your healthy habits. The good news is that vacation weight gain isn't inevitable. Take your Plan along and you'll have all the strategies and tools you need to beat the odds!
Four ways to avoid Vacation Amnesia
1. Choose your option
Setting a Winning Outcome — a powerful Tools For Living strategy — is like setting a goal, and it's important to do it before you leave for your getaway. Choose whether you want to come home having lost weight, maintained or maybe even gained a little. Knowing ahead of time what you want the outcome of your efforts to be will help you set a realistic plan and avoid suprises.
2. Determine strategies
Consider what aspects of your upcoming vacation might make it difficult for you to stick with the Winning Outcome you set. How will you manage offers of food and snacks? How will you eat out in restaurants? Will you be able to get online and track? How will you exercise?
3. Gather the necessary tools
Along with your clothes and toiletries, you should also pack things that will make it easier for you to stay on track. For example, what will you need for your work out? Do you have favorite healthy snacks that might be difficult to find where you're going? Are you prepared to track PointsPlus® values? Or perhaps you'll want to take a break from tracking and give the Simply Filling technique a try (see below).
4. Make a post-vacation commitment
Vacation amnesia can often linger for days or weeks after the actual getaway. Some people may let a slip turn into a landslide — derailing their progress by not jumping back on the healthy track. Decide before you go that no matter what happens, you'll pick up your efforts again the day you get back.

Rootbeer Float Pie

Rootbeer Float Pie

serves 8 ( 5 points +)

1 carton ( 8 oz) Cool Whip Free

¾ c. cold root beer (diet)

½ c. skim milk

1 pkg. sugar -free instant vanilla pudding mix

1 graham cracker pie crust ( 9")

maraschino cherries ( optional)

Whisk together the root beer, pudding and milk until set. Let stand 2 minutes.

Fold in half of the Cool Whip and transfer to the pie crust. Top with remaining Cool Whip.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Top each piece with a cherry right before serving, if desired.

Dining Out in Our Town

How to navigate the menu, plan for splurges, estimate portions and more.

Article By: Duane Swierczynski

If you eat in a restaurant 4.2 times a week you are officially an average American. Unfortunately, the typical American is also overweight. Part of the reason is that restaurant portions tend to be oversized, and it's hard to monitor the ingredients and means of preparation, which often means high fat and calories. But that doesn’t mean you have to shun your favorite neighborhood eateries. The best way to make informed, on-Plan choices is to know your options.

Start with these smart dining strategies

Hold the butter
A University of Illinois study of 340 patrons in an Italian restaurant found that diners who dipped their bread in olive oil ate an average of 23 percent less bread, reported feeling full sooner, and consumed 50 fewer calories overall than the customers who used butter.

Stick with a classic appetizer
Get the shrimp cocktail for 4 PointsPlus® values. (A quarter cup of cocktail sauce = 2 PointsPlus values; 4 ounces of large shrimp is 2.)

Keep greens lean
Order salad dressings and sauces on the side. Dip your fork in the dressing, instead of pouring it on your greens, and you'll consume far less without noticing much of a difference in flavor.

Make it a spud light A plain baked potato has 5 to 6 PointsPlus values, depending on size. The blob of butter or sour cream it cries out for has twice that. Squeeze a lemon wedge or use salsa instead.

Halve it your way
Ask your server to plate half your entrée and bring the other half in a doggy bag. You’re serving will probably still be larger than a "standard" portion size.

Nix the prix fix
The automatic addition of an appetizer and dessert adds PointsPlus values and is harder to resist — after all, you've paid for them.

Redefine surf and turf Steamed fish and grilled chicken breast are the champs of sea and land, at 3 and 4 PointsPlus values respectively for a 4-ounce portion. Request your chicken grilled dry (without oil).

Roasted chicken surprise
Some chefs put butter or oil under the chicken skin. Ask them to refrain when you order.

Have your just desserts
If you opt to share a dessert with a dining companion, go for the sorbet.

Look out for these “red flags” used to describe dishes that contain plenty ofPointsPlus values

• au fromage
• au gratin
• au lait
• battered
• bisque
• cream of
• dipped
• double-baked
• hollandaise
• just like mom’s
• Newburg
• pan-fried
• parmesan
• sautéed
• tempura
• crispy

Plan sensible and satisfying restaurant meals and share your faves