MIDWEEK MINUTES October 17, 2015
Midweek
Minutes
October 17,
2015
Hello, Winners!
It’s the middle of October, and I
honestly don’t know where the time is going! Change is in the air in more than
just the weather. It’s
exciting and challenging at the same time.
Change seems to be the buzz word,
alright! My daughter and son-in-law are living in another town now. I have a
new grandbaby on the way at the end of January. My daughter drives here to work
and bring my grandkids here to school. My 14-year-old granddaughter stays with
me one or two nights a week. I have a guest bedroom now that my son got married
and moved away. I’m teaching a new English class this year, so that means I am
about a day ahead of the class in preparation! Add to that 5 other schools to
which I teach German over Distance Learning, a couple of new administrators and
a lot of new teachers at my school, and it’s been a WILD ride since summer! Can
you say Christmas break??? Whew!
I have enjoyed the topics we have been
covering at WW because they speak to me. I only wish that more members would
attend meetings because they have helped me stay on plan throughout all the ups
and downs in the last nine weeks!
As we embark on the “Bermuda Triangle”
of the holiday season, we are also looking forward to a whole new perspective
for WW 2016. I have to wait to tell you about it until December, but given the
speed of the last few months, that’s coming fast! You don’t know it, but in the
meetings, we have been giving you teasers about what the future holds.
Nebraska is ahead at the beginning of
the 4th quarter. I hope they stay there. Those boys deserve a win. They have
had a coaching change this year.
I guess what I am trying to say is
that I am fortunate to be fairly healthy. I am fortunate to have a purpose or
two in life. I am blessed, and regardless of the daily stresses and strains, I
can’t complain. Not ready to retire yet, but I’m thrilled to have finished
reading all the essays I assigned!!! Can you say October 30 we have the day
off???
Now, I just need to get the newsletter
done and maybe start on the November calendar...oh yeah...and do laundry. Enjoy
the rest of your weekend, and PLEASE, join us in the meeting
room!
One more thing...we’re having a “Black
Friday” giveaway at the meetings I lead. We’re adding an item to a gift basket
each week. Come and weigh and get a ticket. Bring a friend and get two
tickets! I just don’t want to think that because we didn’t have enough members
that we won’t have a meeting near you in the New Year! Please plan to attend
your meetings!
See you there this week!
--Zig
Member
Milestones
Superior: –16.2
lbs
Hastings –6.8
lbs.
Protein Power
Getting the right amount of this
nutrient (and others!) pays off in lots of ways.
You don’t need us to tell you that eating a variety of foods
is a smart way to go—and not only because a roster of the same old foods gets
boring after a while. Every food has its own special blend of nutrients, so
eating an array, particularly fresh and unprocessed foods, helps ensure that
you're getting the key vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Protein is a biggie. As you learned in your meeting this week, many people don’t get quite enough of this nutrition hero, which helps you feel more satisfied, strengthens bones, muscles, and skin. You should aim for half a gram of protein for every pound you weigh. Sources are plentiful: 3 ounces of cooked 95% lean ground beef gives you 22 grams of protein; 3 ounces of cooked salmon delivers 18. Not a meat eater? No worries: A cup of plain fat-free Greek yogurt packs 20 grams; cup of fat-free cottage cheese has 15. You get 6 grams of protein in an egg, and 7 in half a cup of black beans. You can see protein content right in your Tracker: In the “Add food” pop-up window, click on “Nutrient and additional details.”
But man (and woman) cannot live on protein alone! One simple way to zero in on a wide range of good stuff is to try to eat a rainbow’s range each day. Read on to see what each hued food gives you:
Green foods contain folic acid, vitamin C, and potassium. Think spinach, avocado, peppers, and broccoli.
Yellow foods like lemons, pineapple, yellow peppers, and bananas are loaded with vitamin C, and potassium.
Orange foods contain vitamins A and C. Try sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, oranges, and apricots.
Red foods like strawberries, tomatoes, raspberries, and cranberries are full of vitamin C.
Brown foods contain zinc and vitamin E. Think nuts and fortified cereals.
Eating the best and the brightest gets you loads of vitamins and nutrients, not to mention a treat for the taste buds and eyes!
Protein is a biggie. As you learned in your meeting this week, many people don’t get quite enough of this nutrition hero, which helps you feel more satisfied, strengthens bones, muscles, and skin. You should aim for half a gram of protein for every pound you weigh. Sources are plentiful: 3 ounces of cooked 95% lean ground beef gives you 22 grams of protein; 3 ounces of cooked salmon delivers 18. Not a meat eater? No worries: A cup of plain fat-free Greek yogurt packs 20 grams; cup of fat-free cottage cheese has 15. You get 6 grams of protein in an egg, and 7 in half a cup of black beans. You can see protein content right in your Tracker: In the “Add food” pop-up window, click on “Nutrient and additional details.”
But man (and woman) cannot live on protein alone! One simple way to zero in on a wide range of good stuff is to try to eat a rainbow’s range each day. Read on to see what each hued food gives you:
Green foods contain folic acid, vitamin C, and potassium. Think spinach, avocado, peppers, and broccoli.
Yellow foods like lemons, pineapple, yellow peppers, and bananas are loaded with vitamin C, and potassium.
Orange foods contain vitamins A and C. Try sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, oranges, and apricots.
Red foods like strawberries, tomatoes, raspberries, and cranberries are full of vitamin C.
Brown foods contain zinc and vitamin E. Think nuts and fortified cereals.
Eating the best and the brightest gets you loads of vitamins and nutrients, not to mention a treat for the taste buds and eyes!
Starter Kits reduced to $24.95
Cookbooks 50% off ($7.45 for large, $4.95
for smaller books)
Smoothies & Oatmeal discounted to
$4.95
Granola Bites discounted to $3.95
Mini Bars discounted to $4.95
Crunchy Snacks discounted to $3.95
Snack Bars discounted to $3.95
Cookies discounted to $1.95
Oil Sprayer, Salad Dressing Cruet, Salad
Solutions To-Go and Fruit Solutions To-Go discounted to $9.95
Our FAVORITE
issue of the year is here!!!
Here’s a
healthy recipe from one of the pages: turkey leftovers with
PROTEIN!!!
Food Q&A: Low-fat Protein to Go
Help yourself stay on Plan by
preparing quick, low-fat meals to take to work.
Need ideas for coping with restaurant buffets? Want
some good snack ideas? In our Q&A series, WeightWatchers.com nutritionist
and food editor Leslie Fink, MS, RD, answers questions about food, nutrition and
weight loss.
Q: Any suggestions for low-fat foods (I
prefer protein-rich options) that are fast and easy to prepare, that I can take
to work and eat at my desk or on the go?
A: If you're looking for quick and easy, seek
out as many prepared foods and convenience food products as possible. Roasted
chickens, marinated meat and poultry, frozen soy burgers and stir-fry vegetable
mixes can help cut cooking time. Doubling your dinner recipes and toting
leftovers to the office for lunch is another terrific time-saving tactic.
Try these protein-rich meal ideas:
- Chicken Chili Purchase marinated, grilled chicken breast strips. Cube them and toss into low-fat canned vegetarian chili. Sprinkle with low-fat shredded cheddar cheese and heat in the microwave.
- Beefy Vegetable Soup Heat up a can of low-fat chicken noodle soup; toss in cooked lean beef strips, peas and carrots; tote to work in a thermos.
- Shrimp Cocktail This tasty and very low-fat finger food can be purchased fresh or frozen. Enjoy it dipped into cocktail sauce along with some fresh vegetable sticks (even a handful of baby carrots will do).
- Grilled Chicken Salad Many grocery stores have extensive salad bars where you can load up on lettuce and fresh chopped vegetables. Make yourself several salads and then buy a roasted chicken. Remove the skin, cut up the meat and divide it among your salads; toss with the low-calorie dressing of your choice.
- Steamed Chinese Chinese food is an easy option when you're short on time. My favorite is steamed chicken and broccoli with garlic sauce on the side, and it's typically large enough for 2 or 3 meals.
- Cheese "Burger" Microwave a frozen soy-based vegetable burger. Top it with a slice of low-fat cheese and pair it up with roasted vegetables.
- Ham and Turkey Roll It's not fancy, but even rolled up pieces of deli-sliced turkey breast and lean ham wrapped around fresh vegetable sticks will do the trick for a protein blast when you're crunched for time.
Besides food items, there are
new products such as this tote and
different
T-shirts! Can you say “stocking
stuffers”?
Member Recipes
Spicy Sausage, Spinach, and Mushroom Lasagna
1 box lasagna
1 lb. lean spicy turkey sausage, removed from casing
1 lb. 1 medium onion,
diced
4 cloves garlic,
minced
3 cups marinara
sauce (or crushed tomatoes, divided)
12 oz. fresh baby
spinach
8 oz. mushrooms,
sliced
Salt and
pepper
2 cups part skim
ricotta (or low-fat cottage cheese)
1/2 cup fresh
basil, chopped
2 tsp. crushed red
pepper flakes
2 tsp. Italian
seasoning
2 cups part-skim
shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup Parmesan
cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to
375°F.
Cook pasta according to
package directions. Lightly spray noodles with nonstick cooking spray when
finished to prevent sticking; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat large
skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion to skillet. Cook 10 minutes
or until browned and cooked through, breaking into crumbles, stirring
occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Drain any excess
liquid. Stir in 2 cups of the marinara sauce. Remove mixture from heat; reserve
sausage-marinara sauce.
Wipe skillet clean with
paper towel. Add spinach and mushrooms to skillet. Cook over medium heat about 5
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if necessary to
prevent sticking. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
In small bowl, whisk
together ricotta, basil, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning; set
aside.
To assemble lasagna, spray
9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of remaining
plain marinara sauce on bottom of dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles, half of
ricotta cheese mixture, half of spinach mixture, and half of sausage-marinara
sauce. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat for next layer. To
finish lasagna, add one layer of noodles and remaining 1/2 cup plain marinara
sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and the 1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil; bake 25
minutes. Remove foil; bake additional 5 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before
serving. Makes 9 servings at 10 PP each www.slenderkitchen.com
Skinny Mac and Cheese
Soup
Ingredients
2 cups (8 oz) dry whole grain or whole wheat
elbow macaroni noodles or penne pasta
5 slices bacon, see shopping tips
1 cup fat-free milk
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
2 (14.5 oz) cans or 1(32 oz) carton
reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 ¾ ounce) can Campbell’s Healthy Request Cheddar Cheese
soup, see shopping tips
⅔ cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese,
shredded
1 tablespoon reduced-fat butter or Smart Balance
light
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, see shopping
tips
½ teaspoon garlic
powder
A little black pepper, to taste
Ingredients for Toppings:
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon reduced-fat shredded
cheddar cheese
¼ cup scallions,
chopped
Cooked and crumbled bacon from
above
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions but cook al dente (not
over cooked).
In the meantime, cook bacon in microwave on paper towels. Be sure to
cover the bottom and top of bacon with paper towels.
Cook about 2-3 minutes, until crispy. Blot well with paper towels.
Crumble and set aside for topping soup.
Next, place milk and ricotta cheese in a blender and pulse until
smooth.
In a large pot, add chicken broth, undiluted cheese soup,
milk/ricotta cheese sauce, ⅔ cup
shredded cheddar cheese, butter, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a little
pepper.
Stir often, over medium heat, until cheese is melted, about 10
minutes. Stir in cooked macaroni pasta.
To serve: ladle 1¼ cups soup into each bowl. Top
with 1 tablespoon cheese and a little crumbled bacon and
scallions.
Makes 6 servings. Each main course serving
(1¼ cups), including topped with bacon & cheese
1 1/4 Cup = 8 PP www.slenderkitchen.com
Ham, Spinach and Cheese Pasta
Casserole
1⅓ cup dried whole grain penne pasta
1 (6 ounce) package fresh spinach
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese or fat-free ricotta
cheese
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Ingredients for Topping:
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9″ x 9″ baking dish with
cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, cook pasta according to package
directions. Place spinach in a large colander and set in the sink. Pour cooked
pasta over spinach in colander; drain well. Set aside.
3. Place onions on a microwave safe plate and cooked in the
microwave for about 2 minutes until soft. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in nonstick pan.
Add onions and cook for a few minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard, and pepper.
Cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Cook and stir
until slightly thickened. Continue to cook and stir for 1 more minute. Stir in
cottage cheese and 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Mix until cheese is mostly
melted. Gently stir in pasta/spinach and ham.
4. Add pasta mixture to baking pan. Sprinkle top with 2
tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until the top
starts to brown.
5. Cool for at least 10 minutes to slightly set. Cut into 4
squares. Use a spatula to remove each serving.
Makes 4 servings (each serving, 1 slice @ 7
PP))
Black Bean Brownies
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 20 servings • Serving Size: 1 brownie Points+: 4 pts
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 20 servings • Serving Size: 1 brownie Points+: 4 pts
15 oz can black beans
19.5 oz box chocolate brownie
mix
Open can of beans, drain and rinse well.
Put beans back in the can and fill can with water.
Put beans and water in blender until smooth.
Mix pureed beans with brownie package mix.
DO NOT add eggs or oil.
Spray baking dish with Pam.
Cook brownies according to package directions.
Cool and serve
Apple Cake with Caramel
Glaze
Ingredients for
Cake:
Cooking spray (with flour in it) see shopping tip
below
1 (16.5 oz) box Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
1 (16.5 oz) box Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, I like Eggland’s Best eggs
1 cup apples, peeled and diced
Ingredients for Caramel Glaze:
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar or powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Fall colored sprinkles for decoration, if
desired
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a Bundt pan with cooking
spray with flour in it, see shopping tip below.
2. In an electric mixer or using a hand mixer, combine all the
cake ingredients except the eggs and apples. Beat well.
3. Add eggs and beat well again. Stir in diced
apples.
4. Pour the cake batter evenly into the coated Bundt
pan.
5. Bake for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out
clean. Cool for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan. Let cake
cool a bit before adding glaze.
6. To make caramel glaze: In a small bowl, add all glaze
ingredients. Mix together until completely smooth. Add a teaspoon or 2 of water,
if necessary to make it smooth. Drizzle over cooled
cake.
7. Decorate with fall colored sprinkles, If
desired
Makes 16 slices (each serving, 1 slice @ 6
PP)
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