Sweet and Sour Shrimp (OR Chicken)

This is one of my own recipe creations.  It's super easy and good enough to serve to company.

Serve with delicious nutty brown rice.

Don't skimp on the ingredients for the sauce, it gives a great sweet and sour flavor.

PointsPlus Value per serving:    6
Serves:   4


Sauce:
1/2 C very finely chopped sweet vidalia onion
1 clove finely chopped garlic
2 TBSP rice wine vinegar
1 TBSP lemon juice - bottled is fine
1/8 C ketchup
2 TBSP honey
1/8 C reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 C cubed pineapple (about 2 slices cut into about 1/2 to 3/4" cubes)
1/2 C cucumber skins cut into matchstick sized strips (or 1/2" cubes of cucumber if you don't want to waste the "meat")
1/2 C water

Sweat the onions in one spray of olive oil spray until softened - about 2 minutes, add a little water if necessary to prevent burning.  Add the garlic and vinegar and cook for 1 minute.  Now add the lemon juice, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, pineapple, cucumber strips and water.  Cook for a further 5 minutes on a low heat and set aside to keep warm.

Dinner:
1/2 C sliced scallions, white and green part
1 C sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 C carrot strips or baby carrots cut into quarters lengthwise
2 C broccoli spears (sub with asparagus cut into 2" strips if you prefer)
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp (or 1 pound chicken breast cut into 3/4" cubes)

~ Start by steaming the carrots and broccoli for 2 or 3 minutes to soften them a little and set aside.
~ Spray a wok (or large saute pan) with 3 sprays of olive oil spray, add the scallions and red peppers and cook on high heat till soft - they are okay if they brown a little, but don't let them burn - add a little water if they start sticking.
~ Add all the carrots, broccoli and shrimp and cook until the shrimp has JUST turned pink, allow "carry-over cooking" to ensure that they're fully cooked but not rubbery so remove from the heat as soon as all the shrimp have turned pink.
~ Turn into your serving dish, pour the sauce over the shrimp and veggies and serve immediately.

If you sub the chicken for the shrimp,  cut the chicken into 3/4" cubes and make sure the chicken is fully cooked (i.e. don't rely on carry-over cooking).

That's it for this week - let me know how it turns out for you - photo's are always nice!


Look in the "Survival Guide Tab" for Sandwich Making Tips!


See you back here of Sunday for the next installment of The Slender Segment

No New Year's Resolutions Allowed Here

I have no intention of making a NY's Resolution for this year (I haven't for many years) because one of the things that I have learned on my weight journey is that it's small, specific, reasonable goals that are attainable and that they all add up to give big results.

So each week I set myself a specific, small goal.  Sometimes it's a number that I have to reach, sometimes it's a behavior that I want to stick to for the week.  Sometimes the goals are for a longer period of time; in December (last month), I set myself the goal of not gaining anything over the course of the month by doing some pretty specific actions.

1. I was to eat on target all week - no exceptions, so that when I attended weekend events, I went into them having had a great week.  That helped me to stay closer to on track at the event so as not to undo the good work.
2.  Make hearty and nutritious meals / soups on the weekend so that I had some great WW friendly tupperware dishes full of goodness waiting for me in the fridge.  No takeout - no need :)
3.  Move more - even just an extra 10 minutes each day.
4.  Take sweet treats with thought, if it's not the very best quality - phoooey, not worth the points!

And I am delighted to report that I came out of it okay - I did gain a bit on New Year's eve, but, as I am writing this blog I am back in my happy place :)

So are you wondering why I am sharing this much information?  
~ I want you to know that I am also a Weight Watchers Member.  I, too, am prone to bouts of struggling with food and behaviors and I have to work at it all the time.  I want you to know that I have to figure out strategies for myself and I have to bargain with my previously "overweight me" often to stick with it.  I suspect we are not too different that way.
~I also want you to know that Weight Watchers offers us an opportunity to alter  the relationship we have with ourselves, to grow and change and to be proud of ourselves.  Sometimes it's the darndest things that make me smile... like winning my bet with myself ... what about you?

Now what?  
I have to set a new goal for myself for the coming day /days /week /weeks /month and I have done so, hopefully you can also ...  If you were in the meeting this week.  I asked you to set a NUMBER goal for Valentine's Day - for 6 weeks away and then to work with small changes to achieve your goal.

So if I didn't see you this week - here is what I suggest:
(a)  Make a decision as to what you'd like to weigh by the week of Valentines.  
(b)  Decide what small changes you can make to focus on weight loss - e.g. Cut the pasta serving by 1/4 each time, change from 2% milk products to fat free, no elevator rides, an extra serving of vegetables instead of carbohydrates at dinner.  These come from other members, make your own; keep them simple and make a pact with yourself to keep doing it, no matter what happens for a FULL 6 WEEKS.
(c)  Do anything practical you need to do to ACTION the change; buy a new battery for your pedometer, make sure the fridge is cleaned out in readiness for the new veggies and fruits you are going to be purchasing, speak to the family and let them know your plans - especially the person who'se responsible for the cooking if it's not you.
(d)  At the end of 6 weeks I hope these behaviors become your NEW NORMAL.  In other words, this will become your new Lifestyle.

This is worth repeating from a previous post :
NEWS FROM WEIGHT WATCHERS

BARCODE SCANNER AP

Ready, Set, Scan!

The barcode scanner, now available for both iPhone and Android, provides accurate PointsPlus® values for thousands of products which can be tracked directly from scanning a product’s barcode — no manual data entry into the Tracker is needed! Scan any food you like, even if it’s one we don’t have in our database — you can easily add the food to your Favorites list or directly into a mealtime in your Food Tracker. 

Additionally, the new barcode scanner app can compare multiple scanned products — a really useful feature when it comes to meal planning and creating shopping lists.  

To download this beauty, look for Weight Watchers Barcode Scanner in the App Store or the Android Market. This product is free for all iOS and Android smartphone users who have a Weight Watchers Online or eTools account with us.

So, what are you waiting for? Head to the grocery store and start scanning all of your holiday food items before you purchase to make sure they are PointsPlus values-friendly.

A few housekeeping items:

1)       It’s best if your Weight Watchers Mobile app is the latest version (iOS v1.7, Android v1.1), it’ll play nicely with the barcode scanner

2)       All items will be tracked as "user-created foods" and will display with the blue flag next to them in your PointsPlus Food Tracker.

3)       The barcode scanner has a separate food database from the Plan Manager and Tracker apps, so only the foods you track or add to favorites from the Barcode Scanner app will be available in the PointsPlus Food Tracker.

4)       All Favorites created in the barcode app will be added to the Plan Manager and Tracker app favorites, BUT you will not see Plan Manager or Tracker app favorites in the barcode scanner app.  Also, deleting favorites from the barcode scanner app will not delete it from your Plan Manger or Tracker app.

NEW PRODUCTS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE MEETING ROOM

10-Minute Time Crunch Training Fitness Kit  $24.95

10-Minute Time Crunch Training is designed to fit into your busy schedule. We put together five effective 10-minute exercise segments that when taken together, work your total body. You can do one workout at a time, or mix and match them to fit your goals for the day. Each routine features beginner and advanced options to modify the movements—making it perfect for any level of fitness.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

• Mix and match your workouts with 10-minute segments:

– Upper Body 

– Lower Body 

– Total Body 

– Core

– Interval Training 

• Perfect for any level of fitness!

NEW 2012 Ultimate 3 Month Tracker   $5.95

Tracking is a key to success on the Weight Watchers program. Track everything in this journal—from the food you eat, to your hunger, to your activity—so you can see what works for you and what doesn't.

2 NEW flavors to add to the already popular line of favorites - both are 2 PointsPlus Value per item.

Praline Nut Cluster Mini Bars:
A luscious praline confection with peanuts, caramel and a yogurt drizzle — could you ask for anything more?  The peanut flavor definitely shines through.  This is the bar for anyone who doesn't love chocolate, but wants something sweet and crunchy.
12 Bars per Box $7.50.

Popped Zesty Cheese Crisps:

A crunch chip made with whole grains that balances all natural seasonings and a zesty flavor combo of cheddar and feta.  I don't know another chip on the market that delivers a cheesy taste as pronounced as this one without the high calorie price to go with it!

5 Bags per Box $4.95.

One Last Thing:
Yummy Deliciousness:
One day last week, I, unexpectedly, needed to purchase something for lunch... I pondered as to what I should get -not wanting to blow my points for the day.  Finally I drove to Trader Joes - hmmm --- I had not tried their Egg White Salad before and to my surprise it was only 1 PPV per serving, there are 2 servings in the container for 3 PPV - let me just say --- soooooo worth it!

See you in your meeting this week - and come back to the blog on Wednesday for a super recipe.

BACK on TRACK Soup

Tasty, filling and a Nina original - it takes a little more work that the usual everyday filling soup, but it's worth the effort for the flavor.

Roasted Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Serves 8

PPV per serving 2

Ingredients

1 medium head of cauliflower - sliced into 3/4 inch thick slices

sprinkling of garlic salt

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup (1 small) diced celery root (celeriac)

1/4 cup diced red onion

48 oz low sodium chicken broth

Celeriac is an untidy 
looking root.  It's 
fairly easy to peel 
with a knife.

2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

ground black pepper

3 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

~ Preheat the oven to 450 deg and prepare a baking sheet by covering with aluminium foil and a coating of olive oil spray or other non-stick spray.

~ Slice the cauliflower into cross-section slices about 3/4" thick and lay them on the pan, spray with the olive oil spray and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Roast in the oven, turning the slices over to cook evenly for about 20 - 25 minutes until soft and with touches of golden brown.

~ In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil and saute the onion and celeriac until softened and translucent.  Add the roasted cauliflower, the thyme, bay leaves, pepper and the broth.  Put a lid on the pot and cook for 30 minutes.

~ Fish out the bay leaves before blending the soup with your jug or stick blender.

~ Upon serving - once you've ladled it into bowls top off with a rounded teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese.

Yields 8 cups.

Come on back to the blog on Sunday for your next posting.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Oh, and by the way - DON'T SKIP your meeting :)

2012 - The Year of the Water Wagon!

Last year, you know, the Chinese calendar stated,

That the year was going to be a great one, and we’d be elated

To know that 2011 was the year of the Rabbit –

And so … for all to hear, I did declare that it was 

our year of the TRACKING HABIT!

On the Chinese calendar, when I looked today,

I wanted to be sure that I'd have a clear message to convey,

I read that 2012 is the year of the Water Dragon -

So … for all to hear, I do declare this is to be
our year of the WATER WAGON!

“What does that mean?” I hear you cry,
“Do I give up my coffee, my tea my liqueur?” 
“Well no ... you decide ... but how about making every second glass pure? 

Sub water or seltzer for every other drink you choose,

And double the H₂O amount you’re willing to use”

Welcome to the NEW YEAR.

Many members in the meeting room this past week shared by writing in a note book that I passed around the meeting.  I asked them to offer some of the amazing behavioral habits they are proud of themselves for conquering this past year and that they are planning to continue into 2012.  

I want to share the 3 that I feel are really meaningful:

If you did not get a chance to write in the note book - I still want your contribution.  Please can you pen something and send it to me in the comments section of the blog?  

I am always in awe of the amazing achievements of members, especially when you show that making small changes can make significant difference to the outcome of your weight journey!

"I recommitted this year and made progress in very small ways.  I attended every meeting and my biggest victory was that I wrote down everything I ate for the entire year"    Unknown - but BRAVO to you!

"This past year has been an amazing journey for me with Weight Watchers.  As I begin to set a goal for myself, I look back at all the positive changes in my health.  For example, my BMI changed from Type 2 - morbid obesity (severe health risks).  My current BMI is in the healthy range without any medical issues.  I've never been a walker but now I am a runner and can't believe how different and amazing I feel just one year later."    Rachel

"I came EVERY week, stayed for EVERY meeting, wrote down suggestions from fellow members and Nina, drank lots of water, walked and IT worked!  Thank-you for your support!"     Mary (ed note - the "EVERY" capitals are mine).

I received my copy of the Weight Watchers Magazine 2 days ago and I have been pouring over it --- I LOVE IT!

The party's over, the resolutions are set, and you're ready to start losing.  The new issue is great, it's packed with tips on how you can eat favorite foods without gaining a pound, how to feel confident (and look great) in your clothes, and how to tone up and slim down—without leaving home.  There are also 37 recipes, including a few favorites from "our own" Jennifer Hudson. 

The mag is for sale in the meeting rooms $4.95.

Inside this issue (From Weight Watchers Marketing Dept):

Snack Strategies: Sweet. You'll welcome WW advice on how to keep a sweet tooth satisfied without gaining.

Sweater Smarts. One woman’s transformation from bulky to beautiful will share how to look 10 pounds slimmer in winter sweaters.

Break New Ground. Stuck in a rut? WW shows us how to break out of our comfort zones and experience all that life has to offer in the New Year.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Show some love on Valentine’s Day with these perfect PointsPlus^® friendly mini cupcakes  -  YUM!

IN THE MEETING ROOM:

This Week’s Topic:

HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW AD FROM JENNIFER HUDSON?

I Believe in You and Me (the song from The Four Tops)

Do you believe that this year will be different? 

That you have what it takes to not only lose weight but to keep it off...for life?

What will it take for you to believe? 

If you’ve ever tried to lose a pound, you are an expert in what worked and did not work for you. This is your year to put practice and experience to good use and believe in your potential to achieve your goals!

And finally:

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

Christopher Robin to his friend Winnie the Pooh!

COME BY on Wednesday to the blog for the recipe of the week.

See you in your meeting :)