Hello, Wednesday

Today is a good day.  After all, Psalm 118:24 reminds me that, "This is the day which the Lord has made; we will be full of joy and delight in it."  I am reminded today that (Psalm 30) joy comes in the morning, (Nehemiah 8:10) the joy of the Lord is my strength.  We've got joy, people!  And I have a few Wednesday ramblings for you.

Rambling #1: We sold the alligator off of Craigslist.  So long little buddy-- he was a pond accessory and water actually shot out of his mouth-- kinda cool (just kinda).  Aside from the cash and de-cluttering the back yard, one of my favorite things about Craigslist is the PEOPLE.  I love the type of people who buy off Craigslist.  I am one of them.  I just can not get enough of people-- they fascinate me.  Last night this super nice man from Council Bluffs drove all the way to our house to hand us $40 for this beast.  And then told us a rather lengthy story about his turtle collection (it's live) all while the sweet neighbor boys tried to talk to all of us through the fence.  Then, he called my son a girl and repeatedly referred to him as "her."  I tried to correct him passively, by saying things like, "Yep, HE'LL have more grass to play in..." but it didn't work.



Rambling #2: My SON's hair may or may not need a cut.  Aside from nice-Craigslist-man, the nurse at our One Year well baby appointment told me today to "lay her right here."  I laughed.  I said, "He's a boy.  He might need a haircut."  She talked like a nervous person talked but finally did say that she should have known with a name like... Dekker.



Rambling #3: I love Chinese food.  My sweet husband took time off to go to the appointment with me today and then we went for lunch.  I love having lunch with Dave far more than Chinese food any day.  The server asked if we needed a highchair... "for him? her?"  Okay... I get it. 

Cautious Optimism

First (if you've been wondering) I wanted to let you know that I did in fact weigh myself before we left for Michigan and I had lost one pound.  I'll hold my sarcastic tongue and excuses and just say that 5 lbs total in 2 weeks is thrilling.  I may have taken a few steps backward while on said trip, but I planned ahead really well with my bonus points so I am cautiously optimistic that come Friday I will maintain.  No hopes for a loss with all the food and no workouts.  Maybe next week.  Right now I am eating 4 points of Sweettarts, my Valentine's Day gift to myself.  They are delish and since I have zero food in this house, I know I won't be going over more than 2 points today.  Ug.  I am half heart-idly considering walking on the treadmill during American Idol tonight.  We'll see.

I also wanted to share this excellent Jambalaya recipe.  It is pointed at 8 points a serving, and you'll want to double check what is considered a serving.  Thank you again Amanda and Nathan for introducing us to this after Dekker was born.  It is very family friendly, and it's Milk and Soy free (I think??), FYI, in case you or someone you know is looking (or you're taking a meal to a friend).  You can consider substituting whole grain brown rice, which I believe would take the points down.

If you're wondering how I have time to sit and make lengthy blog posts in the middle of the day on a Tuesday (work day) it's because I'm home with a sick Dekker today.  (Who just woke up from his nap... more later)... ... ...

... ... ... I considered one super long post today, but it's now been six hours since Dekker woke up and I have been busy chasing him around, getting dinner together (aka warming up a Lean Cuisine), walking on the treadmill (which I almost did pant-less b/c I couldn't find a clean pair to save my soul-- can you workout without pants in your own home?) and talking to Dave.  So I'm settling for two shorter posts and hope to get to post some interesting things happening lately come tomorrow.  For now, I am tempted to stay up late, blog and watch the Olympics, but Goodness Knows that Dekker won't understand why I want to sleep in tomorrow :)  So good-night all.



On the journey.

Stef

Nachos

I just ate my delicious nachos for lunch. They were everything I dreamed they would be.

Points? 2 servings (approx 28 chips) baked tortilla chips (4). 1/4 cup fat free cheese (1). 1/4 cup shredded Monterrey Jack and Colby (3). Total: 8 I am in heaven! I was so thrilled that I took a picture!  Who takes a picture of nachos???

My other superbowl tip? Portion, Portion, Portion. Just remember, you can eat whatever you want-- just not all of it and all the time! Baked chips are excellent, so are Fat Free Pringles, and there is lots of low point popcorn out there. I am going to go for big volume and low points. We'll see how it goes!!
On the Journey.
Stef

Easy Enchiladas

This is a blend of a Weight Watchers  recipe and just an old favorite enchilada recipe. This is the second time I have made it.  Tonight, I was able to make 10 enchiladas with this recipe, so I made 6 and froze the filling for Tuesday night when I am cooking for others again but have a very hectic day at work scheduled (which is good, right!).

Easy Enchiladas:

3 chicken breasts, seasoned with whatever you want (Mrs. Dash?) and boiled then shredded.

Preheat Oven to 350
Warm up a dash of olive oil in a non-stick skillet.  Add chicken.
Add in 24 oz chunky salsa (you'll have to buy more than this, or just hold back one cup for later)
Add in 1 or 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
Add in chopped scallions.  I have just been buying a smaller bunch and using it all b/c I don't want them in my fridge.
Add in chili powder.  I used about 3 teaspoons.
Add in ground cumin.  I used about 1.5 teaspoons.
Add in any other seasonings you want.  I used Tastefully Simple "onion/onion", a little Italian seasoning, and the Tastefully Simple "Seasoning salt."  I am discovering that "low point" food is typically very bland so I have been consulting my Weight Watcher cookbook and using a lot of seasoning.  Truth is, fat is seasoning.  So remove it, and food is quite bland.
You can also add in about 3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained.  I leave these out b/c Dave doesn't love them.
Add in 1/2 -to  2 cups shredded Monterey Jack (I use about 1/2 cup fat free cheddar)
Heat through.

Add about 1/2 cup salsa to bottom of baking pan.
Spoon about 1/2 cup mixture to the middle of tortilla (whole wheat, white, low carb-- you choose!).  Roll.
Place seam side down in pan.
Repeat.
When finished, add another 1/2 cup salsa over tortillas and top with as much cheese as you choose.

Bake at 350 for about 20 min.

Total Points: