Dinner for One

I may be single and apt to eat alone most nights, but I don't like whipping up single serve meals. Even if I know that I'll be eating dinner on the couch while catching up on "Grey's Anatomy", I love sitting down to a big home cooked meal. I often find that these meals are packed with more robust and complex flavors than quicker and simpler "dinner for one" recipes. Another benefit? All the leftovers! Freezing individual sized portions of the leftovers leaves me with a variety of healthy meal options that can be ready after just a few short minutes in the microwave. One of the great things about these pre-portioned frozen meals is that I already know exactly how many points plus values are in each; this saves me from needing to do any calculations, and makes for easy tracking in my Weight Watchers e-tools. The price of frozen entrees at the grocery store has increased dramatically over the years, so it's also cost effective to make and freeze your own. I do, however, still stock up on my favorite Smart Ones meals when they're on sale.

Every now and then I'll get home too late to cook, and I'll find myself out of (or sick of!) frozen entrees. This has habitually been my favorite excuse to order delivery, but I'm trying to cut back on that this year. If I'm going to successfully curb my delivery food dependency, I'm going to need to invent and discover more recipes for quick and easy dinners for one this year! Below is a new favorite that I've made twice this past month.

Chicken Cutlet with Baked Spaghetti Squash Parmesan

Servings: 1 Serving Size: whole recipe Points Plus*: 10 pts

 

Ingredients

2 sprays  Cooking spray, olive oil
1  PERDUE® SIMPLY SMART® Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Cutlets (22 oz.), frozen*
2 slices  Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese cuts 
1 cup  Spaghetti squash, cooked**
5 slices  Hormel turkey pepperoni
1/2 cup  Tomato sauce, canned
1 dash  Garlic powder
1 dash  Dried basil
1/4 cup  Part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

* I bought a bag of these lightly breaded chicken cutlets earlier this month because it was on sale, and because I was slightly curious about this lighter version of their classic cutlet. They're pretty yummy, and have come in handy when I've had a hankering for a quick dinner that is slightly reminiscent of a naughty takeout meal.

** Each Sunday evening I roast a spaghetti squash. I love this vegetable, and throughout the week I enjoy it as a side dish or use it to help bulk up a meal. 

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400°.

Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and lightly spray it with an olive oil cooking spray. Place the chicken cutlet on one side of the tray. On the opposite side, shape one cup of spaghetti squash into a cutlet-sized bed. (In the photograph below you'll see some smashed roasted garlic on top of the spaghetti squash, I had some kicking around in my fridge and I thought it might be a good addition- it was!)

Top the bed of spaghetti squash with the turkey pepperoni, tomato sauce, a dash each of the garlic powder and dried basil, and the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes, take your baking sheet out of the oven. Flip the chicken cutlet over and top it with the two slices of Cracker Barrel cheese. I did not top the chicken with cheese the first time I made this for dinner, but I had some extra points to play with the second time around. What can I say? More cheese is more better! So, if you've got the points to spare, go ahead and add that extra cheese. Bake the chicken and squash for another 7-10 minutes, removing it when the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Serve the chicken over top of the bed of baked spaghetti squash Parmesan. Last Friday night I enjoyed this meal with a side of asparagus and a light beer. It was perfect comfort food for a relaxing Friday night at home.

Cooking this on tinfoil makes clean up is a cinch- no need to soak and scrub the baking sheet, just toss the tinfoil!


*PointsPlus values calculated using the Recipe Builder on the Weight Watchers website

"I think we all need a pep talk..."

The first month of this new year is already nearing an end. I'm psyched about the progress I've made so far in 2013! I'm feeling healthier and happier than I have in quite some time. I don't feel like my motivation is waning, but I do think that I stumbled across this pep talk at an excellent time. It couldn't hurt to take a little bit of Kid President's positivity into the next month!

If Kid President is to be believed- and, let's face it, the little dude does seem to know a thing or two about life- then this is my time!

Workday Workout: the Washroom Edition

I'm not ready to head back to the gym just yet. January 17th marked the fifth month in a row that Planet Fitness took $20 from me for a membership that will continue to go unused- at least for few more weeks. I know that working out is an important part of weight loss, and that it's a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. Heck, I even know that, after the first grueling month, I will undoubtedly grow to look forward to spending a few hours a week on the treadmill. The fact remains, though, that right now I'm not ready to lace up my sneakers and walk through those gym doors.

I am, however, warming myself up to the idea of a return to the gym by incorporating a short series of simple exercises into my workday. This is my second week of these near daily exercises- I'm taking weekends off. I'm hoping that they might kick start a little muscle toning, and that they might be helping me burn a few extra calories throughout the day. Incorporating just a little additional movement is subtly motivating me to want to add in even more daily activity. My Weight Watchers ActiveLink monitor picks up on these bursts of movement, so I am able to measure the impact its having. I've gone from registering 0 activity points per day at the beginning of the month to an average of 1 daily point (my daily goal, based on my last 12-week ActiveLink challenge, is 2 activity points).

Are you lucky enough to have your very own office at work? If so, I'm jealous! I work for a university, and my desk is in the very open reception area of a busy building on the main green. Faculty and students are constantly walking past the glass wall in front of my desk, and are frequently stopping in to check their mail or ask me questions. This means that mini workouts at my desk are not an option unless I want people watching me; I don't. So, what's a gal without an office to do if she wants to sneak in some exercises during the day?

Well, it turns out that there is one room at work in which I find myself completely alone a few times a day: the washroom (aka restroom). It follows, then, that the washroom is the perfect place for me to squeeze in a little bit of exercise. Studies show that too much time spent sitting during the day is harmful to our health, and health professionals suggest that we should be trying to get up and move a little once an hour. I figure that prolonging my quick washroom break by a minute or two to get in some exercise before sitting down again has to be a good idea.

 

The Routine

 

Abdominal Isolation

While I wash my hands, I do an abdominal isolation. Isolating your abdominal muscles requires some concentration and hard work. You will want to be sure to keep your back straight and shoulders down, while you draw your belly-button in and down towards your to spine. Really focus. The idea for this exercise was inspired by Jennifer Jolan's "The 5-Second Flat Belly Secret - Lose 2-3 Inches from Your Belly in Less Than 1 Month." (I'll likely review this book when I've completed the 1 month plan.)

Flu Season Bonus: The CDC recommends that we wash our hands for at least 20 seconds; I find that doing this exercise ensures that I'm meeting their suggested standard since I try to hold the isolation for 20-25 seconds. I then relax my abdominal muscles while drying my hands.

Jumping Jacks

After washing my hands, it's time for jumping jacks. I'm up to 15 each time I'm in the washroom.

Pushups

We have a nice sturdy sink in the washroom, so I've been using that surface to do a set of 15 pushups to conclude my washroom circuit.

That's it! It might not seem like much, but I feel good about the fact that it is more than I have been doing for the last few months. I drink a lot of coffee and water throughout the day, so on some days I'm getting in 4 or 5 "circuits". I haven't yet cheated once- if I'm in the washroom at work, I'm not leaving until I've done my mini workout.

I've actually added a kitchen exercise this week, but only when I'm alone in the room. While I'm washing my breakfast and/or lunch dishes, I sneak in a few squats. There's a window next to the kitchen sink, so I'm pretty sure that the people in the building across the street can see me squatting. I'm trying to ignore this possibility for now.

Homemade Pizza, Hold the Carbs

When my last Foodler-ordered dinner-for-one ran me nearly $90, I resolved to cut back on delivery food in 2013. This means that, in order to satisfy my frequent cravings, I'm going to be making lots of homemade pizzas over the next 12 months. I've got a foolproof, low points plus pizza recipe that I'll share at some point, but clearing enough space in my tiny kitchen to roll the paper thin dough can be a pain in the ass. So, when I came across this carb-free recipe on the internet, I was excited to lighten it up with a few Weigh Watchers friendly substitutions and give it a try.

I only had 4 oz of fat free cream cheese in the fridge, so I did a 50-50 mix with the reduced fat cream cheese that I had on hand. Next time I'd use only the fat free cream cheese, that shaves off 1 point per slice, so that's how the recipe below is constructed. I was worried that the cheese "crust" might lack flavor, so I mixed in some garlic paste and a dash of salt and pepper. The crust smelled amazing while it was baking- so much so that my dog sat in the kitchen and whined at the stove for 25 minutes.

The finished pizza was delicious! The crust held up quite nicely, and I didn't have to use a fork to eat the pie. Did I miss a traditional dough crust? Maybe a little- I just love my carbs. But this pizza was not lacking at all in flavor. I'll be interested to see how this pizza reheats for lunches later this week, and I'll likely freeze a couple of slices to find out how it fares after defrosting. I can already tell you, however, that the cold slice I ate a few minutes ago was pretty darned tasty!

Cheesy Low Carb Pizza

Servings: 8 Serving Size: 1 slice Points Plus*: 5 pts

Ingredients

Crust:
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute
8 oz softened fat free cream cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese  
1 tsp garlic paste
Salt and pepper, dash each according to your preference
Cooking spray

Sauce and Toppings:
8 oz tomato sauce, canned and fat free
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
Crushed red pepper, to taste

25 ea turkey pepperoni
2 ea white mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp green onion, chopped
1 tbsp basil paste
1 cup shredded, part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees while you mix the cream cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan cheese, garlic paste, salt and pepper in a large bowl. I used a spatula to combine the ingredients, but a fork or spoon would work just as well. The mixture will be runny, but this will firm up when you bake it.

Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray, and pour the crust mixture into the pan. Smooth out an even layer of the mixture, and then bake the crust for 25-30 minutes. The crust is going to shrink a little while it bakes, that's normal. Pull it out of the oven when it has browned lightly.

Turn the oven up to 425 degrees, and let the crust cool for a few minutes while preparing your toppings. I chopped up some mushrooms and green onions that I had hanging around, and pulled out some turkey pepperoni, basil and shredded, low fat mozzarella cheese. I opened a small can of tomato sauce and mixed in some garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Use whatever pizza sauce you prefer, but keep in mind that a jarred sauce might increase the points plus value of your pizza since those sauces are often made with oil and added sugar.

Top the cooled crust with the tomato sauce, and sprinkle on 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese. Add the vegetables, basil and pepperoni (or whatever toppings you decided on), and then cover with the remaining cheese.

Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and let the pizza cool for at least 10 minutes, allowing the crust to firm up and making the pizza easier to slice and serve.

*PointsPlus values calculated using the Recipe Builder on the Weight Watchers website

Wordless Wednesday: Office Edition

 

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas in Bermuda

New Year, New Me: 360 Degree Evolution

Happy new year to me- and to you, if anyone out there is reading this!

Like many people, I've resolved to lose some weight in 2013, so I found my way back to a Weight Watchers meeting today. I've had success with Weight Watchers in the past. In fact, I lost 17 pounds between January and June of last year, and I felt amazing! Unfortunately, I've managed to gain 26 pounds since the end of June. I like eating well, and I like the idea of being active and healthy. So, I have always liked Weight Watchers- both in theory and in practice.Weight Watchers has rolled out its new program since I let my membership lapse in October, so I decided to stay for the Power Start session at the end of the meeting to find out what "360" is all about.

With the new 360 program, Weight Watchers emphasizes that in order to lose the weight and keep it off, you're going to have to do more than just increase your activity and track what you're eating. The plan takes into account that we're whole people with very full lives, acknowledging that a lot of factors impact how we lose weight. 360 aims to put us back in control of our life as it relates to food by introducing us to ways to manage the spaces we occupy throughout the day and by encouraging us to establish new routines.

Reading the new Weight Watchers literature has made me realize that I could benefit from incorporating this 360 approach into my whole life. Weight Watchers wants us to take a holistic approach to weight loss, and I want to feel whole and complete in all areas of my life. I want to commit to exploring my passions more fully over the next year, and I think that this 360 approach will help with that. What does that mean exactly? To be honest, I don't know yet; it will evolve along the way. I do know that I'm looking forward to this coming year, though; I'm excited about losing weight and finding new opportunities for growth and fulfillment.

360 degrees. A full circle. Complete.