Halloween here in the States is a fun spooky holiday surrounded by sweet treats. But, for those of us trying to lose or maintain our weight, it can be a very tricky day to handle. So, I did a little research and came up with 7 ways to tackle the candy obsession and stay on track… I even threw in a few kid-friend ideas.
1) Instead of candy, pack snack sized portions of animal crackers, 100 calorie packs, raisins, trail mix, sugar free hot cocoa or apple cider.
2) After carving the pumpkin, save the seeds and roast them in oven. Or as my super-efficient mother did when I was a child. Cook them on a plate in the microwave.
3) Make Orange or Black Jello. Decorate it with Plastic spiders or cut out spooky shapes.
4) Healthy Caramel Apples - Click the link for a recipe to Trim some of the calories
5) Banana Ghost Pops - Using Bananas, coconut and Orange Juice
6) Apple Bites - These are too cute! - Just quarter and core an apple, cut a wedge from the skin side of each quarter, then press slivered almonds in place for teeth. Tip: If you’re not going to serve them right away, baste the apples with orange juice to keep them from browning.
7) Easy Cheese Fingers – Ingredients – Mozzarella string cheese, Green bell pepper, Cream cheese
Instructions:
1) Wearing plastic gloves or sandwich bags over your hands to keep the cheese as smudge-free as possible, use a paring knife (parents only) to cut each string in half and then carve a shallow area for a fingernail just below the rounded end of each half.
2) Mark the joint right below the nail as well as the knuckle joint by carving out tiny horizontal wedges of cheese, as pictured.
3) For the fingernails, slice a green bell pepper into 3/8-inch-wide strips. Set the strips skin side down on your work surface and trim the pulp so that it’s about half as thick. Then cut the strips into ragged-topped nail shapes and stick them in place at the ends of the fingers with dabs of cream cheese.
It seems that you guys liked my post about the Zucchini Fries. I often try to prepare new foods, so I wanted to share my Spinach Smoothie recipe. It’s green, delicious and nutritious! Don’t be afraid to try it.
Ingredients: You Need a Blender
A Handful of Fresh Spinach Leaves
6 oz Yogurt OR a Cup of Vanilla Almond Milk
Banana (Optional)
Blueberries (Optional)
Strawberries (Optional)
100% Maple Syrup (Optional Sweetener)
and Ice
First, Blend the Spinach with the milk. This will prevent chunks of leaves in your smoothie. Then add ice and any remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Some people say “you can’t taste the spinach.” That’s not totally true, it has a very mild flavor that’s easily over-powered by the fruit flavors. I found this smoothie to be refreshing and filling.
You can also add strawberries, but I heard it turns it brown. I liked the vibrant green color, so I stuck the strawberry on the side. This smoothie is quick and easy, and can be tweaked so many ways. If you use frozen fruit, then you don’t need the ice cubes.
In the smoothie pictured, I used spinach, vanilla almond milk and ice, garnished with a fresh strawberry. I did not use the syrup or yogurt because the Vanilla almond milk is very sweet.
Create your own Smoothie with your favorite fruit and let me know how it turns out!
At my Weight Watcher’s meeting last week, my leader encouraged us to try new vegetables and prepare our old veggies in a different way. She suggested that we try Jicama. I had some jicama when I went to Mexico back in April. I’m not really a fan of it. It tastes sort of like a cross between an apple and a potato. So, I opted to try the Zucchini Fries. I’m glad I did, they were delicious! However, I must admit that “fries” is a bit of a stretch. A better name would be “Oven-Fried Zucchini.”
Here’s the Weight Watcher receipe for Zucchini Fries:
4 Servings (8 Fries); 3 WW Points Plus
4 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp table salt (I added garlic powder and pepper too)
3/4 cup(s) dried bread crumbs, (panko-variety suggested) (I used regular Italian bread crumbs)
2 medium zucchini, about 7-inches each, cut into 4 chunks, then each chunk halved
2 large egg white(s), whipped until frothy (almost soft peaks)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.
- Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray.
- Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes. Yields about 8 fries per serving.
Notes
- Clearly I cut the zucchini wrong. I saw great pics of the proper way to cut it Here. (But mine still tasted great!)
- Dip in Pizza Sauce or Light Ranch (But don’t forget to count the extra points!)
- Use this technique with any summer squash or eggplant. It also works great with thick-cut onion rings or even green tomatoes. For extra crispy fries, increase the oven temperature to 500ºF and knock 2 minutes off the cooking time (Mine are dark, because I wanted them crispier)
Y’all, it is Hot as you know what outside. Last night I went to bed at a decent time (before the digital clock switched over to AM). I had high aspirations of a productive day. My internal clock woke me up at 6AM, but that was too early. So, I went back to sleep and got up at about 8:30. I was going to go run in the park with day 2 of Week 4, and do laundry, and clean the kitchen. However, the extreme heat knocked me over. I don’t have central air, and it was just miserably hot. Nyah didn’t even want to go outside to potty. I went back to bed, without cooking breakfast. When I finally got up, I had just enough time take a shower and brush Nyah before her doctor’s appointment. I noticed a slight limp when she walked for the past couple of days. Her weight (65 pounds) was the exact same as it was 2 years ago, so they were pleased. The doctor said her teeth and coat looked good. He was so surprised that she gently took the treat from him and sat without being asked. I was glad that she acted well behaved like she does at home, and not like the wild disobedient monster that she is during walks in the park. Nyah was nervous and excited so the nurse had to help hold her while he checked her out. He checked for broken toes, he said her wrist and elbow were fine. I didn’t even know she had a wrist or an elbow. But, when he moved her front right shoulder, she flinched and jerked away. He said it wasn’t broken. But more of a soft tissue pulled muscle. He said it could also be arthritis, because she’s getting at that age. “My baby is old?!” I exclaimed in a shrill voice. “Not old yet,” he calmly reassured me. Just at the age that she could start to get arthritis. I guess Nyah will be 8 in October. The vet prescribed an anti-inflammatory and said to limit her activity for a week and things should be back to normal.
I was supposed to have a 2nd date tonight with a new guy, meeting his friends for game night. But as the time grew closer, I realized he was a no call, no show. At most jobs no call no show = you’re fired. Hmmmm. He might have moved himself into the “you’re fired” category. I was a little upset, but not devastated, it was just the 2nd date. But he was a good catch, 6’4, good job, no kids, sense of humor. We’ll see what happens. Anyway, I channeled my frustration into a pasta recipe that I’ve wanted to try for months. It seemed like a good idea since the gym closed and it’s still above 100 degrees outside. The pasta turned out pretty good. My gym cousin called and I told him that my hot date was M.I.A. and he jokingly told me that it’s so hot that I could go outside and pick up anybody and call it a “hot date.” I got a good belly laugh out of that, and invited him over to try my new recipe. He said it was very good. Check it out!
Fettuccine with Spinach and Feta Cheese
8 oz of Fettuccine Cooked
1 Cup Fat-Free Chicken Broth
10 oz Frozen Spinach thawed and dried
1/3 Cup Sun-Dried tomatoes
1 Cup Non-Fat Ricotta Cheese
¼ Cup of Feta Cheese
Garlic, pepper, and seasoned salt to taste
Cooking Directions: Cook and Drain Pasta. Bring broth, spinach, tomatoes and seasoning to boil. Reduce heat and simmer while covered for 5 Minutes.
Add Ricotta, warm through. Add pasta and feta and toss.
Side Note: I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes, so I used a little salsa. I would assume that you could use whole wheat pasta as well.
I’ve been doing a good job of sticking to drinking only water. Although, I probably should say mostly water. I actually drink about 80% water throughout the day. Every once and a while a tea or a juice will find a way to sneak in. One of my commenter’s recommended that I make fruit water. I have no idea if there is a special way to do it. But, I bought a pretty pink drink set for $5, cut up some strawberries and lemons and added some water. I let it sit in the fridge for a day to let the fruit infuse with the water. And guess what? It was surprisingly refreshing. It had just a hint of lemon and a hint of strawberry. The flavors blended nicely. It does not taste anything like strawberry lemonade, but it is a nice twist on basic water with very few, if any calories. I think I’m going to take to the fruit out today, because the lemon flavor could become overbearing and make it too tart. Have you ever made fruit water? What fruit combinations do you use?
Strawberry Lemon Fruit Water
Instructions:
