Healthy Recipe:Sweet and Spicy Chicken with Orzo

This is a recipe from one of my cookbooks from the Giveaway in the previous post. I told you I would try to post a couple! I haven't made this, but it sounds easy and interesting. See what you think...

Sweet and Spicy Chicken with Orzo
1 cup orzo
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 (8 oz.) jars tomato sauce (no salt added)
1 tablespoon honey
1 pound cooked chicken breast strips

1. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and put in a serving bowl. Mix in the parsley and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick saucepan, then add the onion, garlic, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cayenne. Saute until the onion is soft, then stir in the tomato sauce and honey. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce comes to a boil. Add the chicken and heat to serving temperature. Spoon the chicken and sauce over the orzo.

4 servings, 401 cal., 9 g fat, 3 g fiber, 8 pts

There you have it. Try it out and enter the Giveaway on the previous post to try and win the cookbooks that include this recipe and many more.

Lisa :)

A Giveaway!

Ooohhh - a Giveaway! First time on this blog! You have to go check out the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival! There are hundreds of giveaways on blogs. So much fun!

I am giving away to one random commenter: 2 Weight Watchers cookbooks; they are a few years old, but have plenty of great recipes, photos, and include the points for each recipe.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Tips and encouragement for health and weight loss won't help your chances, but are greatly appreciated!! :)

This giveaway is only open to people in the U.S. (Sorry! - shipping...). I will do the random drawing on Thursday evening 7/31 and e-mail the winner. If the winner doesn't respond in 4 days, I'll choose a new winner.

Thanks for stopping by! I will even try to post a recipe or two from these cookbooks during the week.

Lisa :)

Update

I haven't been neglecting this blog on purpose! There has been a lot happening this week. We did get back from our trip, but then had some sad news - my Stepmom passed away. We were just visiting with her less than a week ago and now we'll be heading back. Appreciate your prayers for safe travel and strength to be a good helper for my Dad.

As far as Weight Watchers, I haven't weighed in in quite some time. I did maintain my weight during vacation. That was a good thing! My plan was to get back from vacation and restart the program. But since our news, my son and I will be going away again for another 2 weeks! I will just try to do what I can on my own during that time and will officially sign up again for WW when I get back in mid-August.

As I'm writing, I'm thinking that I should try my best to lose some weight while I'm gone. I can track my points while I'm there; I can exercise while I'm there; I can eat healthy while I'm there - no excuses! So, I will pack my points tracker, exercise DVDs, and recipes. And I will be blogging to let you know how I'm doing.

I always feel encouraged by the time I get to the end of my posts! I really think I can keep my focus on being healthy while I'm gone and maybe when I restart WW, I'll be starting at a lower weight.

Be sure to check back in during the week as there will be a giveaway!

Lisa :)

Vacation Is Almost Over

I've been on a trip for 2 weeks and will be home tonight! Can't wait.

I did not achieve all my goals while on vacation. My main goal was not to gain weight - I think I achieved that, but I won't know until I see the scale. I did try to watch my eating and it could have been worse, but it certainly could have been better. I did stay active! Lots of hiking and walking around. But, I did not get brave and weigh in at an out-of-state Weight Watchers. I will go back when I get back home and either continue from where I left off, with a gain; or start over from the weight I am at right now. I will keep you posted!

I will have more healthy recipes and updates for you after I get back.

What challenges have you been facing lately?

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

Finally, here is a healthy recipe for this week. It's a good quick recipe and came from Weight Watchers a few years ago.

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

1 tablespoon red.-cal. margarine
1/2 cup scallions, chopped (about 5 scallions)
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 pound cooked, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 cup canned pimentos, drained and sliced (I never use these)
2 tablespoons sherry cooking wine
3-1/2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
8 oz. uncooked spaghetti, broken into thirds and cooked

1. Melt margarine in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add scallions and mushrooms; cook until tender, stirring, about 5 minutes. Combine flour, garlic powder, pepper, broth, and milk in a small bowl; mix until well blended. Add flour mixture to saucepan; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes.

2. Add chicken, pimentos and sherry; cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese and add cooked spaghetti; toss gently. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

~ 5 pts.


There it is - hope you enjoy. Comfort food recipes always come in handy.

Will be heading back home from my trip next week, so things should get back to "normal", I hope!

Lisa :)

I'm Still Here!

Sorry it's been a while. I'm on a trip and it has been hard enough just keeping up my other blog.

How am I doing on my goals? So-so. I have not braved an out-of-state WW yet to weigh in. My weight was up when we left on our trip and I used a scale today - seems about the same. That is OK, since I really just hoped to maintain during this time.

I have stayed active - did TONS of walking and climbing stairs in Yellowstone and had another day this week of walking for hours.

My eating hasn't been great. I'm not eating that much, just the foods aren't the most healthy. Will keep trying to make better choices.

That's my little update for now. I have my class reunion starting tomorrow which is causing stress, though I don't seem to be stress-eating.

Lord willing, I will post another healthy recipe for you tomorrow. See you then!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Cocoa Crispy Bars

A nice variation of rice crispy treats - these are good! They are best the same day, but can keep up to 3 days. The recipe was in a Weight Watchers magazine a few years ago. The Dutch-process cocoa can be expensive, but the taste is great.

Cocoa Crispy Bars

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped or grated
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups crisped rice cereal

1. Spray a 13x9 in. baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the marshmallow creme, cocoa, and vanilla; stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add the cereal, stirring until well-coated.

3. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Spray your hands with nonstick spray and press the batter down evenly. Let cool 10 minutes, then cut into 24 squares.

69 cal., 2 g fat, 1 g fiber (1 pt)

Better try it out and save me a piece...or two!

Lisa :)

On A Trip...

I am currently on a trip. I will be gone for 2 weeks, but will still post! This is quite a challenge for my healthy goals.

I failed miserably at my goals last week! And haven't we all done that at some point? Of course I am disappointed and frustrated (especially since I'll be attending a class reunion in a week and a half!). The key here is to not give up. Just because I've had some tough weeks doesn't mean I can't get it back together. My real goal for this vacation is to...NOT GAIN WEIGHT!! It can be done!

I need to try to go to a new WW center during my trip just to weigh in even if it's a big gain. And other than that, I will try to keep my eating in moderation and keep active.

Say a little prayer for me and feel free to share your tips. I feel better already and tomorrow is a new day!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Parmesan Chicken and Rice

This is a good recipe - we just had it again today. It's fairly easy and it's healthy. And the smells in your kitchen when cooking it are wonderful! The recipe came out of a Cooking Light magazine a few years ago.

*Updated to add pic

Parmesan Chicken and Rice

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (8 oz.) package presliced mushrooms
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and mushrooms; saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken; saute 4 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned. Add wine, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

2. Stir in rice and broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in cheese and parsley. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup).

395 cal., 8g fat, 2 g fiber (8 pts)

Hope you like it!

Lisa :)

Happy Independence Day!

Picture obtained from www.archives.gov

Happy Independence Day! God bless America!

Struggling...

I didn't go weigh in at WW last night (go ahead - slap my hand!). According to my scale, I was up about a pound. That is very frustrating since I really focused on exercising and drinking my water this last week.

I am leaving for a 2-week trip next Tuesday, so I definitely want to weigh in before that. I will either go weigh in this Saturday or on Monday. It will be hard to keep on track and try to get my weight down by then, but I will try!

I also have to get in the mindset that vacation does not mean eat whatever you want. My goal will just be to maintain and not gain during my vacation. And I will try to stay active (usually not a problem - our vacations are about being on the go!).

Don't worry, I'll still be posting healthy recipes for you and letting you know how things are going.

How has your week been? Any tips for me while I'm on vacation?

Lisa :)