Merry Christmas!!

Have a blessed and
Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:10-11

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Super Light Granola

I found this WW recipe online a year or so ago and made it for myself and to give as gifts to health-conscious relatives and friends. I like the flavor and the fact that it's good for me! It's not a difficult recipe, but is a bit time-consuming. When looking for walnut oil - compare prices as it's expensive. I bought some and then later discovered that the same store had some in the organic section for $2-3 less!

Super Light Granola
 
6 cups rolled oats (not quick or steel-cut)
2/3 cup frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed (5 1/3 oz.)
6 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup powdered fat-free dry milk
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped dried apples
3/4 cup chopped raisins (sometimes I use dried currants instead)

1. Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. Spread the oats on a large, rimmed baking sheet; bake in the top third of the oven until barely beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the oats to a large bowl; maintain oven's heat.

3. Stir the apple juice concentrate, walnut oil, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat until mixture begins to steam - just until the first sign of a bubble. Set aside to cool 5 minutes.

4. Mix the wheat germ, powdered milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into the oats. Pour in the warm juice mixture; stir until well-blended.

5. Spray 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray; divide the oat mixture between them. Bake in the top and bottom thirds of oven for 10 minutes. Stir well, move top tray to bottom and bottom tray to top, bake 10 more minutes, tossing a couple of times.

6. Transfer sheets to wire cooling racks and immediately stir half of each dried fruit into each tray's oat mixture. Cool undisturbed to room temp, about 1 1/2 hours. Seal in bags. Store at room temp 3 months.

WW 4 pts per 1/2 cup serving (Makes 20 servings)

I know - sounds like a lot - but it is yummy. And I do at least 2 batches since I already have everything out.

Have a wonderful week and a Merry Christmas!

Lisa :)

Friday Weigh-In - SB Week 2

I lost another 1.5 lbs this week! Yay! I was expecting a larger loss since I have been really good (until baking Christmas goodies last night) with the program. But I have had 2 weeks in a row of weight loss, so that's great.

Starting Monday, hubby and I will start phase 2 of South Beach (SB), but will be going day by day as over Christmas we will enjoy some things that we rarely have. I think if we try to do the program as many of the days as possible, that we should be able to maintain our weight.

One thing I have enjoyed about SB is finding some new recipes that I've never tried and some of them will become keepers in our house. There are some great salad recipes and I even managed to find one dessert recipe I like (VERY difficult on phase 1).

Hope you are staying healthy in spite of all the Christmas temptations around. Have a wonderful weekend!

Lisa :)

Friday Weigh-In - SB Week 1

I am very behind in posting over here! Busy,busy this time of year. I did start South Beach (SB) Phase 1 last Monday and it's going well! I never thought I would be able to handle temporarily cutting out carbs and sugar, but have survived one week and after one more week I will enjoy a few Christmas goodies though I will limit them as much as possible.

I wanted to keep my weigh-ins on Fridays. As of Friday - only 4 of the days on SB - I lost 1.5 lbs! Woo-hoo! But I also weighed today because it is one full week of SB and I am down, yes, down 3.5 lbs now! Yay for SB!! I don't feel terribly deprived and I know that I will enjoy some goodies after the second week is over - though I'm really not craving them. However, when I see all the pretty Christmas goodies around, it make me want to have something. But I have not cheated once!!

I plan on sticking with this program for a while and my hubby is doing it also. I think the fact that it's something new for us is helping, too.

It's not the easiest diet to follow as there aren't many convenience foods. You really have to plan ahead and do a lot of prepping and cooking, but I was trying to do more of that anyway.

So that's the update! I will let you know on Friday how my weight is doing and will try to get another healthy recipe posted for you this week. I must say, this is a nice feeling to be losing weight this time of year. I typically gain 5 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Year's - every.year. Not this time! Merry Christmas to me!! :)

How are you doing right now? Struggling with all the Christmas goodies? Try just cutting back some and/or adding exercise. You can do it!

Lisa :)

Fat Ticker Friday - Week 13 - The End

I actually lost .5 lb this week! Woo Hoo! I haven't even lost anything in a while, so that is nice.

After 13 weeks of Hot for the Holidays, my grand total weight loss is 2.5 lbs. That's nowhere near what I wanted to lose. But - I didn't gain any weight for 13 weeks! That is something for me, it seems.

I will not be ending the weight-loss journey. Hubby and I had wanted to cut out carbs starting this week, but didn't get all the necessary groceries and we have a couple of things to attend this weekend with food. So, starting on Monday, we will do the no-carb thing for 2 weeks (I'm not crazy enough to do it right through Christmas!). Then we will limp along through the holidays. I am hoping that I will lose some weight over the 2 weeks and then maintain until January. Then we will either have limited carbs or do another week of no-carbs to recover from Christmas. That's the plan anyway!

I'll still weigh myself on Fridays and will check in here. Hopefully next Friday I will have a loss to report to you!

How are you doing? Are you surviving with all of the holiday food temptations?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lisa :)

Healthy Recipe: Bow Ties, Tuna, and Vegetables in a Balsamic Vinaigrette

I've had this recipe for about 8 years, I think. I love it! And it sounds really good to have a lighter dish after all the heavy Thanksgiving foods.

Bow Ties, Tuna, and Vegetables in a Balsamic Vinaigrette
4 cups (8 oz) dry bow tie pasta, cooked, drained, and rinsed in cold water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups (1 medium) peeled, seeded and cubed cucumber
1 cup (1 medium) diced tomato
1 cup (1 large) red, yellow, or green bell pepper strips
1 can solid white tuna packed in water, drained and flaked
1/2 small red onion, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

Whisk together vinegar, olive oil and mustard in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine pasta, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, tuna, red onion and basil in large bowl; toss well. Pour vinaigrette over salad; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Makes 8 servings.

180 cal, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber, 4 pts

I usually add a second can of tuna to add more protein when I have it as a lunch salad. It's so yummy! Try it out and let me know what you think!

Lisa :)

Fat Ticker Friday - Week 12

Finally, my Fat Ticker Friday post! I was busy with Thanksgiving and then haven't been feeling well.

I had no change in my weight, which isn't bad for the day after Thanksgiving! I am afraid it might catch up this week - we'll see. This is the last week of Hot for The Holidays and everybody is trying to lose at least 1 pound this week. I had hoped for so much more of a loss during this time, but I will still be happy that I lost something and that I didn't gain. And hubby and I are prepping to start 2 weeks of no carbs - I've always said I wouldn't do that to myself, but I think that's exactly what my issue is. We will start sometime this week.

I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Lisa :)