Green Monster

I am not one who believes eating healthy (or better) is more expensive than eating processed filler (middle aisle and fast food). It does take a bit more effort and doesn't always sound fun but it can be done rather cheaply by using up those fruits and veggies you buy. I take a poll of what 3 fruits and 3 veggies everyone wants to eat that week. I don't get 7 kinds of fruit or 1 veggie to last all week because a lot of it could (and has) ended up in the trash 6-7 days later. If some strawberries are starting to look mushy or carrots won't be eaten as soon as they should, I freeze it for use in something else. These smoothies always start with some frozen fruit that was on it's way out. Most of the time it is bananas and strawberries. They are a favorite at our house but don't always get consumed as quickly as they need to.

Start with 1 cup of frozen fruit (anything you like - blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple... anything)
add 1 cup Almond milk (get the kind that is 35-45 calories, I have purchased the 90 calorie stuff and it does not make a difference and you are consuming 3 times the calories!)

Blend smooth (I have a stick blender that I love but you can do it in a regular blender)

Add
1 TBSP of ground flax seed
1 TBSP of wheat germ
1 TBSP of chia seeds
and a scoop of protein powder (I do Weight Watchers Vanilla mix because it is lower in calories because it has less protein. Look for something between 80 - 120 calories)

Blend smooth

Add 3 handfuls of fresh spinach. I have used baby spinach and "adult" spinach and have noticed no difference. Baby spinach is usually easier to come by. I also look for it marked down, usually the organic stuff is $3-$4 and lasts me all week. I just transfer it into my own plastic container and look for wilted leaves. Our Kroger always has discounted veggies and fruits on Wednesdays or Thursday's and Meijer has stuff on occasion. Personally, in Michigan, I have found Wal-Mart produce to be lacking. I have tried many ones in different parts of the state and it seems it looks fine when I buy it but the next day it is already on it's way out.

Anyways.... Blend until it is all smooth an you have a "green monster" as the kids call it. My dad is my best endorsement for this because he HATES anything that is grown in the ground. I have made it a fun challenge to see if I can get him to try different things. I had him try it and he liked it (I did add some honey to give it a bit more sweet taste but I don't really need it now that I am eating better).

NOTE about links: I don't endorse the products on Amazon because I have not used them all. I do have that blender and those are the Chia Seeds I use because I could not find them here. I just wanted you to see what I was talking about. The flax, wheat germ and chia seeds are to help with vitamins, digestion and mood. I can tell you that on the digestion and mood I have noticed the effects for the good. It was one of those Dr. Oz things that I thought I would try (I don't really try a lot that I see his name on for no other reason than it is so much, but I saw those things in a magazine and thought it was worth a shot.

Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry-Orange Scones

Author/Source:

Kristi @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Bisquick
• 1/2 cups orange marmalade
• ½  cups cranberries, dried (aka craisins)
• ½  teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼  teaspoons nutmeg
• 2 medium eggs #1 (or egg substitute)
• 1 medium egg #2, beaten (or egg substitute)
• 1 tablespoons orange juice
• sugar, to sprinkle on top (about 1/4 cup)

Directions:

Mix bisquick, marmalade, craisins, spices, eggs #1 and juice until moist. Turn dough onto floured board, sprinkle with floor. Roll into a 9-inch circle. Cut into 12 wedges using a floured knife.  For larger scones, cut into 8 wedges (this is the preferred method in our family).
Brush with beaten egg (eggs #2) and sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake at 400 for 12-14 minutes.

Freezing Directions:

Do not bake. After sprinkling with sugar, flash freeze. Wrap in plastic wrap and divide among freezer bags and freeze.
Unwrap scones and thaw on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 12-14 minutes.

Servings: 4 (8 to 12 scones)

 

Weight Watcher Plus Points : 7

Coffee Banana Smoothie

Coffee Banana Smoothie

Author/Source:

Abbi @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Chiquita bananas
• 1 cup fresh brewed coffee, cooled
• 1 1/3 cup almond milk

Directions:

Divide coffee and almond milk in ice cube trays. Freeze until solid.

Freezing Directions:

Prepare individual serving bags by place coffee cubes, coconut cubes and frozen banana in quart size freezer bags.  To serve, thaw until slightly slushy and blend together.

Servings: 2

 

1 WW Plus Point

Add some vanilla protein powder for 7 point breakfast that will keep you going all morning long.

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
• 1 banana, mashed
• 6 packets of Sweetleaf Stevia or 1 1/2 teaspoons stevia powder or use 1/2 cup honey
• 5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats { I used Bob’s Red Mill}
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups milk (I used 1%)
• Optional toppings: raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips

Nutrition Info (without toppings)
Servings: 18* Calories for one: 143* Fat: 4g* Cholesterol: 25mg* Sodium: 32mg* Fiber: 4g* Sugars: 4g* Carbs: 23g* Protein: 6g*
Using the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder Points+: 3*
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and Stevia together in a bowl.
3. Add in oats, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.
4. Finally pour in milk and combine.
5. Spray a 12 and 6 capacity muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.
   Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups.
6. If using toppings add them onto the tops of muffins now. If using fresh or frozen fruit, drop it right into the batter.
7. Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Apple Snack Cake

Apple Snack Cake

Author/Source:

Lisa@ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 5 cups unpeeled, cored apples
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9X13 baking pan.  Chop apples into small pieces and combine with sugar in a large bowl.  Stir until evenly mixed, set aside.  Combine oil, eggs, and vanilla in small bowl.  In another large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and cinnamon.  Combine egg and flour mixtures until evenly missed, then slowly add to apples.  Stire until well combined.  Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking pan.  Bake 25-30 min or until cake test done.  Cool before serving.

Freezing Directions:

Follow directions above, cooking cake completely.  Cut into 12 squares and transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet. Flash Freeze for 1 hour.  Divide among indicated number of gallon freezer bags.  TO SERVE:  Remove desired amount of cake pieces, thaw on counter 1 hour.  Warm for 10 sec in microwave if desired.

Servings: 12              

5 Weight Watcher Plus Points

Corn and Chicken Chowder

Ingredients

• 6 ears of fresh corn, husked and silks removed (or 1-30 ounce can corn and 1-15 ounce can cream corn)
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 8 scallions
• 3 medium potatoes (I use Idaho potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 small can (4 ounces, I believe) chopped green chiles
• 2 cups roasted chicken, shredded (a Rotisserie chicken from the deli works great for this!)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• handful of grated cheddar, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the drippings, and set aside.
2. Peel and chop the potatoes into bite sized chunks. Slice the scallions very thin and separate the greens from the whites.
3. Place the potatoes and white scallion pieces into the stock pot and cook over medium heat until the scallions have softened, 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
5. Pour in the milk, chicken stock, Old Bay, thyme, parsley, cayenne, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add corn (If using fresh corn, cut from the cob with a sharp knife. Use the back of your knife to release the pulp from the cob.), chicken, and green chiles. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with scallion greens, bacon, and cheddar cheese.

To freeze: allow to cool and then portion out in containers.

To re-heat: Let thaw (or if you forget microwave for 3-4 minutes) Since this dish contains potatoes you will need to reheat slowly on the stove top.

Serves around 8

8 Weight Watcher Points

Taco Pasta

Taco Pasta
Source: adapted slightly from Fake Ginger
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream


Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.

Freezing Directions: Cook as directed and let cool. Label bags and  portion out into bags. Freeze flat to make the most of your room. Once frozen (overnight) you can stack on the side.

To serve from frozen: Thaw in fridge and microwave until warm (about 3 minutes)

8 (1 cup) servings
Weight Watcher Plus Points – 8 (using all full fat and 80/20 ground beef)
Calories: 313

Honey Spiced Glazed Chicken Breast

Honey Spiced Glazed Chicken Breast

Author/Source: Tricia @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Mix spices together and set aside. Mix honey and cider vinegar and set aside
Trim chicken breast, cut them in half and lay them so they are flat. Cover both sides in seasoning, set in slow cooker. Pour honey mixtures over the chicken thighs. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. If you are able to baste the chicken by spooning some of the liquid over the chicken periodically during the cooking time, please do. Take chicken out of slow cooker and let rest for a few minutes. Feel free to spoon excess glaze over chicken before serving.

Freezing Directions:

Mix spices together and set aside. Mix honey and cider vinegar and set aside. Trim chicken breast, cut in half and lay them so they are flat. Cover both sides in seasoning, set inside a gallon freezer bag. Pour honey mixture over chicken thighs, seal and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Place chicken and glaze into slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. If you are able to baste the chicken by spooning some of the liquid over the chicken periodically during the cooking time, please do. If not, no worries.
Take chicken out of slow cooker and let rest for a few minutes. Feel free to spoon excess glaze over chicken before serving.

Servings: 6

Weight Watcher Plus Points: 8

Calories : 326

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole {Freezer}
Adapted from The Country Cook

Ingredients:
1 (32 oz.) bag frozen tater tots
1 (3 oz.)bag bacon pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Layer half of the frozen tater tots on the bottom of a foil pan.
Sprinkle with 1/3 of the bacon pieces.
Now top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.

Add diced chicken on top.  Season with salt & pepper.

Now add 1/3 of the bacon pieces and another 1/3 of shredded cheese.

Put the rest of the frozen tater tots on top.
Finish with the remaining 1/3 cheddar cheese and remaining 1/3 of bacon pieces.

Pour 3/4 cup milk all over the top.
Place in freezer. To cook: Take out of freezer and bake covered for 1hr 30 min at 350 degrees. Take cover off and bake for 30 more minutes to get a crispy top.

Serves 6

16 Weight Watcher Plus Points

568 calories, so serve with a salad or some green beans ;)

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds cubed stew meat
2 cans Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1 largish onion diced
2-3-4 tabls of Worcestershire
1/2 water
8 oz of cream cheese
couple of dashes of Garlic Salt (1 tsp?)
couple dashes of Hot Paprika

In the slow cooker stir in all the ingredients, except the meat AND the Cream Cheese, together. Once combined add the meat and mix together.

Cook on Low for 8 hours. Cut up the cream cheese into cubes just before serving and turn crockpot on high. Stir the cream cheese in until all combined. You might have to put the lid back on and leave for 10 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles

For freezer: Take gallon size freezer bag and write with sharpie “Cook for 7 hours/ 45 minutes on low. Last 10 minutes add cream cheese.    Need Cream Cheese.” Place all ingredients, except cream cheese, in the bag. The meat is to be placed in RAW. Seal and store in freezer for up to 3 months. 

To cook from freezer: Take out the night before and place in fridge to thaw OR run under warm water for 10 minutes. Cook on Low for 8 hours. Cut up the cream cheese into cubes just before serving and turn crockpot on high. Stir the cream cheese in until all combined. You might have to put the lid back on and leave for 10 minutes.

Makes 8 servings

          (without noodles)

WW Plus Points – 7 per serving

Calories – 376 per serving

Basic Ranch Chicken

Basic Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast (about 2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup light ranch dressing
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

Cut chicken breasts in half. Pound with a meat hammer to make chicken 1 inch thick. Place ranch dressing on a plate or shallow dish. Place breadcrumbs on another plate or shallow dish. Dip chicken in ranch dressing, coating all sides, then coat all sides with bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Freezing Directions:

Bread chicken as directed above. Place breaded chicken on a plate or baking dish and flash freeze. To cook, take frozen chicken breast from freezer and bake in a pre-heated oven for 22 minutes.
Chicken can be eaten with mash potatoes/rice, used as chicken parm, wraps, salad, sandwiches.

Servings: 8

Weight Watcher Plus Points : 6

Calories: 332