Please come see the Indigo Girls on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Buskirk-Chumley in Bloomington, IN!

http://www.indigogirls.com/

The Hummus Awaits!

Apple Hummus

2 cans of garbanzo beans

1 apple - peeled and chopped

1/3 c lemon juice

1/4 c creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp apple pie spice

1/8 tsp cayenne

5 TBSP water (or mix of water & apple juice)



Pour all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and puree.

Thanks Patt!


Homemade Tahini Free Hummus
(was so good and easy to make) - Serves 6:



Ingredients:

* 2 15 oz cans of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

* 1/2 tsp of salt

* Juice from one lemon

* 2 garlic cloves or 1/4 tsp of garlic powder

* 1 TBSP of olive oil

* 1 TBSP of sesame oil

* 1 teaspoon ground cumin



Directions:

1. Drain and rinse beans.

2. Blend beans, along with the other ingredients.

3. Process in food processor until the mixture is smooth.

4. Add water until the desired consistency is reached if needed.

5. Adjust seasonings along with more cumin, lemon juice, salt and pepper if needed. Chili powder or red pepper flakes is also a nice addition to this if you want it spicy.

Loved this, from recipezaar.com

Thanks Rae!

Spinach Bean Soup

Saturday, I soaked a bowl of Great Northern Beans, I didn't measure.  Sunday, I cooked them.  Yesterday, I made Spinach Bean Soup.  It needs a little umph, but it is good, and colorful!

2 t canola oil

1 onion, chopped

4 carrots, peeled, sliced in half and chopped

3-4 ribs celery, chopped

1 zucchini, cut in quarters and chopped

1 can diced tomatoes (I used Italian)

3 C cooked Great Northern Beans

1 bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed and slightly drained

1-2 C low-sodium veggie broth (I used Trader Joe's)

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Dried Basil to taste

dash cayenne

Saute onion in oil until slightly soft.  Add carrot and celery, saute for about 5 minutes.  Add zucchini and cook for a minute or two.  Add remaining ingredients and enough water to give soup consistency you prefer.  You can do more broth if you like.  I wanted to control the sodium, so I used broth and water.  Simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes.  Don't let veggies get too soft.  Everything is cooked, you just want to marry flavors and bring it to temp.

The whole recipe is only 14 pernts!  And you can get 6 good sized servings!

Oh, and I stuck to my S'Bux plan, even though the mini pastry items are 3, not one.  I got the mini scone as the vanilla flavor went with the Skinny Vanilla Latte.  I was all set for one, and he gave me three.  I gave 2 away!

Starbucks shockers!

I was emailed a coupon for a free pastry at S’bux with the purchase of a drink. The free pastry day is tomorrow, Tuesday, March 23, 2010. Check out www.starbucks.com for more info and a coupon. I joked with the coworker that sent this to me, but I am interested in S’bux and something free, of course. Who doesn’t love free? What did I find as a WW looking at the menu? Some shockers to say the least! Here is a rundown of the light options that aren’t so light! Keep in mind, I am researching first the options that seem the lowest pernts and the best choice on WW. The shocker is some of the seemingly unhealthy choices are lower pernt.

Lowfat Red Raspberry Muffin 7 pernts

Apple Bran Muffin 7 pernts

Asiago bagel 6 pernts - no cream cheese

Plain Bagel 6 pernts – no cream cheese

8 Grain roll 7 pernts

Multi Grain bagel 6 pernts – no cream cheese

Reduced Fat Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake 7 pernts

Reduced Fat Very Berry Coffee Cake 7 pernts

Outrageous Oatmeal Cookie 8 pernts

Zucchini Walnut Muffin 12 pernts

Okay, so I figured the last two weren't low pernt, but the stats are suprising.



What did I find as good buys?

Blueberry Oat Bar 5 pernts

Chocolate Mini Sparkle Doughnut 3 pernts (Probably the size we should be eating anyway)

Petite Vanilla Bean Scone 3 pernts



Of course, if you have the pernts available, the bagels aren’t bad. But, if I have to buy a drink to get a free pastry, I do not wish to spend 6 pernts. So, I think my order will be a choc mini sparkle doughnut and an Iced Skinny Flavored Latte (Sugar Free syrup) for 2 pernts. Sounds good to me for a treat!

Meg's Weight Watchers version of "Irish Colcannon"

I am Irish, but know nothing of my heritage.  I wanted to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year with food.  I admit, I miss the typical corned dish of St. Paddy's Day.  But, I found a dish that will be in me repertoire for years to come, and not consumed solely on St. Paddy's Day!  Here is my version of Colcannon, veggied up so better on the WW plan.

Irish Colcannon

1.5 lbs red potatoes, washed and diced 490 cals, .7 fat, 11.6 fiber


1 T oil 119 cals, 13.5 fat

1 onion, chopped 46 cal, .1 fat 1.5 fiber

1 bunch ramps, whites only, chopped 54 cals, .3 fat, 1.6 fiber (leek data from calorie king - 1 leek)

2 cloves garlic, minced 9 cals, .1 fiber

1/2 large head organic cabbage, small chop 218 cals, .9 fat. 18.2 fiber

1 head organic kale, wshed, drained and small chop 100 cals, 1.4 fat, 4 fiber

1/2 C light soymilk 35 cals, 1 fat, .5 fiber

1/4 C light non-hydrogenated margarine 150 cals, 15 fat

salt and pepper to taste



Cover potatoes with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt water and reduce to medium low, cover and simmer until fork tender.

While potatoes are cooking, saute onion, leek, and garlic in oil on medium for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add cabbage and kale, salt and pepper. Stir until it starts to soften, cover and cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes, until softened.



Drain cooked potatoes, add soymilk (warm if eating right away) and margarine. Mash with a potato masher. Add in cabbage mixture and stir.



Whole recipe data

1221 cals

33 fat (32.9)

37.5 fiber



Data for non-zero point ingredients, whole recipe

794 cals

30.2 fat

12.1fiber



Oh my gosh, so good!  I don't count pernts for zero point veggies.  I am losing weight that way, and I am okay with that!

I also made a yummy green juice to celebrate.  It had:

1 organic granny smith apple
1 organic anjou pear
1/2 organic lime, peeled
1  orange (only non-green ingredient)
2" or so peeled ginger
1/2 small cucumber, peeled

Yum!  I so miss fresh juices.

So, I was able to celebrate St. Paddy's Day, stayed on plan, and didn't consume any icky green beer.  Ick!  Eew!

Week 1 weigh in at last weeks meeting netted a 1.4 # loss.  My goal, 10/10/10 to be down 30 pounds released.  I will be happy with more, but I won't beat myself up if I lose less.  I rejoined meetings on 3/10/10.  10/10/10 just has a nice ring to it!