‘Weight Watchers’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Rustic Tomato Soup

February 2, 2017 · Narrative

A clean-eating, tummy-warming soup that is a perfect lunch or, when coupled with grilled cheese, a comfort food-style dinner. This Rustic Tomato Soup has been making repeat rotations in our kitchen.

I was at Costco a few weeks ago, and spied Oprah’s new cookbook, Food, Health & Happiness. They’re not really her recipes, but rather recipes from her favorite six chefs and, since she’s on Weight Watchers right now, they are, of course, all Weight Watchers friendly.

I am not on Weight Watchers, and have seriously pared down my once-crazy cookbook collection, but despite this, the cookbook ended up coming home with me nonetheless.

Apparently resistance is futile.

It was hard not to be drawn in by the photography, the smell of the printed page (some paper used for printing have a distinct smell), and the rustic theme of the recipes. Also, after a quick scan of the various dishes throughout the book, I noticed that I could make many of them Whole30 or clean-eating friendly, which is kind of what sold me, because that’s where I’m at these days.

Focusing on continued clean eating with the occasional treat day.

And so here we are with this Rustic Tomato Soup. So simple to make, and so good for you. It’s absolutely the way tomato soup should taste. Like the tomato soup of your dreams. Now if you’re not eating clean, this begs to be topped with thick cut crispy croutons or eaten with grilled cheese dippers. Just sayin’.

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Recipe: Thai Turkey Burgers {Eat. Live. Be.}

March 6, 2013 · Narrative

When it comes to burgers, sometimes it’s all about the burger.

And sometimes it’s all about the toppings.

But rarely is it about both.

And when it is, it’s just about magical.

Not Disneyworld magical. But happy tastebuds, fully belly, no guilt magical.

Last week, I got a text message from a friend with this recipe. And the words “this is awesome.” So, of course, I had to try it. It is a bit similar to other turkey burger recipes we’ve tried and loved, but just different enough to warrant its own time in the spotlight. And since I happened to have all the ingredients on hand (hello freezer prep!), it was kismet that it should become dinner.

With turkey burger recipes, what you combine with the meat is important because without the right combination, you can end up with a dry hockey puck for dinner.

Something which no amount of toppings can cure.

And it can also swear you off turkey burgers forever and a day.

This one works. Moist, with subtle flavor, juicy, and clean eating. And less than thirty minutes to table!

Now when it comes to toppings, I’m all the-more-the-better. I especially like when there’s so much that they’re dripping through my fingers.

Which is something that perhaps should only be enjoyed in the confines of your own home, and not on a first date.

You know?

I served these on toasted whole wheat buns, and topped mine with goat cheese and sliced avocado.

And it doesn’t get much better than that.

These were also totally kid-approved too. After Nick’s first bite, he declared them “awesome,” and went about hoovering the rest. I served Madeline’s without the bread, and ketchup for dipping. Because that’s how she rolls.

If you’re looking for a side dish for this, the Verry Veggie Rice Bowl from yesterday’s post would be an excellent choice, or this couscous recipe or this Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad (which I’m totally craving again).

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Recipe: Savory Baked Egg {Eat.Live.Be.}

February 6, 2013 · Narrative

We are not one of those families that has a leisurely breakfast together.

Certainly not during the week.

Nick is most definitely *not* a morning person, and the longer I let him sleep the better.

Madeline is happy from the moment her little toes touch the floor, but isn’t interested in food at that time of day.

And me? Well, although I do eat breakfast every morning, it’s not at home. Honestly, just getting the three of us up, ready, and out the door by 7:20 am every morning is an Olympic feat unto itself.

For realz.

So in the interest of keeping it real, breakfast at home during the week just ain’t happening. Luckily, at this stage in their lives, the kids still have an early morning snack time at school, and that’s when they dig in. You know, save for the granola or banana muffins I shove in their hands as we head out the front door.

Now weekends? They’re another story. Usually at least one of the two mornings, we’ll have a homemade breakfast at home. Those are usually the times for chocolate chip pancakes (Madeline’s favorite), toasted bagels with cream cheese (Nick’s favorite) or an egg something or other. Nick will eat them sunny side up or hard-boiled or deviled. Madeline will eat them deviled. And that is it. So when it’s an egg day, I’m all short order cook.

Like a boss.

And this little egg cup? Something that neither of them will eat, but I will. Super quick. Simple. Tasty. Your protein. Veg. A wee bit of dairy. And mostly clean eating.

The kind of recipe that Eat.Live.Be. days are made for.

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Recipe: Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo

December 8, 2012 · Narrative

It kind of makes me smile that the kids and I were watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show while eating Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo. I mean, the irony. I like the fashion show, no shame in admitting it. Fun music, live acts, and, well, sequins galore. It’s my jam.

The kids have never seen it before, and asked a million and one questions.

“Why are they all wearing their underwear?”

“Do they really sell those wings in the store?”

“And those costumes?”

“Gosh, there are a lot of sequins.”

“Wow, Bruno Mars is tiny. Is he a grown-up or just really, really small?”

And, of course, my favorite was the entranced look that came over Madeline’s face when Justin Beiber came on to perform.

She was completely and utterly silent.

And if you know Madeline, you know what a feat that is.

Mesmerized.

Pure adorableness.

*And we, of course, rewound the recording to watch his part twice.

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Recipe: Hearty Turkey Chili {Weight Watchers}

November 27, 2012 · Narrative

Your mind and the way you think is a funny thing sometimes. We get so regimented in things that we’re used to, that sometimes doing something a different way never even occurs to us.

And in this particular instance, that rings true with me and corn bread.

I’ve always been a take-it-or-leave-it kind of girl when it comes to corn bread, mostly leaving it because often times I just find it too dry for my liking. I’ve probably made corn bread less than three times in my life.

Madeline doesn’t care for it. Nick only likes the Boston Market version. Which, by the way, is rumored to be easily created by combining a box of Jiffy corn bread mix, and a box of cake mix. Strange, but reportedly the perfect way to get their slightly sweet taste.

Back to my story. During the great Hurricane Sandy power outage of 2012, we found ourselves at my friend Carmen’s house for dinner, where she had a big pot of homemade chili simmering away on the stove. On the kitchen counter, a basket of cornbread. Normally I would have skipped it, but as she added toppings to her own bown of chili (cheese? yes, please!), she put the corn bread right into the bowl too, breaking it up into pieces and eating it with the bitefulls of chili.

Sheer genius.

And something that had never occurred to me before.

So last week, as I left my sister’s Thanksgiving dinner with leftover corn bread in hand, I was focused on one thing.

Making chili to mash it into.

Because now I can’t think of a better way to eat corn bread.

Since I don’t think the corn bread she served, from a NYC bbq place, is super healthy, I set off to find a healthier version of chili to balance it out. No dice in the Biggest Loser cookbook (though they do have a white chicken version), I found what I was looking for on Weight Watchers’ web site.

Hearty Turkey Chili.

Chili, but healthier.

Guilt avoided.

Or side-stepped.

Along with the lean turkey meat, the chili is loaded with vegetables, so it’s good for you in other ways too.

It took under 45 minutes to make from start to finish, and was the perfect low-key evening meal for me and the kids (and with enough leftovers for lunch the next day for a co-worker and I).

Well, just one kid. Madeline refuses to try anything that is in the soup/stew/chili family. Nick was all too happy to eat her share. And a banana and two yogurts.

#hellogrowthspurt

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Recipe: Asian Turkey Meatballs and {Eat. Live. Be.}

April 18, 2012 · Narrative

This should make Joanne very happy. Eat. Live. Be. I’m here.

As a multitude of 5ks and Zumba classes permeate my calendar and Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred dvd gets plenty of play time. I’m here. I’ve been here.

Clean eating? Yep, I’m there too. Oh how I’ve missed it. There’s just something so very satisfying about it that is sometimes hard to articulate. Unless you’re there too. But the rub? Eat good food and you feel good. I’ve noticed the shift again, as I’ve purposefully made my way back to where I’m supposed to be.

The familiar feelings of euphoria when an early weekend morning is punctuated by sweat stinging my eyeballs. Which is, I swear, the sign of an awesome work-out.

The words “No, I can’t, we’re doing a 5k that day” coming out of my mouth.

The friends that get it. To the point that we just scheduled another 5k. In September. Out of state. After we get through the three we already have on the calendar.

When I’m in the zone, I have blinders on. And I instantly remember why I’m doing what I’m doing.

For me.

For them.

Always and forever.

Amen.

Mary Fischer’s quote rings in my ears. “Tell me, what are you going to do with this wild and precious life?”

“You have exactly one life in which to do everything you’ll ever do. Act accordingly.” Colin Wright

“…to know there is a better story for your life and to choose something other is like choosing to die.” Donald Miller

A co-worker and I were talking about that last week. Tomorrow being guaranteed to no one. I worry that I won’t have time enough to do everything I want to do. For me. Or with my kids. And I’ll be darned if we’re just going to laze our days away turning into zombies in front of the tv.

Sure there is tv time.

Down time.

Chill time.

But it’s dotted by play time. Spring Bucket Lists. Playgrounds. Activities. Adventures. Memory making. In our backyard. And in the great outdoors.

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Recipe: Joe’s Crab Shack Crab Cakes

September 14, 2011 · Narrative

Two nights of Aleve and rounds with IcyHot patches did nothing to help my neck, so today I made my way to the doctor. Who said she felt the spasms on the side of my neck. And sent me promptly to x-rays while guessing a herniated disc. I am purposely not going to google “herniated disc” because I don’t want to know worst case scenarios right now. Two days to wait for x-ray results and a prognosis. When I can’t turn my head left or right, I happen to think that’s a little crazy. In the meantime, I left with two prescriptions and the advice to get a heating pad and use it non-stop, rest, and not work. Oh yes, and no driving while taking one of the meds. I tried to explain that this is all well and good, but doesn’t really work for a single working mom. No work, no pay. And there is this matter of two kids that need constant care. So for now, I hope for the best and try to forget the story Mystic told me some months ago about when he had surgery for a herniated disc and was out of work, um, for awhile. Luckily his symptoms were way more severe, so me and my rose-colored glasses are pulling for a pinched nerve, pulled muscle, or something decidedly less serious than surgery and heavy recuperation.

How about some crab cakes now instead?

We are super partial to Weight Watchers crab cakes and make them a few times a year, including for our annual New Years’ Eve Seafood Feast. But I saw this recipe the other day, from Easy Restaurant Recipes via Pinterest, and when I saw the directions, it seriously said make me now. No, it didn’t really say that. But it did say mix, fry and eat. When I said “stupid simple” yesterday, I meant it.

I changed a teensy bit of the recipe along the way, mostly to lighten it up and make use of ingredients I had on hand. I’ve never been to Joe’s Crab Shack so I can’t tell you if these are a good copycat recipe. What I CAN tell you is that they are amazingly good. Slightly crispy and full of crab goodness. Simple to make. And totally worth ten minutes of your time. But then again, most things are worth ten minutes, right? Such a small investment.

Just one caveat. They were okay reheated, but not as out of the world as they were fresh from the pan, so best to eat them when you make them, and not save for later.

And with that, my kiddos are fed and bathed and moments from bed. Which means, time to reheat the heating pad and hit the hay, wishing miracle neck cures for the morning. A girl can dream, right?

A year ago today … need a way to use up the last of summer’s strawberries? This is the ticket.
Two years ago today … breakfast for dinner? why the heck not?
Three years ago today … ahh yes, the olden days when there was menu planning.
Four years ago today … Grilled Peanut Chicken, don’t mind if I do.
Five years ago today … guilty pleasures and clearly before I became a wordsmith.
Six years ago today … muffins, just muffins.

September 14, 2011 -Bonus Photos

A few months back, my sink was empty, which prompted Mystic to comment, “so THAT’S what your sink looks like!” He was kidding, of course. He is just way better at the having-an-empty-sink thing and I, well, I know it will be there when I get to it. He’s very much a clean as you go cook. I am totally and completely not. I cook. Enjoy time with whoever. And deal with it later. And I cook a lot so even though I empty the dishwasher at least once a day, sometimes twice, the sink fills up quickly. We also don’t use disposable anything, so that doesn’t help. Well, it helps the environment, not so much my workload in the kitchen.

So every time my sink is empty, I take a picture of it and text it to him. Just to bust him. But to change it up the other night, I texted him the overflowing picture with this message:

All in good fun. One of the strong fibers in our relationship is humor. A topic for another day.

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Preparing for Success

March 8, 2011 · Narrative

When it comes to meeting any goal head-on, whether it be health, fitness or otherwise, you absolutely, positively have to be prepared going in. If not, you are just setting yourself up for failure. Guaranteed. How can you succeed if you don’t have the proper tools?

The difference between the impossible and the possible
lies in a person’s determination.
– Tommy Lasorda

Since I started my massive “Cate overhaul” over a year ago, I’ve had friends ask me how they can get started. What I have been doing is not rocket science. I armed myself with the best tools possible for what I wanted to achieve and committed to it. I have given this nearly everything that I can, and then some, and have reaped the rewards because of it. But it’s nothing special. You can do it just as easily. As long as your going-in position is all about preparedness. How could you possibly succeed otherwise?

A good beginning makes a good end.
– English Proverb

You have GOT to have a good pair of sneakers. It doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune on them either. Truth be told, my go-to Zumba sneakers are a pair of $15 Danskin sneakers from Wal-Mart, which The Neighbor Husband calls my “lunchlady sneakers.” Hey, they do the job. So do these Rykas. I heart Ryka, a brand made for women by women. They mold to your feet like no other. Whatever your exercise routine is, make sure you get the proper sneakers for your activity. I have a few pairs I swap out, but have a soft spot for Ryka. In fact, I am still hanging on to my favorite pair, even though the holes in them mean my feet automatically get wet when it’s raining outside. Just can’t give them up.

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude
from achieving his goal, nothing on earth can help the man
with the wrong attitude”
– Thomas Jefferson

If you are heading out of the house for your work-outs, get thyself a gym bag. Again, it’s not about how much you spend. Five Below has some great Nike ones. Mine comes from TJ Maxx and was a whopping twelve bucks. Fifteen months later, even though I’ve grown tired of the design, it’s still going strong and is washable, a huge plus in my opinion. I keep my gym membership cards in the zippered pocket, as well as my iPod headphones, a few dollars and a couple granola bars, so the bag is ready when I am.

What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that’s another matter.
– Peter F. Drucker

Whatever your work-out of choice is, make sure you have the proper equipment before embarking on a new program. If you don’t, there will always be an excuse. Whether you need kettlebells (my newest obsession), resistance bands or a jump-rope, arm yourself with the necessities.

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
– Beverly Sills

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Whether you’re on Weight Watchers, visiting Curves or a gym rat, the refrain is very commonplace … drink water, drink water, drink water. You are supposed to drink half your weight in water ounces a day. And that is if you’re not working out. Are you drinking enough? And if you’re working out, it should be even more. My Spin instructor said 40 ounces of water for 40 minutes of spin. And get yourself a refillable water bottle. Please. Enough of the disposable bottles. It kills me to see a garbage bin filled with them at the gym. First, they should be recycling them, and second, so much unnecessary waste. I’ve gone through a bunch of reusable sports bottles to find my favorite. These are from Costco. They were $18 for a package of three (although they have gone on sale for $15/set before). They are BPA-free and completely and positively leak-proof. They have a clip so you can attach them to your gym bag. Nick even takes one to school every day. Love them.

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Pomegranate Martinis (Weight Watchers Friendly)

March 2, 2010 · Narrative

I received an email awhile back from a marketing rep at POM Wonderful, offering to send me a case of their juice to try out. Is it a bad that the first thing I thought of to make with the juice was a Pomegranate Martini? Nah. Didn’t think so. I spied the recipe in a recent issue of Weight Watchers magazine and figured, hey, filled with antioxidants, ingredients on hand already … win, win.

Two things about me and drinks. 1 – I am a total lightweight. I just don’t drink often enough to have any sort of heavy tolerance. Theoretically that could be a good thing, and it certainly makes me a cheap date, but it also means a drink with vodka has its effect. And quick. This one was no exception. 2 – I like the girlie drinks, and I have no problem admitting it. I like drinks that don’t taste of alcohol, so I often go for the fruity ones. That being said, in this drink, you can definitely taste the vodka, but not so much that it turned me off. It went down nice and easy. But also, half a drink in and I’m feeling a nice, very nice buzz, so just a fair warning in case you happen to be the teensiest bit like me. This one will hit you.

A friend said that I made this one so often that it is now my signature drink. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but it definitely became the signature drink of February. And with it’s deep red hue, why the heck not? Bottoms up!

P.S. If YOU want to use YOUR pomegranate juice for something other than a martini, check out POM Wonderful’s recipe section – you’ll find tons of recipes to choose from, each picture more gorgeous than the next. These POM Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are a great way to start (love the jeweled bits on the top!), as would be these Grilled Portobellos with POM Mustard Vinaigrette. Yum. Although I must admit, this Pomegranate Granita is calling my name too. Mightily.

Project 365
March 2, 2010, Photo #57

The kids, particularly Madeline, are crazy for tomatoes. I cannot wait until farmer’s market season and when Jersey tomatoes are back with their luscious goodness. Tonight, I was slicing up a few tomatoes for them to include with our dinner. I turned around to get something, and half a tomato was gone. Madeline eats them like you would eat an apple. Tonight’s picture was taken by Nick. I had to protect the rest of the tomatoes.

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February 2010 Recipe Round-Up

March 1, 2010 · Narrative, Project 365

Cheesy Hash Brown Chili. Good, but not repeatable. Next!
David Garrard’s Buffalo Chicken Dip. The favorite of the month, and even made twice in one week. Reviewed here.
Mocha Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies. Good. Nice hit from the caffeine. Interesting sandy texture on the outside of the cookie. Review coming soon.
Deep Woods Salad Dressing. This recipe came from Serena, Food and Stories. Easy and packed with flavor. I served it on a salad at Madeline’s birthday party. Review and recipe coming soon.
Sour Cream White Cupcakes. This one is from the new Cupcake Doctor cookbook. I tried one without the frosting and nearly threw away the whole batch. Luckily, once it had frosting on it, all was right with the world.
Roast Ham with Marmalade Mess Marinade. This is another one from Serena, Food and Stories. Loved it.
Chocolate Chip Dream Bars. These are OMG good. If you haven’t made this one yet, you’re missing out. Favorite #2 of the month.
Veggie Bites. How to make good vegetables bad for you. Review coming soon.
Hershey Kiss Good Fortunes. A fun sweet treat. Review here.
Tuna Cakes. Easy and you likely have the ingredients on hand. A few days later, I warmed one up, and put it in between pumpernickel bread with melted cheddar and spicy mustard. So good.
Roasted Mushrooms and Asparagus. Super simple. Loved this. Review coming soon.
Go Green Stew for Eli. Nick and Madeline made a stew for Eli. He inhaled it so fast, we’re thinking he liked it, but we stopped short of taste-testing it ourselves. He was definitely looking for more the next day.
German Chocolate Cupcake. The failure of the month. You won’t be hearing about this one.
Peanut Butter and Honey Cookies. Favorite #3 for the month. You won’t think they’re anything special. Until you make them. Bet you can’t eat just one….
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