Recipe: Creamy Crockpot Chicken with Stuffing and Green Beans

Lots of new recipes this week!!   This was another winner--super easy and everyone in my house liked it!  Didn't even get any complaints about the fact that there was green beans in it!!  Evan went back for seconds! :)

Creamy Crockpot Chicken with Stuffing and Green Beans

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 4 large breasts)
1 (6 oz.) box of stuffing mix
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken condensed soup (I used the 98% fat free)
3/4 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
1/3 cup water
10 oz bag frozen green beans
salt & pepper to taste

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in the bottom of crockpot.

Top chicken with 1 box stuffing mix.

In a separate bowl, mix together condensed soup, sour cream and water.  Spread mixture over stuffing.

Place green beans on top.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.  If you need a longer cooking time you can do low for 6 hours.

**I doubled all ingredients except for the chicken.  My kids love stuffing and they even ate the beans!!

Creamy crockpot chicken with stuffing and green beans

Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

I'm on a roll this week....lots of new recipes!!  I kept seeing a video of this recipe on Facebook and it looked so simple and so yummy that I just had to try it.  It did NOT disappoint--couldn't have been easier and was so delicious!!  Plus the apples and cinnamon made my house smell wonderful!

For those doing Weight Watchers, the only things in it with points are the pork itself and the honey which is a small amount.  I estimated what I ate at 6 Smart Points--4 for the pork and 2 for the honey.

Apple stuffed pork loin

Served with mini potatoes & a salad.

Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

1 pork loin (about 3 pounds)
1 large apple, cored & sliced into thin wedges
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
honey

Place pork loin in crockpot.  Cut slices 1/2-2/3 of the way through and about 3/4 of an inch apart.  Fill the cuts with the apple wedges (use the whole apple).  Place the onions in the crockpot. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt on the roast.  Drizzle honey over the roast--no set amount but don't go too crazy!  I probably used about 1/4 cup I'm guessing.

The original recipe said to cook on low for 3 hours but I put mine on low for 6-7 and it was perfect!  I'm not sure if it would have been done in 3 hours.  Plus I like it well done and so it kind of falls apart.  Guarantee you will love this!

Recipe: Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce

This was our dinner tonight.  We all liked it.  I served it with rice (I had riced cauliflower instead), asparagus and mushrooms.  Mmmm...

Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce 
(5 SmartPoints, 166.5 calories, 9.2 g fat, 2.6g carbs, 16.4g protein)

1 tsp butter (I used olive oil)
4 pork chops (I used boneless)
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
3 TBSP chopped onion
3/4 cup fat free chicken stock
1 TBSP dijon mustard
2 TBSP chopped, fresh herbs (I used parsley and rosemary)

In a large frying pan heat the butter (or olive oil) over moderately low heat.  Season pork with salt and pepper.  Raise heat to medium and add the chops to the pan and saute for a few minutes until chops are browned and done (160 degrees).  Remove the chops and put in a warm spot.

Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and boil until it reduces to 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the mustard, herbs and 1/8 tsp pepper.  Put the chops on a platter and pour the space over the meat.

**I increased the chicken stock, herbs, onions and mustard to have a bit more sauce.

Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce

Served with riced cauliflower, asparagus and mushrooms.

Recipe: Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Made this for dinner a couple nights ago and loved it!  My kids don't like cooked peppers but they both ate the filling.  Hubby said it was great and worthy of the "do over" list!

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey (I used 95% lean)
1 garlic clove, minced (we love garlic so I used more!)
1/4 onion, minced (again, I used more)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (I used parsley, not a big fan of cilantro)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
3 large sweet bell peppers, washed (I used 4 medium size)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato sauce (I used 1/2 cup or a little more)
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (I used one of those packets you can microwave in 90 seconds, said it was about 2 cups and I used the whole thing)
Olive oil spray
6 tablespoons part skim cheddar cheese (I used Kraft fat free cheddar)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly spray olive oil on a skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add minced garlic, onion and parsley and sauté for a couple of minutes.  Add turkey, garlic powder, cumin and salt and cook until meat is completely cooked through.  Add tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of chicken broth and simmer on low for about 5 minutes.  Add rice and mix.  Cut peppers lengthwise and clean out.  Fill pepper halves with the meat/rice mixture and place in a 9"x13" baking dish.   Top each with 1 tablespoon cheese.  Pour the remainder of the chicken broth in the bottom of the baking dish.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 45 minutes.  Serve right away.

**I made this in advance and just baked it later in the day.  It was delicious!

Here are my photos...  It might not be pretty but it was yummy!

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

I just served it with a salad...Mmmm! 

Weigh-In: Week 29

I didn't weigh in last week for Week 28 because we were away on vacation.   I knew this week wouldn't be a loss but I had my fingers crossed that the damages wouldn't be too bad!!

Loss this week:  +0.4
Total loss to date:  -74.6

Like I expected, I didn't lose.  But I am totally okay with only a .4 gain after having 2 weeks of indulgence.  I didn't totally go wild but I definitely wasn't tracking like I should and I definitely had some foods and drinks that haven't been a part of my diet for the last 7 months.  When I weighed in and it was less than half a pound I was pretty happy!

I am really proud of myself for getting right back on track as soon as I got home.  In the past that has been my biggest problem--I do great for a few months and lose a lot and then I take a vacation, never get back on track, and before I know it all of the weight is back.  So I am good with this!!  I think the gain would have been worse if I hadn't jumped back in with both feet....I am sure that I lost at least 3 or 4 pounds between when I returned in on Sunday and when I weighed in on Thursday.

Hoping for a big number next week!! :)

I feel gross...

Good advice!

So as many of you know I just returned from a week long vacation in the Adirondacks.  I had a great time--we went with our friends that we always vacation with--and we took along 8 teenagers with us!  That might sounds a little crazy but it was awesome!  Four boys and four girls ranging in age from 13 to 19.  We had so much fun!  We have two boys and our friends have two girls and then each of the kids brought along a friend.  We did so much fun stuff--a taco dinner cruise, time at the beach in Lake George, hanging by the campfire, shopping, visiting Lake Placid and all of the Olympic venues, a gondola ride up Little Whiteface Mountain, driving up Whiteface Mountain.....but the best part?  I will tell you about that in a separate post!! :)

The bad part of vacation?  I definitely overindulged.  :(  Today I feel absolutely gross!  My stomach hurts, I feel bloated, and my intestines are NOT happy with me!  I was going to say that I feel guilty....but honestly I don't.  I wish I hadn't indulged quite so much but I had fun!  I drank ridiculous amounts of alcohol...wine, beer, you name it...  I ate lots of stuff I haven't been-- sweet potato french fries, hobo pies and s'mores by the fire, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, ice cream, chocolate covered popcorn, cheese...  It wasn't pretty.  I have no idea how much I gained because I haven't been near my scale.  I didn't go quite as crazy as I would have in the past but it was pretty bad!

So today I have shifted into detox mode!  This is where I am handling things differently than I would have in the past.  Previously I would have just continued on with my binge until my pants didn't fit anymore.  This time I am back to healthy eating right away.  I truly believe that is the key.  I won't feel guilty for my week of fun but I am not going to let it continue!  I have come too far to have this train derail now!

Today I am doing a zero points day as a detox!  I have to say, this is NOT a Weight Watchers method or something that is part of the program.  This is just something I feel like I need to do to get my system back on track.  Zero points doesn't mean I am not eating--I am just eating all zero point items--fruits and vegetables.  I had two bowls of watermelon for breakfast, not sure what lunch or dinner will be.  I just feel like I need to clean out all of the crap (literally!) and then tomorrow I will return to my regular program.

I just spent my morning cleaning out my fridge and making a meal plan and shopping list for the next couple of weeks.   Tonight I am going grocery shopping with a WW friend--who coincidentally has also had a bit of a binge period after losing 125 pounds and needs to get back on track too.  I find that support is soooo important on this journey.  Hopefully she and I can help each other get back on track!  I also feel that by pre-planning meals for my family it is easier to eat healthy.  I am planning to try a few new recipes over the next couple of weeks so I will be sure to post the ones my family likes.

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer!  I can't believe it's already August!! :(

New Goal: 100 pounds by Thanksgiving!

Now that I've met the goal of 75 pounds it's time to come up with my next challenge!  So, here goes.... I want to lose 25 more pounds, a total of 100 pounds, by Thanksgiving.

I think this one will be very tough.  Perhaps too tough.  But I am going to give it a shot!  Honestly, as long as I make it to 100 pounds by the end of the year I will be happy....but I am going to challenge myself to do a little more than that.

I'm sure I am going to need lots of encouragement and support for this one.....

Weigh-In: Weeks 26 & 27

Wow, it's been a month since I updated.  Life has been crazy!  I've been busy with planning my 30th high school reunion....getting ready to go on vacation....and just enjoying summer!  So this one will be a double weigh in!!

Week 26:
     This week's loss:  -3.0
     Total loss to date:  -71.8

Week 27:
    This week's loss: -3.2
    Total loss to date:  -75.0

Yep, you read that right!!  I made it to my goal of 75 pounds off by the end of July!  It was even a week early!!  I was totally psyched by this....I've never made it this far in my journey before.

With 75 pounds comes new bling!!!!

My bling ring is getting pretty full!  I love it!  Can't wait till I can add the 100 pound bling!