trick-or-.... wow it's been a while.

so here's the deal. for the past couple weeks i've had in my head all these ideas of posts i wanted to share, but never got to the computer to put them all down. lots of yummy recipes and good times. no weight lost.. but i remain the same, which is fine by me..

the first 'fall' thing i made was what i call 'pumpkin patch muffins'.. and they turned out pretty cute! i walked into michael's and saw the brach's fall mix and immediately knew that i had to do something fun with those cute little pumpkins! so here's what i came up with:

pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting.. decorated to look like a pumpkin patch!

i thought they turned out pretty cute! hopefully they were tasty.. since i was trying to be good i didn't eat any. =) i had another 'creative moment' just yesterday when i had a bunch of skull cookies that i had cut out but never got a chance to decorate.. so i made them into turkeys! it was just a practice run so they weren't perfect.. but they turned out pretty cute!

then for halloween i decided to try my hand at cake pops for the first time. i have done cake balls before, but never on a stick. well, turns out, these were much easier! other than the drawing the faces on.. the wilton pens SUCK! if you're getting them to write on candy coating, DON'T.. splurge for the ones on amazon... i've heard they're much better. so, since the pen failed, i used miniature chocolate chips for the faces.. and it worked! SEE?!

CUTE! and you can see my 'haunted house' candle-holder in the background. teehee! i love the holidays.

in between baking and all that good stuff, i went to a baby shower for a co-worker of mine.. now, i've made onesies before, but this happens to be the design i tried this time for her boy-to-be.

MONKEYS!!! i love monkeys.. i think they're adorable.

and, of course, since i'm such a baker, i always like to put a baking 'touch' in my gifts.. the first set of onesies i placed the socks in daisy-shaped cupcake cups and included a cupcake recipe that the mom-to-be had been asking for.. this time, i included an 'it's a boy!' cookie mix. it was really just cowboy cookies from bakerella's website.. but i used light blue and green m&m's and got some 'ABC' block fabric for the top! blogger doesn't like me right now so it won't let me put a photo.. but they're on my picasaweb page in the 'other baked goods' section.

i'll be on vacation for a while.. but i plan to stay on track.. even though we'll be eating out A LOT.. wish me luck!! maybe being out will make me MORE consciencious and i'll lose weight!

*here's hoping!*

oh yes.. 1.6 pounds baby!

that's right.. 1.6 pound loss at last thursday's weigh in. i actually wasn't that excited at the time, but i'm pretty stoked about it right now.

although.. since then i've been pretty lazy with the cooking. i made pepperoni pizza soup on thursday, then had happy hour for dinner on friday (LOVE THAT! lol), saturday it was soup again (WW 0 point soup though) with my famous grilled cheese, and sunday i splurged on fish and chips since we were in napa and i REALLY wanted to try taylor's refresher. (yeah.. TRY not to drool at that menu).

well, i tracked everything and although i'm NEGATIVE in points for the week, i'm determined to get some APs in and eat well for the rest of the week. i had a bomb salad at work tonight that i threw together.. and i'll probably make soup again today for dinner (what can i say? i'm in a soup-y mood). i'm LOVING this cold weather though!

i didn't make these together, but here's my 2 recipes so far this week:

pepperoni pizza soup (5-6 points per serving.. the recipe builder didn't have the barilla plus pasta, so i don't know for sure):
2 1/2 cups tomato bisque soup (i used tj's)
handful of chopped fresh basil (i like mine really basil-y)
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (i used barilla plus)
2 green onions, sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for broiling
1/3 cup diced turkey pepperoni
1/2 cup grated low-fat cheese (i like tj's reduced fat 3 cheese blend)
4 teaspoons grated fresh parmesan

put the tomato soup, basil, water, and garlic into a large pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. When it is boiling, add the macaroni, green onions, oregano, and pepperoni and stir well. when the macaroni is cooked, about 6 to 8 minutes, pour the soup into oven safe bowls. sprinkle each bowl with equal amounts of cheeses. sprinkle on some oregano and put under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
we've also had the soup in bread bowls, but so much of the bread goes to waste i serve it on the side now (although this week i omitted even that to save calories).

jen's famous grilled cheese (okay.. so it's only famous with kris.. but i think it's pretty darned good!)
2 slices sturdy sourdough bread (i.e. the preliced kind, not fresh from the bakery)
2 tsp brummel & brown spread (it's a really low calorie butter substitute)
2 tsp grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheese blend (once again, i used tj's)
non-stick cooking spray

heat a skillet over medium-high heat. spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. sprinkle 1 tsp of the parmesan cheese on each slice, press gently to stick. spray top of cheese with non-stick spray to help it stick. lay one piece of bread, parmesan side down, in heated skillet sprayed with non-stick spray (it should sizzle). top bread with 1/2 cup shredded cheese and the other piece of bread (parmesan-side facing up). after about 3-4 minutes, carefully turn sandwich over. the parmesan cheese should now be a golden-brown crust. grill for another 3-4 minutes and remove from pan. serve immediately, as the crust gets soggy after sitting. enjoy!

i don't know the nutrition info for this one, as i never eat a whole one. i usually cut of an edge and give the rest to kris. it's not super healthy, but it's as healthified as i could make it!

YAY FOR GRILLED CHEESE, SOUP, AND COLD WEATHER!! WOOHOO!

it's bakeriffic!

wedding favor cookies...

but this past week i've been doing lots of baking OTHER than sugar cookies.. and the fruits of my labor have been deeeeeeeeelicious!

check it out:

monkey bread! i know this is super popular, but personally i had never made it before, so i gave it a shot. soooo easy. and delicious! check out the recipe here.

the only thing i did differently was bake it in a bundt pan rather than a tube pan. i made one version with the nuts and raisins, and another without. they were both amazing! YUM!

the best chocolate chip cookies ever!!!

i usually default to my mrs. field's cookie book for her 'blue ribbon chocolate chip cookies' but i got this recipe in the mail and it turned out SO good! plus, i like that the recipe makes 6 cookies rather than 20 or more like a normal recipe does. you can always double it if you'd like!

5 oz all-purpose flour (about 1C plus 2T)

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/3 C granulated sugar

1/3 packed brown sugar

1/4 C butter, softened

1 t vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1/4 C semisweet chocolate chips

1. weigh/lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. combine flour, soda and salt in a small bowl, whisk together.

2. place sugars and butter in large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. add vanilla and egg whites; beat well. add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. stir in chocolate chips. cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

3. preheat oven to 350 degrees

4. divide dough into 6 equal portions; place dough portions on baking sheet (either coated with cooking spray or lined with a silpat) 2 inches apart. bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. cool on a wire rack.

small loss.. good week!

so yeah, at last week's weight in.. i only lost 0.8.. which is better than nothing, but i was still disappointed. the soup i made for dinner the night before had a lot of sodium in it though.. so that could have had something to do with it.

anywho, it's been an okay week, filled with some really good food! i had my brother's surprise bday party.. and fortunately (for me) they served mexican food, which i don't like. so i had a carne asada taco and a little rice. but i drank my weight it vodka so that made up for it... lol. i haven't used my WPA on anything else this week though.. so i'm feeling okay about it.

the soup last week was friggin incredible.. i could eat it every day:
2 boxes of low-sodium ff chicken broth
1 tbsp ground ginger*
1 tbsp crushed garlic*
3/4 cup low-sodium shoyu (soy sauce)
2 packages of soba noodles
1 cup chopped shitaki mushrooms
2 cups chopped bok choy
10 aidell's teriyaki chicken meatballs
or block of chopped firm lite tofu (veg)
3 stems green onion (chopped), for garnish

bring broth, ginger, garlic and shoyu to a boil. add remaining ingredients and cook until mushrooms are done. garnish with green onions and serve!

it made about 4 servings of 4-6 points each, depending on how many meatballs you served yourself. mmm.. drool. i want some now.

yesterday i had a kick-ass steakhouse salad.
i cooked a lean filet mignon on the stovetop until medium rare. let it sit for about 5 minutes, then slice thinly. in a large salad bowl, toss together mixed greens, 1/2 cup reduced fat blue cheese, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and some newman's own light balsamic vinaigrette to taste (they make a spray balsamic as well that's pretty good). top each serving of salad with some slices of steak. yumm. so decadent.. and it came out to approx. 6-8 points depending on how many slice of steak you have. i served hungry girl's onion rings on the side, but neither kris or i were big fans.. i guess i'll be using my fiber one cereal for something else from now on.

then today i made one of my dinner standards.. but it had been so long i forgot how delicious it is!! it's a smoked cheese and canadian bacon frittata with only a few minor adjustments to the recipe.. check it out i just used reduced fat smoked gouda instead of the cheddar, and some thick-cut ham i had on hand instead of the bacon. yumm.. and the best part - the portions are HUGE for 4 points each!

now that my stomach is grumbling.. off to bed!

ode to produce...

yeah.. so.. i didn't go to the farmer's market last weekend since i decided to stay up until 6am. (not a rare occurence for me since i'm usually still at work at that time). however.. i woke up at 1pm and was mad at myself for missing it.. only to find that - WOOHOO - i get my monthly produce delivery this week!! i'm so excited. i use a company called 'planet organics' that delivers all around the bay area, but if you look, i highly suggest trying to find a produce delivery or food co-op in your area. co-ops tend to be cheaper since they send you whatever they have available that week, and you tell them how many people you want produce for. unfortunately, there aren't any near me. so i go with the delivery service that allows you to customize your 'box' with whatever as long as it's $32 minimum. it's a little pricey, but i only have it delivered once a month, and i make sure to log in and fill my box with stuff i know i'll use.

so i'm looking forward to my delivery on wednesday.. but until then i'll survive on frozen fruits and veggies. not that there's anything WRONG with that.

and while we're on the topic of frozen produce.. if you do find yourself looking at a bunch of browning bananas or squash that's getting soft by the second.. don't think twice about freezing them. right now, in my freezer i have:

apples
bananas
peaches
strawberries
grapes
zucchini
summer squash
wax beans
broccoli
cauliflower
carrots

all of these were at one point fresh, and as i saw they were about to turn, i chopped them up, and put them in labelled ziploc freezer bags. i can't tell you how much money i've saved.. i just hate throwing stuff away! some of the fruit i eat frozen or use in smoothies, and the veggies i add straight to the saute pan or microwave them with a little seasoning. just today i made a totally awesome dinner with some frozen produce:

zucchini
red onion
red bell pepper
cremini mushrooms (these were fresh)

spray veggies with olive oil cooking spray and toss with salt and pepper. preheat grill, throw veggies onto a grill pan, and cook along with whatever meat you're having that day (for me it was lean pork chops marinated in chaka's mmm sauce. i made some brown rice cooked in low sodium, fat-free chicken broth, and had a delicious dinner that my bf called 'a keeper'. hahaha.

so go forth, and eat your veggies!

week 2 back on track

yes, that's accurate.. i updated my weight graph and i gained back almost 20 pounds in 6 months. disgusting.. i know. part of me really really really wants to change that graph so that it starts with my restart date from a couple weeks ago.. but the other part of me knows that seeing it is a good reality check.

on the plus side.. i saw my roomie from college and her sister today (shaden and sara) and they both said that i look like i've lost weight.. i think i'm one of those lucky people who carries their weight really well.

this has been a roller coaster of a week for me. for the most part i did okay.. i was sick last week around WI, some sort of stomach bug.. and didn't feel right all weekend. i had some crazy breakdown on monday and ate an entire sleeve of oreos. gross.. i know. but other than that it was pretty good. i went to happy hour with my girlfriend lisa on friday and tracked everything we had.. and that took away all my WPA (hence the reason my unfortunate oreo incident was more than just unfortunate). all-in-all.. we shall see the results later on today.

no crazy good recipe finds this week. and back to the farmer's market this weekend. i still have hope that this time i will be successful.. for good!

successful week!!

i am so super excited to be back on track.. i'll have to update my stats and progress on the blog when i'm at work this weekend. lol.. i love catching up on non-work-related activities at work. good times.

i walked quite a bit this week, but no actual 'working out' activities. maybe as i start jiggling less in my work-out clothes i'll be more comfortable turbo jamming again. it is SO fun! i'm not an avid gym-rat, but when i do workout, i stick to the ones that i enjoy:

jillian michael's 30 day shred
turbo jam cardio party
10-minute trainer

the latter 2.. shh.. i got on ebay. a lot of people complain about beachbody's sales' tricks, so i decided to stay away.

on to what actually helped me get through this week:

1. getting rid of trigger foods! thank you hungry girl!
i made my boyfriend's friends eat our bags of chips and oreos.
2. pre-planning for my baking orders. i had an order of cupcakes and 2 apple tarts for saturday.. normally i would eat all the leftovers, but as soon as i made them i took any leftovers to friends or.. once again.. made my bf's friends eat them.
3. stocked up at the farmer's market. i know i've mentioned how much money i save at the market every weekend before, but this week i made sure to buy lots and lots of veggies.. and forced myself to use them. i made eggplant parmesan (baked, not fried), pasta pomodoro (with chicken breast, zucchini, tomatoes and a ton of fresh basil), stuffed bell peppers (with lean ground beef), boiled corn on the cob (so sweet and delicious it didn't need butter), and lots of snacking on carrots and celery.
4. holey donuts! - i got some on a good deal they were running.. $5 a box, and they are amazing. i haven't been eating them every day (they run 3-7 points each), but they are delicious when you have a craving.
5. vitatops - i get them on amazon (free shipping!) and yes, i've mentioned them before.. but when you're really hungry between meals, it's the best, most delicious 1 point you can spend. my favs are deep chocolate and apple berry.
6. cool-ups - i bought mine at bed bath.. and i didn't use them a ton this week, but they were great over the summer! you can portion out your slow-churned ice cream.. and it's easy to control how much you're eating! yum!

if anyone is interested in the recipes i used this week.. let me know. i'll post them up!