RACHAEL RAY

Great weight loss story here from yesterday's program -

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/one-womans-struggle

No, I don't watch the show!

MID-WEEK RECIPE

This looks quick and easy, yields good size portions and leaves left-overs for tomorrow's lunch. Thanks for the recipe Karen!

SPAGHETTI PIZZA

Points Value: 6 per serving

Servings: 10

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 Sprays olive oil cooking spray

12oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, spaghetti

2 Large egg whites

1 Large egg

2/3 cup fat-free skim milk

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp table salt

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 cup basil, fresh, chopped, plus extra leaves for garnish

9 oz Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

32oz bottled spaghetti sauce

2oz Pepperoni, finely julienned (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with the cooking spray; set aside.

Break spaghetti into 2-inch pieces and cook, al dente, according to directions; drain and cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat egg whites and egg until frothy. Stir in milk, garlic powder, salt, oregano, basil and 1/3 of mozarella; add cooked spaghetti and stir until thoroughly combined. Spread spaghetti mixture evenly in bottom of baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes; remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350F.

Spread spaghetti sauce over pasta; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Scatter pepperoni evenly over cheese layer. Return to oven and bake until heated through and cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, garnish with basil and then cut into 10 servings. Yields one slice per serving.

HALLOWEEN CANDY POINTS

MORE candy listed in your 2008 Complete Food Companion, p. 247-260/E-Tools
3 Musketeers, 2 fun size bars 3 1/2
1000 Grand, 2 bars 4 1/2
Abazaba, mini, Each 1
ABC Fruit Chomps, 7 pieces 3
ANDES "Creme de Menth Thin Mint", 8 pieces 5 1/2
Animal Crackers, 11 crackers 3
Almond Joy, 2 snack size bars 4
America1s Original Bubble Gum, 4 pieces 1 1/2
Atomic Fireballs, Each 1
Baby Ruth, 2 fun size bars 4
Big Hunk, mini, Each 1
Bit-O-Honey, 6 pieces 4
Blow Pops, Each 1.5
Bubble Gum, super, 2 pieces 1
Butterfinger, 2 fun size bars 4
Butternut Mini Bar, .75 oz 2
Candy Corn, 22 pieces 3
Caramello, 2 snack size bars 4
Crispy Caramel Fudge Bar, snack size, Each bar 2
Caramel & Peanut Butter Crispy Bars, snack size, Each bar 2
Chocolate Toffee Crisp Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Double Bubble Gum, 2 pieces 1
Heath Bar, 5 snack size bars 6
Hershey's Bar (plain), 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey's (almonds), 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey Kisses, 8 pieces 5 - Hershey Kisses or Hugs, 3 pieces 2
Hershey Miniatures, 5 pieces 5
Hershey Tastations (any flavor), 3 pieces 1
Hershey Sweet Escapes 2
Hi C Juice Fillers, bag (5 candies) 2
Hot Tamales, Each snack box 1
Jolly Rancher, 3 pieces 1
Jolly Rancher Mini Stix, Each 1
Kit Kat, 3 (2 pc) snack bars 6 - Kit Kat, Each 2
Lemonheads, Each box 2
Life Saver Five Flavor Candy, 4 1.5
Life Saver Gummi Savers, 2 rolls 2.5
Life Saver Pops, Each 1
M & M (plain), Each fun size pack 2
M & M (peanut), Each fun size pack 2
M & M Crispy, Each pkg 5
Mars, 2 fun size bars 4
Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, 6 pieces 3.5
Maynards Wine Gums, 1 roll (44 g), 3
Mike & Ikes, Each snack pkg 1
Milk Duds, 4 fun size boxes 4
Milky Way, 2 fun size bars 4
Milky Way Lite, minis, 5 pieces 3
Milky Way Lite, regular bar 3.5
Mounds, 2 snack size bars 4
Necco Wafers, Each roll 1
Nerds, Each box 1
Nestles PB Mallow, Each 3.5
Nestles Baby Ruth, Each 4.5
Nestle Crunch Fun Size, 4 bars 5
Now & Later, 3 mini bars 3
O'Henry, 2 fun size bars 5
Peter Pan Peanut Butter Cups, 4 pieces 6
Pumpkin Pop, Each sucker 1
Raisinettes, 3 snack size boxes 4
Red Hots, Each box 2
Reese's Crunchy Cookie Cups, 2 snacks 4
Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, 5 pieces 5
Reeses Peanut Butter Bites, 3 pkgs 5.5
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, 2 snack size 4
Reesesticks, 2 snack size 4
Skittles, 3 pkgs 4
Skittles (regular), 2 packs 3
Smarties, 3 rolls 1
Smuckers Fruit Fillers, Each bag (5 candies) 2
Snackwells Nut Clusters, Each piece 1
Snickers, 2 fun size bars 4
Snickers, minis (4 pieces) or 2 fun size bars 4
Spree Candies, 8 pieces 1
Spree Twist, 2 rolls 1.5
Starburst, 3 fun size pkgs 4
Starburst Fruit Chews, 8 chews 3.5
Sugar Babies, 2 snack size pouches 4.5
Sugar Daddy Pops, 3 3.5
Sweethearts (Necco), Each (1 1/8 oz box) 2.5
Sweet Tarts, 2 rolls 1
Tootsie Hot Chocolate Pops, Each 1.5
Three Muskateers, 2 fun size 4
Tootsie Roll, 2 snack bars 2
Tootsie Roll Midgees, 6 pieces 3.5
Tootsie Roll Pop, Each pop 1
Triple Chocolate Wafer Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Twix, (mini size) Each 1
Twix, Each snack size bar 2
Twix, Regular Size, Each (2) pack 7
Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel Cherry Candy, 3 pieces 2.5
Twizzlers Strawberry Twists, 4 twists 2.5
Werther's Original, 3 pieces 1
Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, 2 snack size pouches 5
Wonka Nerds Gumballs, Each 1
Wonka Shock Tarts Gumball, Each 1
Wrigleys Chewing Gum, 5 pieces 1
York Peppermint Patties, 3 patties 3


Halloween Tips
*Buy candy you do not like and give that out
*Bag up candy in small treat bags so it is not loose and more tempting
*Have a plan for leftover candy - bring to work - send to school - send to work with someone else
*Don't stay at home - go to the movies or go out
*Figure out a plan - look up how many points a favorite candy is and work it into your day as a treat

FALL RECIPES

I got these from one of our WW members this morning - sound good!

PUMPKIN PUDDING

1 15ox can pumpkin
2 pkgs FF/SF Vanilla Pudding
3 Cups Skim Milk
Cinnamon & Nutmeg

Mix all ingredients as per package directions, add pumpkin.
Refrigerate as directions

1 Cup = 2 Points
CORE

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

1 Box Carrotcake mix
1/2 cup water
1 15ox Can Pumpkin

Mix all together as per package directions. Add an extra 10 minutes to package baking time.

Makes 18 muffins

1 muffin = 2 Points

DETERMINED

The attendance was a bit lower than usual at the early WW meeting in Miller Place this evening and I particularly noticed that one of the newer guys was missing.

He eventually arrived half an hour after the meeting ended, explaining that he had come straight from LaGuardia and was late because his flight had been delayed.

Away all week, traveling today, flight delayed, but he was determined to get to his weekly weigh-in.

I like that determination - he'll get to his goal that way!

A TON OF FOOD

Today I went to the WW centers in Lake Ronkonkoma and Selden to pick up all the food that had been donated to our food pantry through the Lose For Good campaign. Over the past six weeks the company has invited member to participate in food drives at their local centers as a celebration of their success.

Meanwhile WW International is matching the amounts of weight loss by members across the country with the costs of supplying food for the hungry to two major relief organizations.

We reckon we picked up over 1600lb from Selden and over 600lb from Lake Ronkonkoma - a ton of food.

Many thanks to all who are helping us to help others.

IT'S HARD

In yesterday's WW groups we were looking at three statements that no one seemed to disagree with at all -

1. It's hard to be overweight
2. It's hard to lose weight
3. It's hard to maintain weight loss

Bottom line - it's all hard!
What we do is choose which hard path we prefer.

Weight loss is never going to be easy, we're fighting genetics, bad habits developed over years and our own heads. But it's a heck of a lot better than dealing with the difficulties of carrying around too many extra pounds.

TORTILLA SOUP

It's going to be cool this weekend, so here's a tasty looking recipe from one of my Miller Place members -

48oz can Light & FF chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
1 - 2 tbsp (to taste) taco seasoning mix
28oz can crushed tomatoes, drained
4 oz salsa
9oz package Perdue Shortcuts Grilled Chicken Breat (7 Points)
11oz can Del Monte summer crisp corn (3 Points)

Add chicken broth and onion to pan and heat through. Add taco seasoning, tomatoes and salsa. Bring to a boil. Add chicken and corn, reduce heat, cook for 30 minutes.

10 Points in the pot - but how much in a 1 cup serving? Let me know!

TILAPIA

There's no getting around the fact that fish is definitely your friend. Of course what you do with it can easily make it your enemy, like coating it in beer batter and frying it for traditional British fish 'n' chips!

I had tilapia for dinner tonight - a kind of fish I had never heard of before we came to the U.S. - and frying it, as is, in PAM meant it was only 2/3 the amount of points as ounces. Six ounces was a modest four points.

My kind of meal - bang for your buck. Well, for your points anyway.

DINER FOOD

We have friends from North Carolina who visit us now and again - they were here last weekend - and one of their first requests is for us to be able to eat in a Diner. We're always glad to see them and would take them to whatever restaurant they choose, but it's always the same request - seems there's nothing remotely like one of our diners down on the Outer Banks.

We generally go to a diner for brunch on Sundays, after church is over, arriving around noon. I'm ready to eat by then as I leave the house early and don't usually eat a lot during the course of the morning - often not at all, but don't tell my WW leader!

So, what's good - and safe - in a diner? Thankfully there are quite a few choices, but of late I've been going for two poached eggs on a dry toasted English muffin. That works out at six points, with another six thrown in if I add the home fries.

I had the home fries today and enjoyed them. What I love about this program is it's so inclusive. That will be my main meal of the day, but it was good.

You can't beat a New York diner!

PUMPKIN CURRY SOUP

Gill has been making this a lot lately - we love it. Don't be put off if curry is not your thing.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic finely chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 15oz can pure pumpkin
1 12oz can non-fat evaporated milk

METHOD
Spray a saucepan with PAM and cook the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and curry powder and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add broth and pumpkin. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in evaporated milk and transfer to belnder or food processor. Blend until smooth.

CORE recipe
1 POINT per cup

CHOICES

This has been a great weekend and a very busy one. We celebrated our church's 10th Anniversary, which meant we saw a lot of good people, had friends visiting and were faced with a lot of food.

Saturday evening we had around 40 people over for a catered party at our house, complete with a whole table of outrageous homemade desserts.

Sunday for lunch we took all our guests to the Indian buffet at The Curry Club in Centereach (my favorite food, for the uninformed).

Sunday evening was another party catered again by Tuscany in Miller Place, with a table full of different desserts - once more from Sarah Jayne's.

There was just too much good stuff on offer, so I made the decision to enjoy the food and deal with the consequences.

Overall I gained a few pounds by the look of it. But I didn't gain the 133 I have lost, nor did I ditch the lifestyle I have developed this past few years. I had some outstanding food in front of me and enjoyed it.

Today I got back to normal!