Easy 200 Calorie Breakfast

Easy 200 Calorie Breakfast

Ever in a hurry?? Ha, kidding! I know we all are. Skipping breakfast is one of the worst things you can do to your body. I came up with a quick and easy breakfast solution that only takes about 5 minutes and one bowl. I put spinach in everything! Please feel free to substitute if you want, just be sure it's a veggie to keep it healthy!

Ingredients:

Non-Stick Cooking Spray

One Handful Washed Baby Spinach Leaves

1/2 Cup Egg Beaters

1 T Hormel Real Bacon Bits

2 T Weight Watchers Mexican Shredded Cheddar

Light English Muffin (90 calories)

Microwave Safe Bowl

 Spray the bowl with cooking spray. Add a handful of spinach leaves. Microwave for 30 seconds until wilted.

 Add 1/2 cup egg beaters.

Sprinkle with 1 T bacon bits.

Sprinkle with 2 T cheese.

 Give it a quick stir. 

Microwave for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the english muffin.

There ya go!

An easy 200 calorie one bowl no excuse healthy breakfast!

Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup

Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup
This makes a ton of soup, use a very large stock pot.....i love to make a lot of soup and freeze it. If you don't just cut the recipe in half and only use on kind of bean so you don't have to waste a half can of each. You might have neighbors or family who would love to take some off of your hands! I know i love to share soup!

Ingredients:
1 cup diced organic onion
4 organic carrots, diced
3 organic stalks celery, diced
3 small organic zucchini, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh thyme
2 t chopped fresh sage
salt and pepper to taste
15 oz can organic cannelloni beans, low sodium rinsed and drained
15 oz can organic dark red kidney beans, low sodium rinsed and drained
4 cups low fat, low sodium organic chicken broth
28 oz can organic low salt petite diced tomatoes with juice
6 cups organic baby spinach leaves, washed and roughly chopped
2 cups low fat low cal low salt organic tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Spray a very large stock pot with cooking spray. Heat on medium high.  Add all ingredients up to and including salt and pepper. Cook about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Meanwhile, place beans in a bowl and smash half of them with the back of a fork.
3. Add broth, tomatoes, sauce, spinach and beans to pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Serve topped with Parmesan Cheese if desired.

 Saute the veggies.

 Mash the beans.

 Add beans to the veggies.

Add remaining ingredients. 

 Simmer and serve!

Yummy!

Serving Size = 1.5 Cups

Calories = 180

Fat = 3g

Fiber = 6g

I also wanted to share with you this cute heart rate monitor i purchased this week. Seems to motivate me a little more to exercise! You wear this strap around your chest, don't even know it is there. You put on the watch and they connect to each other. During your workout, it tracks your heart rate and keeps you in the "zone" for the best weight loss, and tracks the calories you are burning. It is awesome for those who do things outside of a machine that tells you calories burned. I found my treadmill to be comparable in the calories burned, but when i add arm weights and swing my arms (yes i do this!) i burn more calories. I found mine online for 61.00. It is the Polar FT4 and was highly recommended. I LOVE it. I love to watch my heart rate and the calories burned add up....make my workout go by faster! It's fun to watch!

Wonton Ravioli

The Wonton Wrapper.....
I am lovin the wonton wrapper! You can stuff anything into these babies. Chocolate. Potato. Mushrooms. Steak. Chicken. Pretty much anything. My days of trying to make the perfect pierogi dough are over....i have found it!
     Recently, I made Wonton Ravioli. My daughter's favorite food. Not very helpful for my weight loss! So, i decided I would make half traditional ravioli and half spinach mushroom ravioli. They were both super and a huge hit with the family.

The recipe looks like a lot, but it really isn't. You don't have to make two different fillings. If you don't make sure you adjust the ingredients amount to fit your recipe. The spinach mushroom version is obviously the healthier choice!

Wonton Wrapper Ravioli

8 ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms

3 Cups Baby Spinach, washed

15 ounces fat free Ricotta Cheese

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

Pinch Garlic Powder

4 T shredded Parmesan Cheese

1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

48 or more Wonton Wrappers (about 3 inches square)

Low Cal Pasta Sauce (i use the Kirkland Brand from Costco, it only has 40 calories per 1/2 cup)

 Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat on med high heat. Dice mushrooms and put in skillet. Saute about 5 minutes until soft and wilted.

 Throw in the spinach. Saute about 5 minutes until soft and wilted. Remove from heat.  

In two seperate bowls, place 1/4 cup of the ricotta in one bowl, and the rest of it in another bowl.

 Add to each bowl 1/4 tsp of Italian Seasonings, a pinch of garlic, 2 T Shredded Parmesan Cheese and 1/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella. Mix well.

 Add the mushroom and spinach mixture to the bowl that only had 1/4 cup ricotta cheese in it.

 Now this is the fun part!

Lay 12 of the wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Scoop about one tablespoon (give or take) of cheese mixture and place it in the middle of each wonton wrapper.

 Brush each edge with water, but i would only do half of them at a time because they will dry before you get to them. Unless you have a helper that is!

 Top each one with another wonton wrapper.

 Press to seal the edges. I picked them up to seal them, it was just easier to handle that way. They get easier as you do more. Try not to let cheese mixture squeeze out the sides.

 Fill a large pasta pot with water and pinch of salt. Bring to boil while you are filling the spinach ravioli.

 Working in small batches, boil ravioli until transparent. They will float to the top, it usually takes about 5 minutes.

Top with sauce. Serve with a large salad.

You will have leftover filling with this recipe. The way I see it, you have 2 choices. You can buy more than one package of wonton wrappers and have leftover wrappers (they do freeze well). Or use the leftover filling as a pizza topping.  This is what I chose to do with the leftover filling....

I put in on Roll-Ups (or a tortilla) and topped it with pasta sauce and a bit of mozzarella cheese.  I baked it at 375 for 5 minutes and had an awesome lunch! 2 days in a row!

I also wanted to share with you the cookies we made. They were so good! I saw them on a website, click on the link below the pic for the recipe.....here you go!

Chocolate....Coconut....Graham Crackers! Yummy!

Favorite Family Recipes

Buffalo Chicken Burgers and Fries

Sorry it's been so long! I have been so busy preparing food for out annual superbowl party, i have not had time to blog! Don't worry, i will post the party food later! I have been busy taking taking pictures and creating new recipes!

I promised you Buffalo Turkey Burgers....

This is really very simple and is just a variation of the burger you would normally make! Pair it with low cal coleslaw or baked fries this makes a hearty healthy meal.

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

1 lb lean ground turkey breast

3 T Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing (see pic)

3 T Ashanti Buffalo wing sauce (or any low cal one)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Fire up the grill. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

This is the dressing i have been loveing lately. It is Bolthouse Farms Brand.

 This is the Wing Sauce I use. Brand is Ashanti. I use it because it has no fat and only 5 calories per tablespoon. I have seen others, but this one is pretty mild and that is why i like it.

   (I left out enough turkey to make a burger for my kids who would not like the spicy burger).

 Shape into palm sized burgers.

I was able to make 3 out of the buffalo style

and 2 plain for the kids.

 Place on a hot grill. Drizzle with wing sauce to your liking. Grill about 8 minutes on each side. Drizzle each time you flip them over. Be sure they are cooked through and remove them from the grill.

Drizzle with more wing sauce if desired and top with blue cheese dressing above. Place on a low calorie whole wheat bun and add  lettuce and tomato if you would like, or a slice of american cheese.

For Coleslaw....

14 ounces coleslaw mix

1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

3 T sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground mustard

1/8 tsp celery seed

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. 

3/4 cup serving is 85 calories, 2 grams fat, 3 grams fiber

For Baked Fries....

Makes 2 servings

Slice one large potatoor 2 small potatos.

 into 12 wedges.

 Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450 degrees until crisp, about 30 minutes. Turn afer 15 minutes and respray with cooking spray and a dash of salt.

 Enjoy! Until tomorrow.......

(which will be Wonton Ravioli)