Snickers Pie

12 ounces frozen fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 small box sugar-free instant chocolate pudding
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup lite Cool Whip
3 ounces Grape Nuts cereal

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into an 8-inch dish and freeze.
8 servings
Serving size: 1/8th of pie
Points: 3

Chicken In Wine (WW favorites)

Thank you Mary Beth for this recipe! I can't wait to give this a try. :o)

2 ¼ lb. chicken parts,
skinned 1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 tbl. Balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teas dried thyme, crumbled
2 cups sliced mushrooms
½ teas salt
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into 8 pieces
½ t. pepper

1. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add chicken and cook over medium heat until chicken is browned on both sides, about 6-8 min. Transfer chicken to 9 x 13 dish; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Place onion and garlic in same skillet and cook until translucent-about 2 min. Add mushrooms, cook 1 min. longer. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook 1 min. Pour vegie mix evenly over chicken
4. Cover with foil and bake 25 min; remove foil and bake 15 min. longer

Makes 4 servings; 5 points per serving.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This is a great recipe! My mom makes it all the time! She puts Cool Whip Free on top when she serves it.

1 box name-brand angel food cake mix
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the dry cake mix and the pineapple, including juice. Mix well.
Pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes.
Yield: 12 servings
WW points: 3

Blooper!

This came to me in an email that was church bulletin bloopers. I thought this one was funny!

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

Weigh-in

Another weigh in . . . . I can't believe another week has went by! John and I went to the Contending Conference last weekend and failed to stay completely on our diet. It showed in this week's weigh in. I lost only 1 pound this week and John gained 2.5 back. It was a little disappointing but we are back on track and ready for another good week! We just couldn't resist Jason's Deli in Altamonte Springs, Florida when we were there! They have the biggest baked potatoes, fully loaded! It was so good!!!! :o(

Let this scripture encourage you. James 1:2-4 reads:

Count it all joy my brothers when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If you are joining us on this journey of weight loss, let this next week be your best week yet! Email me and let me know how you are doing! :o)

Tex Mex Chicken Salad

Liven up lunch with this zesty spin on a classic. Serve it over leafy greens or wrap it up in lettuce leaves.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 small sweet red pepper(s), chopped
1 small green pepper(s), chopped
2 medium scallion(s), sliced
15 1/4 oz canned yellow corn, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place chicken in a glass baking dish and bake until juices run clear, about 25 minutes. Chop into bite-size pieces; set aside. (Or save time by purchasing already cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast.)
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cumin and chili powder in a medium bowl.
Stir in chicken, peppers, scallions and corn; mix well. Gently fold in beans; cover and chill at least two hours. Yields 6 servings about 1 cup per serving.

4 points a cup.

Contend for the Faith!

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. - Jude 3

We had a great time in Orlando! The Contending Conference was excellent! Here is the link if you are interested in listening to the messages. You can either listen to the messages online or you can download them to a CD. They also have the outlines on there for you to download and print out.
http://www.metrolife.org/html/special_events.html

Weigh-in

Well, another week has gone by and another weigh-in snuck up on me! But to my surprise I lost another 2 pounds! John lost 6 pounds! He says I am on the 2 pound a week plan! HA HA! He fasted a couple of days though is why he had such a good week. We are on our way to Orlando for a conference. I won't post again until Monday! Have a great weekend!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

POINTS Value: 6 Servings: 8 Preparation Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 30 min Level of Difficulty: Easy

Tuna casserole has a bad reputation for being a high-calorie dish. But not anymore! We've made a few easy ingredient substitutions.
Ingredients
12 oz uncooked egg noodles
12 oz water-packed tuna fish, drained
2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
16 oz fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, or reduced-fat Swiss cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cook noodles according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain and transfer to a large bowl. Fold in tuna, mushrooms and peas.
Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper together in a separate bowl; fold into noodle mixture. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish; top with cheese. Bake until top is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Center

Who doesn't love the lip-smacking duo of peanut butter and chocolate? These cookies will fly off the serving plate when you bring them out for a crowd.
Ingredients
2 sprays cooking spray
1 cup sugar, granulated
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 large egg(s)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup whole-grain wheat flour
1 oz Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks, or other brand (about 40 pieces)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper.
Place sugar, butter and peanut butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; blend well with mixer.
Add salt, baking soda and flour to sugar mixture; beat until completely incorporated.
Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheets and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon. Make sure to leave about 2 inches between each cookie. (Bake in several batches to prevent over-crowding if necessary.) Place a chocolate chunk in center of each cookie.
Bake cookies until edges brown, about 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 1 or 2 minutes; remove cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving, 2 points each.

Strawberry Smoothie

Strawberry Smoothie

1 1/4 cups cold fat-free milk
1 6-ounce container strawberry or vanilla light yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

Place ingredients into blender until smooth!

Makes 2, 11oz. servings worth 2 points each. ENJOY!

Happy Birthday Johnathan!

Fourteen years ago today, our first son was born! I can hardly believe I have had the joy of motherhood for 14 years! The time has flown by! Johnathan has blessed our lives so much! His sense of humor and continuous laugh has kept us smiling! Above is a picture of him from today. He is wearing his new shirt which he is proud to wear! The Gators won the BCS National Championship. Johnathan says, "Go Gators!". (His dad doesn't root for this team, which makes it so funny) The other pictures are of Johnathan in his younger years. Boy, how I miss those years! (Although I don't miss my hair do!)

The weigh-in!

Well, last night was the big weigh-in! I am happy to report that John lost 2.5 pounds and I lost 2 pounds! I thank the Lord for His faithfulness to us this week. I know without Him I would have failed miserably. God gave me much grace for each new day! Praise be unto God!

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5

What a Glorious Mystery!

Who can comprehend your holy ways O Lord,
your glorious power without end,
from which the stars were born?
How could we, ever understand the moving of your hand?
How could we ever come to grasp the One who never began?

Oh, what a glorious mystery you are.
Oh, what a glorious mystery you are.
Though we only see in part,
you've completely won our hearts.
Oh, what a glorious mystery you are!

Who can comprehend your gracious mercy Lord,
your loving kindness that would send a Savior to be born?
Why would you, Jesus, die for us, who cursed your perfect name?
Why would you, come to reconcile those who caused your shame?

Oh, what a glorious mystery you are.
Oh, what a glorious mystery you are.
Though we only see in part,
you've completely won our hearts.
Oh, what a glorious mystery you are!

Written by Stephen Altrogge

Pumpkin Mousse

Pumpkin Mousse
Ingredients:
2 small packages of instant sugar-free vanilla pudding
2 cups of no-fat (skim) milk
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
15 ounce can of pumpkin
8 ounces of fat-free Cool Whip
Directions:
Make pudding first.
Fold in ingredients.
Chill and serve!
1.5 points for one cup of mousse.

Sweet and Sour Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

Sweet and Sour Slow Cooker Chicken Curry POINTS® Value: 6 Servings: 4 (Yields about 1 1/2 to 2 cups per serving.)Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 240 min Level of Difficulty: Easy
Pop this Indian-inspired dish into a slow cooker and enjoy a tasty, hot dinner, hassle-free.
Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large green pepper(s), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large vidalia onion(s), sliced
14 1/2 oz stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup mango chutney
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp curry powder, or more to taste
Directions:
Place chicken, pepper and onion in a slow cooker; top with tomatoes.
Mix together remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over chicken mixture, cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours.
© 2007 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2007 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

Carrot Cake

My cousin Leslee sent this recipe to me. I will be making it tonight. She said it was delicious! If anyone else has weight watcher recipes they want to share, just email them to me. I would LOVE to have them! Thanks Leslee! :o)

Carrot Cake

1 box carrot cake mix
1 can diet Pepsi or Coke

Mix well. If you need to add water while mixing you can add a couple of tablespoons.
Bake at 350 degrees until cake is done.

Frosting

1 box of fat free, sugar free cream cheese pudding
1 small cool whip

Mix together until smooth. Spread onto cooled cake. Cut cake into 12 pieces. Each piece is 2 points.

Transformed By Love

I wanted to share my reading today from A Place Of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

In the old testament book called the Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs), we read the story of a wealthy king who decides to find a bride. Much to everyone's surprise, the king does not pick one of the wealthy, well-educated, well-bred young women of the city. Rather, he goes out into the country and selects a common, ordinary peasant girl to be his bride. She is not beautiful; in fact, her skin is rough and dark from having worked out in the sun in her family's vineyards. When the king brings her back to the palace, the "daughters of Jerusalem" are astonished at his choice. And no one is more astonished than the girl herself.
Nonetheless, the king takes his bride into his bedchamber, where he lavishes his love on her. By the end of the story, this young peasant girl has become a lovely, radiant woman whose beauty attracts the attention of all who see her. What has happened? She has spent time alone with her bridegroom. And she has taken on his characteristics. It is not her own loveliness, but his, that others see in her. She has been transformed by his love.
Deep within the heart of every true child of God is a longing to be like Jesus, to reflect His beauty. We cry out,

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fulness -
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

-Thomas O. Chisholm (1866-1960)

But there are no shortcuts to Christlikeness. Shortcuts only lead to masquerading. There is no substitute for spending consistent, quality time alone in His presence. The cost is great. But the rewards are even greater. If we want to be transformed, we must be willing to

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word . . .
Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Much time spend in secret with Jesus alone;
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

- William D. Longstaff (1822-94)

Taco Soup

Okay, here is a recipe I had to post. It is delicious! It is for taco soup. It is very easy. Here is what you need: 2 large cans of diced tomatoes; 2 small cans of navy beans (can substitute any kind of beans within the same calories); 2 small cans black beans;
2 cans of corn; 2 packages of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing; 2 packages of taco seasoning; 2 cups of water.

You can add meat of your liking to this. Chicken is great or hamburger too! I used 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed. Mix above ingredients together. You can store in a bowl in your refrigerator or you can measure out 1 cup servings and place them in your freezer. Heat to serve.

Without meat this is 1 point for a 1 cup serving.

This makes a big pot of soup. If you want less, just half the recipe. :o)

Beautiful Sunset

I know this is off track but I wanted to post this picture. This is one of my favorite pictures. The sunsets are so beautiful here. In the picture from left to right are, Kristen, Johnathan, Nicholas, and my nieces Cassie and Chrissie. God's creation amazes me! I can't look at a sunset and not think of God.

Weight Loss

Well, today John and I start Weight Watchers! We are excited yet a bit overwhelmed at the same time. We have a lot to lose! I had did this last year for a few months and lost 15 pounds. I have gained 9 of that back. I think this time around will be great because we are commited to doing this together. We will both be on the same page, which will benefit me greatly! There are others in our church who also are doing this, so we have somewhat of a challenge with them. This should not only hold us accountable but be FUN competing! I am up for a challenge! I am going to try and use this blog to track my progress. Let the healthy living begin!

Happy Birthday John!

Me and my sweetie! Happy Birthday John!

I can't believe another year has come and we are celebrating John's 37th birthday. This is my 16th year celebrating John's birthday with him. Where has the time gone? The kids and I are going to go pick him up from work and head to an italian restaurant tonight to celebrate. God has certainly been good to me and has provided a Godly man to be my husband and father to my children. I thank the Lord!