Cafe Rio Salad

Points? Points? Who cares about that? When it comes to this salad, I am not skimping. My friend Taylor and I got together to make freezer meals and this was one of them. I love it and so will you!!! With a few changes of my own, this is a great recipe to make when you are going to have company.

Cilantro-Lime Rice : Version 1
1 C Real Rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice or more to taste
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or more to taste

In a saucepan or rice cooker combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice. (Follow directions for your rice cooker. I usually have to add more liquid to mine.)
You should double this to make enough rice.


Sweet Chicken, Beef or Pork: Version 1
Sauce:
1, 32 oz can of red enchilada sauce
1 cup brown sugar (or less)

Cook a small beef or pork roast in 1 can of sprite or coke and 3 cups of water for 6 hours in crock pot on low; drain and shred. Mix in sauce and cook for 1 more hour.

To cook the chicken (about 6 large breasts) just place in crock pot with the enchilada sauce cook on high 4-6 hrs or low 6-8 hrs. Add the brown sugar after the chicken is shredded.


Café Rio Pork or Beef
Night Before:
3 1/2-4 lb. pork or beef roast
2 T. brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Mix and rub on roast. Put in crock pot on low. Next morning add:
1 can coke
1 C chicken broth
2 Cloves garlic
1 onion

1 hr before serving shred roast and add 1 c. brown sugar.


Café Rio Ranch Dressing :
1 cup light mayo
1 cup butter milk
1 1/2 pkgs ranch dressing mix
3 tomatillos
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 C or less lime juice
1 small jalapeño seeded.
*put all in blender and blend until smooth; chill until ready to use.

Put your salad together with any additional items you may like. I use fresh red or green lettuce, black beans, corn and onions that I have simmered together. Crushed chips if desired and cheese if desired. I have found that with this recipe there is no need for salsa, however, it would add to it. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as Taylor and I have.

Sweet Potato Fries

These are good with a variety of seasonings! I haven't figured out the points value yet, but when I do I will post it.

4 Sweet Potatoes
2 Tbs Canola or EVOO
Your choice of seasonings.


Some suggestions are:
Brown sugar,
Brown sugar and nutmeg,
Salt and Cayenne,
Italian seasoning, garlic salt and a pinch of pepper,
Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, pinch of salt and pepper
Taco seasoning or chili powder and salt.
You could dip this in guacamole or ketchup.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Arrange fries on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake for 45 minutes, turning once, or until fries are crispy on the outside and soft inside.

Your oven temp may vary just a bit, so make sure you don't over crowd your potatoes on your baking sheet.

Rod Decker's Steak Seasoning

This is a fabulous seasoning that goes well on just about any meat! Rub on Roasts, hamburgers, steak, pork or chicken. You can even add it to your favorite dishes to enhance the flavor or sprinkle over vegetables before roasting. Make sure you have an empty jar to store this in because it makes a lot!

0 pts

10 Tbs Salt
1 1/2 tsp Accent
2 Tbs Coarse Ground Pepper
1 Tbs Lemon Pepper
10 Tbs Lawrey's Season Salt
1 Tbs Bon Appetite
1 Tbs Garlic Powder

Mix seasonings together and store in airtight container. Rub on meat and let set 30 min before cooking.

Zucchini Bread

2 pts per slice of bread.

1/4 C Oil
1 C Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Soda
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 C Zucchini (shred)
1 1/2 Cups Flour

Combine all ingredients together. Pour batter into a large greased bread pan. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes. Enjoy!

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Noodles

My good friend Lynette gave me this recipe and I love it! It is easy and healthy and oh so yummy!
Thanks Lynette!!!

1 pt per cup of noodles

4 large zucchini or yellow squash (about 10 oz each) I have used both together.
1 tsp salt
Pasta sauce of your choice. Pesto and alfredo are yummy.

Wash Squash. Top and tail each prior to use. Lynette uses a mandolin and I am excited to get one, however, until I get one, I am using a potatoe/vegetable peeler. She has given me directions on how to use each, so enjoy these fabulous and healthy noodles.

TO SLICE BY HAND: Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut them lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Stack the slices and slice lengthwise again into 1/4-inch strips to make noodles. Work your way around the pulpy, seedy center of the zucchini, which should be discarded.

TO SLICE WITH PEELER: Peel slices of squash going around and around the squash until you start to see the seeds of the squash. Discard the center of the squash or save it for another use. Place peeled squash into a colander. It should look like wide fettuccini noodles.

SLICING WITH A MANDOLINE: Adjust the mandoline for the julienne blade. Slice the zucchini on the mandoline in slow, smooth strokes to form long, slender noodles. Rotate the zucchini after every two or three passes to avoid the seedy core. When you've sliced the zucchini on all sides, throw the core away. Pile the zucchini in a colander and carefully toss it with the salt. Set the colander in the sink and let the zucchini drain for 30 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the zucchini and blanch until just tender, about 1 minute. Drain the zucchini thoroughly. Do not over boil.

TO SERVE HOT: Toss the zucchini with the dressing and serve immediately.

TO SERVE COLD: Rinse the zucchini under cold water and drain very thoroughly before tossing it with the dressing.

NOTES : Toss hot or cold with a pesto or a vinaigrette and serve them as a side dish or salad. Or combine them with cooked linguine for a delicious summer supper.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Lynette gave me this recipe and I love it. I often end up adding more cumin and cilantro to the batch. I love the smokey background the cumin adds and I love cilantro!!!
4 pts per cup



2 Tbs vegetable oil or canola oil
1 lb diced, cooked chicken
1 onion
1 can chicken broth
4-6 tomatillos, pureed
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 green Chiles, diced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 can great northern beans
1 can butter/lima beans
1 can white corn (optional...I use frozen corn)

Saute onions and garlic in oil. Add all ingredients but chicken and beans. Simmer 10 min. Add chicken and beans, simmer 5 min. Enjoy

Blackened Chicken

My sister has this recipe on her blog and we absolutely love it. I added cumin to the mix and it was fabulous.

3 pts for one 4-4 1/2oz chicken breast

2 1/2 Tbs Paprika
2 Tbs Garlic Powder
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Black Pepper
1 Tbs Thyme
1 Tbs Cayenne
1 Tbs Onion Powder
1 Tbs Cumin

Mix in an airtight container or zip lock baggie. This makes a lot so you can use it for future use.
Rise off chicken. If chicken is extremely thick you may pound it out to your desired thickness. Use the mixture of spices and rub it on both sides of the chicken (I coat my chicken generously). Spray non-stick pan with cooking spray. Cook chicken on both sides about 7 min or until chicken is cooked through. Serve on a bed of lettuce with your favorite low fat dressing or with Alfredo pasta.
Points are calculated for the chicken only.

Bread and Butter Pickles

This recipe puts store bought pickles to shame!!! I got this recipe after sharing a wonderful afternoon bottling pickles with Grandma Roach and Amberly. Little Maddox loves these pickles and even eats the onion and peppers. Maddox and I snacked on the pickles all day and were both sad when we realized that together we had eaten them all.


Bread & Butter Pickles
Shelf life 2-3 yrs

5 qrts sliced cucumbers (smaller is better and cut a bit chunky)
4 yellow onions sliced (I slice them into strips)
4-6 green peppers (I use 4)
5 C sugar
1 qt vinegar (white)
1 pt water
3 tsp turmeric
1 tsp celery seed
3 tsp mustard seed
1 pinch ground cloves

Boil 15 min

Sterilize bottles. Cut up Veggies and soak for 1 hr in salt water (1 C salt). Just enough water to cover the veggies. Drain veggies and transfer them to a pot. Mix all ingredients together and boil. Put in jars leaving ½” head space and make sure lids seal.

Salsa

This recipe is delicious and a must for summer canning!!!
0 pts for 1/2 Cup or 1 pt for 1 Cup

7 Quarts peeled, cored and chopped paste tomatoes (Roma's).
4 seeded long green chilies, chopped
5 C shopped onion
½ to 1 1/2 C finely seeded jalapeno peppers (1/2 makes mild)
3 T oregano
2 C bottled lemon juice
6 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 T salt (unidolized)
2 T ground cumin

Combine all ingredients except cumin and oregano. Bring to boil stirring frequently. Reduce heat simmer 10 min. Add spices, simmer another 20 min. Stir occasionally. Ladle into jars leaving ½” head space. Put on lids, process 20 min.

Update

Things have been crazy at my house this summer. We had a great vacation and while on vacation I didn't gain. That is great news right?

Unfortunately, I fell off track after our vacation. I am back to my starting weight and now have to loose it all over again. However, this is not something I will allow myself to get down about.

For all of you who are trying to improve their eating habits, loose a little weight, or feel discouraged when you falter, know that you are not alone. If you fall get up and try again and whatever you do don't give up!!! Find the inspiration or determination to continue in your goals. Most importantly set realistic goals. Set a goal that doesn't seem to hard to achieve, yet challenging. Once you reach that goal reward yourself with a movie or something you have wanted to get for some time. Go out with your girlfriends, buy that new shirt or my favorite...put on those skinny jeans and strut around for a while. (I usually do this in front of Brooks...and boy doesn't it make me feel good!!!) Your next step should be to set a new goal. If you have already reached your goal weight challenge yourself to maintain that weight or find new ways to stay fit.
My challenge for this week is to not only keep trying to reach my goals, but to learn to love and accept myself a little more each day.

Challenge

My challenge this coming week will really test me. We are going on vacation to DisneyLand. While we are all excited, I am sure the fast food restaurants and car snacking will keep me on my toes. My goal this week is to firstly enjoy the time with my family and secondly enjoy the food I eat while still making wise choices. I always think if I buy something or am served something I have to eat it all. This has always been a struggle for me and has now become a learning process. I use to eat until I was so full it hurt or made me sick.
I love food so much that at one point it had become a bad obsession. I would eat regular meals and snack with Maddox. Every now and then I would sneak a few handfuls of chocolate chips out of the freezer to eat when I had a good book in my hand. I am making changes and it hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. I tried to loose weight over and over again since I had Maddox, but would fail. Once my mom and I decided to start going to Weight Watchers together it has helped tremendously. I am a life time member, so I don't have to pay anything, but it is nice to know that I am not alone in trying to keep myself healthy and the fact that I am held accountable for my weight has also been helpful. If I get over my Weight Watcher goal weight I" have to start paying a fee. And lets face it, I have no money, I am a stay at home mom. So with my new determination to succeed in my goals I say.............
Bring on the challenges...I up for it!!!

Weight Update

So ladies....I was so excited when I went to weight watchers with my mom today. I lost 5 lbs from my last weigh in. I had gained a pound over Maddox's Birthday and that is okay, in fact I kind of let myself go and just have fun with his birthday.
He wanted a hamburger for dinner so we went to Barry's to celebrate. We were too full after his birthday dinner to have cake so decided to wait till the next day. Maddox wanted cake for breakfast so I figured...how many times will I really allow this to happen? Not often this may be the only time and since it was his birthday I said okay. So the family sat down to the table and enjoyed a piece of cake for breakfast. It was fun to see Maddox enjoying this little treat first thing in the morning.
So after my indulgence over Maddox's birthday, I am so excited to have lost some weight and happy to be closer to my goal weight. I am not being overly strict, just more cautious of what I put into my body. I had cake and ice cream over my birthday and have made sure that I watch my portion sizes. After all what kind of girl would I be if I went without a birthday treat???

Heart Happy...Donate Donate Donate

This Thursday I am going to donate blood. It has been too long since I have done this and am now feeling guilty. I use to donate because I knew I was saving a life, but now I know I am also improving my health. Each time you donate blood you remove some of the iron your blood contains. This is good news for your heart. Donating blood on a regular basis can reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. It also allows your heart to make new blood which is very beneficial. So not only are you saving a life which is reason enough to donate blood, but you are also benefiting in immeasurable ways.

My dad is an EMT and often wears a shirt with frogs on the back that says "Blood-Wise-er". Okay, a rip off of Budweiser, but it sends a much better message. Thank you Dad for setting such a great example, for giving of yourself, time and talents to save the life’s of our fellow citizens. I love you and admire you so much!!!

My good friend Taylor suggested I publish this on my blogg after I signed up to donate blood. Thank you Taylor for your friendship and encouragement!

Be Fridge Smart

When making your grocery list, look in your fridge, freezer and pantry to see if anything needs to be used up before it expires. Plan your meals around what you have, or stock up on items when they are on sale.
When buying items such as sour cream, cheese, or veggies, plan meals through the next couple of weeks that asks for these ingredients so you don't waste it. You can also freeze many foods to use later.

Save Money and Eat Healthy

I have found that I save money if I make a meal plan for the week. When I get ready to go to the grocery store, I write down what meals we want to have for dinner and what we can have for lunch. I use to not like leftovers, but due our grocery budget and not wanting to waist food, I have found that many of the meals I make actually reheat very well. For lunch we often have leftovers or sandwiches. I am still trying to turn Brooks on to eating leftovers, but he is still having a hard time.
If I make a meal plan and stick to getting only the foods that I need to make the meals, I don't end up buying a bunch of junk at the store. This has been very helpful in saving money and eating better.

Reduce fat in Ground Beef

Reduce the fat in ground beef by rinsing the cooked beef in hot water. Let the tap run long enough so the fat does not clog up your pipes. The flavor will not be affected much during this process. Plus ground beef is most always mixed into a sauce, soup or seasoning mix so the added fat will not add more flavor, just more to your waist line. :)

Cheaters Chili

2 pts per cup

1 can tomato sauce
2 cans Mexican style stewed tomatoes or mexican diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime
2 cans S&W chili beans in zesty sauce (this brand makes all the difference)
1lb 90% lean ground beef or leaner if you'd like
onion
chili seasoning and paprika to taste.

To lower the fat content, double the tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce and seasonings. This makes more chili with less hamburger. Plus this freezes up great. Just Put 1 cup servings in freezer bags and pull out when you want it.

cook ground beef and onion. Drain well. (rinsing the beef after it is cooked will lower the fat content) In a crock-pot add meat mixture, tomatoes, and beans together. Cook on low 4-6 hrs. Serve with sour cream and cheese if desired. Also good in a bread bowl. The longer this cooks the better the flavor.

Italian Chicken Pasta

Photo courtesy by
In My Kitchen Today

Makes (8) 1 C servings (6 pts)

2 chicken breasts or 5-6 tenders
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix (dry in packet)
1 pkg. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 10 oz can 98% fat free Cream of Mushroom
1 pkg. or less bow tie noodles boiled and drained

Place chicken in a crock-pot with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle with seasonings and cook on low 6-8 hrs or until chicken is cooked through. Chop chicken with plastic spatula so it wont scratch the bottom of your crock-pot. Add cream cheese and mushroom soup. Cover and melt together. Boil noodles-drain and add to crock-pot. Mix well and serve.
You may add milk if sauce is too thick. I like to add Parmesan cheese for a nice flavor. Serve with salad and garlic bread if desired. To make more saucy reduce the amount of noodles used or add milk. I often like to use a packet and a half of seasoning to make the sauce a bit stronger. I love this recipe.

Chicken Roll-Ups

Makes 8 servings (9 pts)

2 pkg. crescent rolls (reduced fat for pts value)
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese (use 1/3 less fat for pts value)
2 green onions chopped (use some green tops for color)
2 C boiled and chopped chicken (may use canned)
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 C bread crumbs (I use Italian style)
1/2 C melted butter (use 1/4 C butter or butter flavored cooking spray for pts value)

*you may omit the butter and breadcrumbs if desired.
You may use reg. crescent rolls, cream cheese and butter for the original recipe.

Combine cream cheese, chicken, seasonings, and onions. Mix well with fork. Divide dinner rolls into 16 sections place mixture in rolls and roll up tucking in edges or pinching them together. Lightly spray or dip in the butter. Roll in bread crumbs and bake at 375 for 25-30 min.
2 rolls per serving. Serve with salad and garlic bread if desired.
(For an excellent addition make a chicken gravy from the packet and spoon over the baked roll-ups delicious)

Chicken and Rice

Serves 6 or more (6 pts)

2 cans Cream of Celery
2 cans Cream of Chicken
1/2 can milk
11/2 C Minute Rice (use white rice. The brown rice doesn't quite cook all the way)
6 3oz chicken breasts or use tenders if you'd like

Heat in a pan the soups and milk till warm and mixed well. Make sure you get all the lumps out of the soup. Pour half of the soup mixture in a sprayed or lined pan. (cake pan or dripper pan) Sprinkle rice evenly over the soup. Place chicken over the top of rice and pour the rest of the soup mixture over the top making sure to cover all the chicken and rice. Cover with foil and cook for 11/2 hrs at 350. Take chicken off rice mixture and mix rice well into sauce. Serve.

1 serving is 1 3oz piece of chicken with 1/2 cup of rice mixture. Serve with veggies. For a good variation, sprinkle a pkg. of onion soup mix over the top. I like it both ways. Salt and pepper to taste.

Turkey Breast Dinner

makes one serving (9 pts)

3 oz turkey breast
1 medium sweet potato/yam cut into wedges
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 C Green beans or Broccoli
1/2 cup pudding made with 1% or skim milk

Cook turkey as directed. Coat sliced potato in oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Roast in oven till crisp on outside and tender on the inside. Serve with beans or broccoli and for dessert serve pudding made with 1% or fat free milk in 1/2 cup servings.

Mexican Chicken & Black Bean Salad

Makes 2 servings (12 pts)

2 (4oz) Chicken breasts
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 C water
1 packet taco seasoning
1 (15 oz) can black beans
4 C spinach or lettuce
2 Tbs Sour Cream Low fat or FF
1/2 C shredded Cheese Mexican style
1/2 C salsa

Greese pan and put chicken in pan. Mix sauce, water and seasoning. Pour over chicken and bake 30 min at 375. Cut into strips and lay across a bed of lettuce or spinach. Place beans, salsa, and sour cream on top and sprinkle with cheese.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1/2 C servings (1 pt)








2 C black beans (I use 2 cans rinsed and drained)
2 C corn (I use frozen)
1/3 C onion - red or green
1/4 C or more fresh cilantro (I use the whole bunch chopped)
3 Tbs Lime juice (I use fresh limes and often more juice than called for)
1 tsp olive oil (if adding more veggies add more oil and juice)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin (or more to your liking) (I use 1 Tbs)
tomato and avocado are optional

mix well an chill several hrs or overnight. Serve with chips or over a green salad.
recipe points value is calculated without avocado.

Water, Water, Water

For some reason I have a hard time drinking through out the day. I rarely feel thirsty and know I am not getting the amount of fluids I should. So after doing some research I found out just how important it is to drink the recommended 6-8 glasses of water a day. Water not only hydrates your body, but flushes out the bad toxins and extra water weight. So that is great news for us right? Drink plenty of water and you could loose up to 5 lbs. Water also helps you to digest food and absorb vitamins and nutrients. There are so many other benefits as well such as healthy skin, an increase in physical performance and energy, and headaches come less often. So my goal is to make a habit of drinking water all through out the day. I hope you can make it yours as well.

Plus recent studies have shown that drinking milk can also help you to loose weight along with strengthening your bones and muscles. I am not a milk drinker, but know that I could down a glass a day for all these benefits.

If you are not a milk drinker or can not tolerate milk products you could always turn to Soy Milk which provides the same necessary nutrients. However, I don't know if Soy will help you to loose those extra lbs or not.

Good Fats

We all know how important it is to be careful of what goes into our body, but fats are essential for heart-health benefits. Limiting or avoiding saturated fats, such as butter and cheese can actually help reduce heart disease along with avoiding trans fats. However, monousaturated and polyunsaturated fats in moderation can actually benefit your heart.
Cooking with oils such as olive, canola, safflower, sunflower and flaxseed will get you the essentail fatty acids and vitamins your body needs.
This does not mean that you have to eliminate everything you eat, but be more cautious about what you buy. For instance, purchasing leaner cuts of meat and low-fat dairy products can lower your intake of staurated fat and still provide you with the necessary nutrients your body needs.