Weight Watchers Update + Pepperoni and Veggie Pizza Recip

Although I haven't updated regarding my Weight Watchers progress lately, I am still following the program, seeing great results, and loving it. I'm .6 pounds away from losing a total of 20 pounds! On December 8th I actually reached my weight loss goal, so now I'm following a maintenance plan. If I can maintain for 6 weeks, I'll become a lifetime member (translation: all the same awesome tools and resources for free! Now that's motivation!)

I've learned so much along my journey, but one thing I know, I don't like spending hours in the kitchen. A few facts about my cooking style:

• I don't like recipes that have a 5-mile long list of ingredients.
• I don't like to buy a fancy ingredient that I only use once. 
• I like very simple and quick cooking techniques. 
• I'm always looking for shortcuts to lessen my time in the kitchen. 

I think most Moms probably have the same cooking style, right? Haha. So with that said, I want to begin sharing some of the meals we eat around here. My ulterior motive is that I want all of my recipes and recipe shortcuts variations to be online so that I can easily access them!

So with no further adieu, first up: Pepperoni & Veggie Pizza! Comfort Food, people! Here's the preparation in pictures. The full recipe is at the end of this post.

Start with Martha White's thin and crispy pizza crust. Prepare according to package directions (translation: add water and stir)

Spread the dough, and have the toddler poke holes in it before it goes into the oven for the 5-minute-pre-bake. Seriously, the directions say to poke holes in the dough.

While the pizza is pre-baking, chop up the veggie toppings (in this case, just bell peppers... the mushrooms were already sliced). Have the toddler put the veggies in the pan for you. Saute the veggies for about 5 minutes in a tiny bit of olive oil.

 

Measure out or count your pepperoni slices. It's all about portion control!

Spread the sauce on the pre-baked crust. I use the Wal-Mart brand of sauce.

Second comes the pepperoni...

Third comes the spinach leaves... (from the bag)

Fourth comes the sauteed bell peppers and mushrooms.

Fifth comes the cheeses (mozzarella and Parmesan)...

Put the pizza back into the oven and bake according to package directions (about 10 minutes).

Enjoy the finished product!

{Pepperoni & Veggie Pizza}
4 Points Plus Values per slice
Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:

1 Packet of Martha White Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust Mix
1/2 Cup of Store Bought Pizza Sauce
Turkey Pepperoni (about 25 slices)
1 Cup of Spinach Leaves
2 Bell Peppers (whatever color you like)

8 oz of Sliced Mushrooms

1/2 Cup of Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

2 T. Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil Spray

Prepare the pizza crust according to package directions. While the crust is pre-baking (about 5 minutes), chop up and saute the bell peppers and mushrooms. Take the crust out of the oven and add toppings (pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni, spinach, bell pepper and mushroom mixture, and cheeses). Bake again according to package directions (about 10 minutes).

Ideas to make this meal even quicker:

• Buy pre-chopped Bell Peppers.  
• Skip sauteing the peppers and mushrooms. Instead, just throw them on the pizza raw. They'll soften a little during baking.
• Vary your veggie toppings depending on what you have on hand (tomatoes, onions, banana peppers, etc.)
• Serve with a simple bagged salad and some light dressing for a complete meal. 
• Skip the veggies all together for a plain pepperoni and cheese pizza. (The Weight Watchers points don't change.)
• For a single serve pizza, use Flatout Light Flatbread or Hungry Girl Foldit Flatbread and follow a simple recipe like this one.

 Happy Eating!

One Pot Beefy Cabbage Creation

After a disappointing .2 lb. weight loss last week, I'm happy to report that I lost 1.6 lbs. this week! I was a little nervous to step on the scale, but pleasantly surprised once I did. I blame last week on "woman issues" because I really didn't do anything different. So crazy how a woman's body works, huh? Regardless, I know I need to start adding exercise into the mix. I haven't started doing any activity yet. I'm just to lazy tired. So, all in all, a very successful week!

I wanted to share another recipe tonight. It's my Mom's creation. She's the queen of throwing things together and creating deliciousness. She doesn't have an official name for this dish so I made one up (hehe). At first glance, you may not seem tempted to try this, but, trust me, once you make it, you wont regret it! It's so yummy! And SoooooooooOOOoo easy!

One Pot Beefy Cabbage Creation

 Ingredients

1 Pound of Lean Ground Beef

1 Head of Cabbage

1 Cup of Shredded Carrots (I use the food processor to "shred" mine)

2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon of Season All

Directions

Toss ground meat into a large pot and let it start browning (about medium-high heat). Chop up cabbage. Throw into pot. Stir. Shred carrots. Throw into pot. Stir. Open cans of diced tomatoes. Throw into pot. Stir. Toss in 1 Tablespoon of Season All. Stir. Cover the pot and let everything cook down for about 30-45 minutes on medium heat. Stir every now and again just to make sure nothing sticks. Clean up any messes from all that tossing and throwing *wink* Serve alone or over rice.

Makes about 7-8, 1-Cup servings. 

2 Points Plus Values per cup.

Enjoy!

I'm in a New Relationship...

...with FOOD! Two pregnancies over the course of three years has definitely taken it's toll on my body. It was time to make a change. And not just for the purpose of losing weight, but even more importantly for my health's sake. I know most Mom's would agree having small children can be physically draining. And it's hard to maintain lasting stamina when you're grabbing a bag of chips here and a coke there. I had gotten into the terrible habit of snacking throughout the day instead of eating healthy meals. And my body was paying the consequences. No matter how much coffee I pumped into my body, I still felt tired and weak all the time. 

Now don't get me wrong, the fact that I have some cute pants in my closet that I can't button is also part of the motivation to make a change. It's no secret that I have more than a couple of pounds to shed to get back into those.

Can I just mention here that I hate the word diet? It's like anytime someone mentions the "D" word I wanna run to the nearest bag of chips and devour the whole thing. Maybe it's my personality or maybe it's just human nature, but if you tell me I can't, that's what I want. Lord, have mercy!

So a few of my friends have been on the Weight Watchers diet, and I've seen some great results. And what I kept hearing was, "You can eat whatever you want, you just have to watch your portions." Ok. Nothing is off-limits. Sounds doable, right? So last Thursday Kevin agreed to keep the boys so that I could try out a local Weight Watchers meeting. And can I tell ya'? I absolutely loved it. The speaker was so motivational and encouraging. I left the meeting all pumped up and ready to start. Do I realize this excitement may not last forever? Yes, I do. But week 1 has been great! Haha! 

I'm blogging about this in part to possibly inspire others, but for the most part to keep myself accountable. It's my goal to write about my progress in the weeks to come, but no promises about how often those posts will be. Did I mention I have 2 small children?

Anyway, so far so good. This week has mostly been a learning week. I spent way too much time at the grocery store yesterday with my calculator figuring out points, but it was (and will be) well-worth it. (Thanks, Mom, for watching the babes!) 

And just to show you that eating healthy doesn't have to be boring, here are some of our dinners this past week:

1. Delish Turkey Burgers

2. Yummy Asian style meal:

 

One thing that I'm really lovin' about Weight Watchers is that I can do everything from my phone (track points, calculate points, find recipes, etc.). It makes it so easy for me. Instead of having to write everything down or keep track of numerous calculators and guides and books, I just have to pull out my phone and everything is there. I would definitely say that it's "Mom-friendly."

 

So, anyway, food and I are in a new relationship, and I'm already reaping the benefits! Hoping the relationship lasts!