Sophie, my 17-year old granddaughter, came over last week and showed me how to make her Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies. Here’s our video about them. And it is truly NO exaggeration when I say that those cookies are AMAZING!
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I made bread dough for the week – six portions worth. Two of the portions will be used for pizza (Recipe here). Two will be used for two meals of Pigs-in-a-Blanket (Recipe here) one for now, and one for a second meal that I will freeze for later. One portion will go for Cheesy Biscuits with Eggs (recipe here), and the sixth portion will be used for Chicken Pot Pie. That recipe will be posted later.
This is a great way to meal prep or the week. When the dough is already made and in the refrigerator, then those meals that use the dough are so much simpler to make.
You will see from the video that it’s easy and quick, too.
The recipe I use made 6 portions. Each portion includes 1/2 cup self-rising flour which is either 5 or 6 points (WW Blue plan), depending on the brand.
I made a WW-friendly vegetable beef soup today, and it is delicious! The video will walk you through how to make it. The recipe is below.
The soup base is:
1 lb. 96% lean ground beef (10 WW Blue points)
2-3 can diced tomatoes (0 points)
1 can tomato sauce (0 points)
1 quart beef broth (0 point)*
approx. 1 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped celery (0 points)
Salt and pepper, to taste (0 points)
Directions: Brown the ground beef in a large soup pot. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Salt and pepper, to taste.
Now add your vegetables – I usually buy a bag of frozen soup vegetables. However, you can use fresh, frozen, or canned (drain canned vegetables) – corn, carrots, peas, beans, garlic, peppers, potatoes (count the points for potatoes).
Bring to a boil. You can add more beef broth if the soup is too thick. Let the soup simmer for a couple hours to thoroughly meld all the flavors.
This soup will keep in the refrigerator for several days, and it freezes well.
POINTS: I add additional beef broth, if needed, to bring my total amount to 18 cups – which equals 18 servings.
10 total points divided by 18 servings – .555 points (which rounds of to 1 point.
*Some beef broths scan as 0 points for a quart, and some scan as 1 or 2 points for a quart. It depends on the fat content of the particular broth you buy. Scan the broth you use to figure your points. However, even at 2 points a quart, the total still equals less than 1 point per cup/serving.
Since I’ve talked about Atomic Habits, I thought I’d make a quick video about how how to develop Atomic Habits to get yourself to exercise.
Start small – practice regularly – experience results
I was doing my usual morning scroll through Facebook this morning when I came across a post from Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital (officially Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University). In the post, they asked that people who were caretakers of children who received treatment at Vandy to post a photo of their child and tell a little about their story.
It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming to read the comments – over a hundred. Then I came across one comment that has stuck with me.
Morgan Fuller died at the age of 17 from cancer. She was treated at Vandy. Until I read her father’s post this morning, I had never heard of her. However, she seemed wise beyond her years – which is common among childhood cancer fighters. Once, while speaking to a crowd at a Relay for Life event in 2016, Morgan said, ”What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?” Read that again:
“What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?”
What a perspective! God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit, family, friends, a home, food on the table, freedom, so, so many things to thank God for each day!
Right now my nightly routine after I get into bed each night is to recite to myself The Lord’s Prayer, and then Psalm 4:8. That’s one of my Atomic Habits. I will add thanking God for all my blessings. What a wonderful and peaceful way to end each day!
The weather has turned cooler, and I saw something on Facebook about Zero-Point Taco Soup. I didn’t need persuading – that immediately became what I would make for dinner. I didn’t have taco seasoning on hand, and so I made a quick trip to Kroger to get some.
Within ten minutes of getting home, the soup was simmering on the stove. What could be simpler than opening a bunch of cans, a package of chicken breasts, and some seasoning, and dump it all in the cooking pot! The only other step was to shred the chicken after it had cooked.
I served it with a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) and a little grated Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Both of those are 0-points, too. If I used more (half ounce +) of the Cabot cheese, it would move to a point, but I kept it under 1/2 ounce. It was both tasty and filling. It tasted so good, I had a second bowl – and I counted the cheese as 1 point since I had two helpings of it!
The soup freezes well. So I will put some in the refrigerator to eat over the next couple days, and I will put some in the freezer to enjoy again in a few weeks. 
Here is how I made it:
Zero-Point Taco Soup
- 4 cans beans (black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, great northern beans – whatever kind you like or a combination of beans. I used Kroger’s Tri-Bean Blend)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 large can tomato sauce OR pureed tomatoes
- 1 qt. chicken broth (you can use less if you want your soup to be thicker)
- 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning (add more or less, depending on your taste)
- 1 lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- diced onion, peppers, garlic – to taste (can use fresh or dehydrated)
- salt/pepper to taste
Directions:
- Dump everything into a large saucepan (or crockpot)
- Bring to a simmer
- Once chicken is cooked through, take it out, shred it, and add it back into the soup.
- To serve, you can top with sour cream or Greek yogurt, grated cheese, corn chips – whatever toppings you like
Zero Points on WW Blue Plan. Be sure to add points for any toppings you choose.
I had fast food after an appointment today. Fast food for lunch – and it was only 3 points. I ate AFTER I made the video, and I ended up eating only half the salad. So , in the video I say it’s 4 points. However, my actual points were:
sauces for dipping chicken (1/2 barbecue packet & 1/2 zesty buffalo packet) = 1 point
1/2 of side salad = 2 pts
Everything else was 0 points (grilled chicken, and lettuce, tomatoes in salad, and less than 1/2 of the light Italian dressing packet)
It was a filling lunch. I’ve really enjoyed Chick Fil A’s grilled chicken nuggets lately!
Weight Watchers has just come out with two drinks – Cafe Latte and Mocha Latte. Here’s my review of the Cafe Latte!
I was reading a devotional book the other day, and it talked about how sometimes we let problems and worries take over; they become idols to us. It was a different way of looking at things we tend to obsess over, and it made me realize that my weight issues have become like an idol to me.
A few days ago I wrote a post about commitment versus willpower/motivation. Then I decided to delve a little further into the idea via this video. Let me know what you think!
Living Real With Carol 