New Year Resolution...

Like every person in America, my husband and I have decided we want to shed some weight.  Since having Jacob, I got off most of my baby weight, but Brian is still struggling.  :)  Kidding!  No, truth is, we both just want to be healthier.  Brian and I made a promise to each other (when we got married) that we'd let each other know if we were getting too big.  However, we both were too afraid to say anything - apparently.  Pants don't lie...when both of us had spare tires chillin' on top of our belts, we knew it was time to do something.


Photo courtesy of: muffintopexercises.org

SO....we did it, we are on Weight Watchers.  The other night, I sat, in the basement, at the computer on weightwatchers.com.  I got all the way through the whole sign up process, and then it said, "enter your credit card information".  I thought, crap...my credit card is all the way upstairs.  I am too lazy to go get it.  I'll do it tomorrow.  AND...that's when I knew I had a problem.

The next day, I signed us up!


We started yesterday...I poured Brian a bowl of cereal (3/4 cup) in the morning.  He was like, "What the hellck is this?"  I told him it was his breakfast.  We stared at our cereal bowl for about a minute, laughing.  We've never seen a cereal bowl with only 45 cheerios in it.  We are used to filling it up to the top, and sometimes going back for seconds.  I guess this is our new lifestyle.


Not everything is so bad, though!  Last night I made a delicious chili from weightwatchers.com (posted below).  We had company over for dinner.  I don't normally make a "low-fat" meal when I have guests over, but I thought what the heck, it's worth a shot.  Our friend LOVED IT.  However, we were all sweating and our noses were running.  I replaced the floral arrangement with a box of Kleenex, as our centerpiece.  I suggest not putting 1 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes in this recipe.  Tone it down a bit. 


We have high hopes for 2012.  Happy New Year to you all!

Hearty Turkey Chili

Weight Watchers Recipe

6PointsPlus Value

Prep time:  25 min

Cook time:  58 min

Serves: 6

A bowl of hot chili is so satisfying on cold fall days. Ours boasts kidney beans, lean turkey and lots of vegetables, well-seasoned and sprinkled with scallions.

Ingredients:
1 spray(s) of cooking spray

1 tsp canola oil
1 large uncooked onion(s), chopped
2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
1 pound(s) uncooked 93% lean ground turkey
2 medium uncooked carrot(s), thinly sliced into rounds
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs paprika
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Durkee ground cumin, or other brand
2 medium fresh tomato(es), chopped
1 cup(s) canned tomato sauce
1 cup(s) canned chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup(s) cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium green pepper(s), chopped
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup(s) uncooked scallion(s), chopped




Instructions:
Coat a large pot with cooking spray; place over medium heat.  Add oil and onion; saute onion until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic and carrots; cook until garlic is softened, about 1 minute.  Add turkey; brown meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 minutes.  Stir to break up lumps.


Add chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, beans and green pepper; bring mixture to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper; garnish with scallions.  Yields about 1 cup per serving.