Weight Watcher Points

Around this time every year, I get a desire for certain foods...

Chex Party Mix!

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Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Oatmeal!

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Homebaked Cookies!!!

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...so, I've made a scary decision. 

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I've decided to start counting Weight Watcher Points. 

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I'm not attending local meetings,  just starting a food journal and keeping up with my points.  It's kinda like calorie counting,  I'll just be watching my fat intake more than usual.  I've not worried about fats for a very long time, but apparently I need to make some changes.

I've gotta do something to shake up my metabolism.  Hopefully this will be it.

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So, in over the next few days, I'll begin to share Weight Watcher recipes with you.  I made some pretty good stuff this weekend!

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This is a big change from low carb.  I know low carb works for me, if I work at it, so I'll be trying to stick more to fresh veggies and some fresh fruit, yogurt, almonds, lower carb and cal bread, and lean meats. That means more stir-fries, but I get to add a little long grain rice or pasta.

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We'll just see how it goes.

I'll be adding a new Weight Watcher page, similar to my low carb page.

Cross your fingers and say a prayer for me! :)

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Vanilla Yogurt Dressing

A few nights ago, my girls wanted to to make an easy treat for our dessert.  

We were out of a few ingredients, but managed to put together this tasty fruit salad bowl.   This fruit salad is a great choice for dessert or even breakfast. (oops, pic is before the dressing)

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By Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.



 

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Vanilla Yogurt Dressing

2 cups plain yogurt

2 tablespoons good honey

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean, optional

1/2 orange, juiced

1 banana, sliced

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half

1 bunch seedless green grapes, halved

Combine the yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds in a bowl and set aside. Combine the orange juice and banana slices in a separate bowl. Add the berries and grapes and gently mix the fruit mixture together. Spoon the fruit into serving bowls and top with the yogurt.

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Beating Cancer

Note:  Please forgive this discombobulated post.  I felt to write about this today, but I'm very busy and have had many interruptions today, so my writing may be a little hard to follow.

My friend's mom has cancer. 

So many people are affected in some way with this horrible disease.

 My friend's mom...let's call her Bev...has a very positive outlook on life, even though the doctors have done almost all they can for her.  Bev is a very active woman and is always encouraging others.

 The other day, Bev received a phone call from a lady telling her about her cancer story.  How she had been given up to die 6 years ago and decided to live to the best of her ablility.  She said she is now cancer free.

 This lady shared with Bev what she now eats.



Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  No canned or frozen.



 

No white potatoes, only red.

No sugar or Splenda, only Stevia.

No margerine, only real butter.

Only a very small amount of pasta.

 



Green tea.

 



Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

 



Fresh herbs.

 

And lots of garlic.



Lots of garlic...up to 6 "pods" per day.

 

Bev is excited, uplifted, and encouraged.  Hopefully I'll be back in a few months telling you that Bev has beaten cancer!

 

My mom also has cancer,  since 2003.  A rare sinus cancer.  She has had chemotherapy and all the radiation that she can have.  Her only hope is a very drastic surgery involving removing most of the left side of her face, then rebuilding with bone and skin taken from her leg and arm.  She decided against the surgery.  I hope to be able to encourage her to follow the diet that Bev is following.  Maybe some of Bev's excitement will encourage my mom to hope again.



 

If you pray, please say a prayer for my mom, Genelle, and for my friend's mom, Bev.  These are two very special ladies and we need them around a while longer.

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More information on foods to boost health can be found at WebMD.

*Images courtesy of Microsoft