New Blog Updated: No EarthDancing, Just Routine Chores and Nookie....and a yummy breakfast

It's a new week. It's another post at my new blog:

No EarthDancing, Just Routine Chores and Nookie....and a yummy breakfast

Please note that I've moved to TWO YEARS TO HAPPY WEIGHT AFTER and change your links/follows accordingly. GRACIAS!

Happy new week to all fatfighters!

Resisting the Bagel; Perking Up the Water

I had to get a thyroid ultrasound today, so I didn't have breakfast (appt was 11:30am, got done 12:30pm, humph) in order to not risk some reflux. Was mighty peckish when I got out, so I headed to a local bagel place.

There, I ordered an all-the-veggies-you-got scramble with ham and cheese. (veggies = mushrooms, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and broccoli.) I had 2/3 of that. Had tomato slices instead of potatoes/grits/oatmeal as a side. Had coffee and water. Totally did not touch the lovely Everything bagel that kept winking seductively at me. Brought it home for hubby and me  to share tomorrow AM--or just for him. Haven't decided. Will see what I want after I get up.

Breakfast today racked up 652 calories, says my nutrition tracker. Good thing I didn't eat it all!

Will admit hat the cheese and ham made me thirsty and, being someone who really hates to drink plain water unless I've sweated up a storm and am dying for it, I was glad to have my package of TRUE Lemon products delivered (the lemon, lime, and orange kit). I'm sipping a tall and cool one with the lemon as I type.

Have any of you tried the fruit trick with water? You know, adding whatever fruit(s) you have handy--berries, tropical, kiwi, crushed apple, whatever--in order to make water more interesting? I'm gonna macerate some pear and try that next time I get some pears.

What have you tried?

Bloggy Inspiration for Breakfast and Action

Two bloggers inspired me today. One got me to make a yumsy breakfast rather than just settling for the easier (lazier) cheese toast, coffee and fruit. Another has me committed to stepping out the door.

First: Breakfast.  I've been in a bit of a breakfast rut this week, just slapping cheese or ham and cheese between whole wheat bread with coffee and fruit and water. But I saw Poor Girl Eats Well recent blog on Mushroom Fajita omelette  and thought: I WANT THAT NOW! :)

I didn't have all the ingredients on hand her recipe calls for, in fact, I've been in such a funk I've been out of eggs for a week and didn't bother to go shopping for some, but I found a carton of egg whites set to expire in ten days at the back of the fridge. Must have been there a couple months. I had 2% Kraft singles handy. I had portabella mushrooms I picked up at the lil ratty local farmer's market on the way back from Pilates Monday (the market is sad, but it's only one block away from the studio, and I was craving berries). I had half of one sweet onion and half a red pepper left from that Monday market drop-by. And a tomato. That would do nicely.

I sauteed the veggies in a couple teaspoons of EVOO in one small pan, coated another in PAM organic spray (olive oil version) and used that for the egg whites.

Squeezed some of the almost overripe tangerines I had left for fresh juice. Put two slices of whole wheat bread in the toaster oven. Made my fabulous Ethiopian gourmet coffee (freshly ground beans, filtered water).

A feast.  Got four and a half fruits and veggies and a very filling meal for just over 500 calories. Were I in full, gung-ho diet mode, I'd have left out one slice of toast and had less juice. A lot of calories for one meal, some would say, but I find if I skip breakfast or eat a very small one, I tend to pig out crazy at lunch or binge at dinner. I always wake up ravenous. The only one in my family to do so. Hm.

The other inspiring blogger today was Lyn. I could have written about that detachment. About being numb eating and living in the head. I had been doing better, then got all funked down and began doing that again. Here's something she said in today's post:

I feel so very alive now. I see things that need to be done and I embrace the challenge instead of dreading the work. I see the sunshine outside and I want to be out there *in* it... not burying my face in a Big Mac Meal or a computer screen for hours on end. I feel like I have stepped back into the real world. I feel like I have awakened from a decade of detached slumber. I am awake, alive, and present.

After reading that, I decided to have my second cup of coffee, post to the blog, and get dressed and GO OUTSIDE somewhere. At this point, I don't care where. Whole foods to stock up on good stuff. A park. The bookstore to browse and watch people. To make a doctor's appointment. To buy shoes. Don't care. Just get up, shower, get prettied up, put on non-lounging clothes, and live outside the head for a while.

Thanks Poor Girl and Lyn.

Slept Too Few Hours, Woke up Crazy Hungry, Here's My Big Breakfast Lowdown

Well, I just had a breakfast blow-out.

Fortunately, it was on healthful foods, and not super-fatty/big meats/fried/sugary ones, like say a Denny's Grand Slam.

First, let me say I fell asleep on the couch watching the election results. ZzzzZZzzz. Woke up about 4.5 hours later and had to take some meds. Then read my local paper and thought, "Geez, I'm hungry. But I'm still sleepy. But I'm coughing, so maybe should stay up." This went on for hours. I did some reading. I kept thinking, "Geez, I'm hungry."

Anyway, chopped up some veggies, heated up some Mama Lupe's low-carb, high-fiber tortillas. Whisked up one egg with a couple egg whites. Ground, scooped, and brewed some killer good Ademe Bedane coffee from Terroir (who have some of the best beans I ever brewed), heated up the skillets, sauteed my veggies with Pam Olive Oil (organic)--spinach, zucchini, green peppers, onions, mushrooms--and got the low-fat cheddar and fresh salsa for garnish. Made me two breakfast tortillas (which would normally run me 450 calories for both, over 10 grams of fiber, more if you count the fiber in the two cups of coffee I slurp up).

But then I had this spasm and heated up leftover slow-cooker oatmeal (from earlier in the week) and threw some canned lite peaches and a 1/4 cup skiim milk on top. Had a cup of coconut water, too, as I was bloated from the ham I had last night.

So, I can't say I didn't fuel up! And I got 4 of my fruits and veggies in, 6 plus to go. (In the past, whenever I've lost weight and lost it consistently, it was o nly when I stuck to 10 to 11 fruits and veggies per day and counted points/calories while journaling. It's the journaling that taught me I do best when my produce intake is quite high, ideally 11 F/V's per day. That's a lot of planning, shopping, cooking. I know what's ahead of me if I wish to succeed. F/V's. Lots of them.)

To be honest, though, I had planned yesterday to have a good breakfast so I could just have soup or protein mix (I love that Dessert Lean in Banana Pudding) and keep my tummy unfull for my late afternoon training session at the Pilates studio. I don't do well exercising with any real food in my stomach. The reflux acts up.

Breakfast totalled out to 614 calories (about 12 points), with 86 grams of carbs, 18 of fat, and 45 protein.

This leaves me, at miximum, about 1300 calories for the rest of the day, which is a lot (dieting-wise), though not a lot from what I'm used to (non-dieting-wise). I have to get used to less food, and I know it's gonna be trying. I'm not good at reducing food intake. I feel deprived and cranky. So, I need to work on my mindset and patience...

If you haven't had a healthful breakfast yet, go on. Do it. Remember your fruits/veggies and fiber. And WATER! (I am sooo bad with water.)

I wish all fatfighters a happy, healthy Wednesday!

What Have You Done Today To Make You Feel Proud?-- That "Biggest Loser" Song

I made a healthful breakfast this morning, including 3/4 fresh juice and an egg-white scramble with 5 servings of veggies (zucchini, spinach, onions, green pepper, mushrooms). I made hubby a fresh and healthful lunch to keep him shiny and handsome.

And I'm gonna start writing again after ages of not doing so. It's National Novel Writing Month, so why not? A good time to jump back in.

I'm feeling good, and I want to feel proud at the END of this day, having done my best to eat for health and move for health and think affirmatively.

We need a change
Do it today
I can feel my spirit rising
We need a change
So do it today
'Cause I can see a clear horizon

What have you done today to make you feel proud?
So what have you done today to make you feel proud?

--song "Proud" sung by Heather Small

Totally Switched Sleep Schedule and Easy Cheesy Eggie-Veggie Scramble

Well, I flipped.

No. I didn't go nuts. (I think.) I am on a different sleep schedule.

I'm now up mornings. (Normally, I sleep days, am up at night.) Staying awake for over 24 hours in order to go to Josh's Organic Garden and Whole Foods, and then eating with hubby, that kept me up long enough that I zonked out in the late afternoon and got up at 4:30 am. If I can stay on daytime hours, that would be VERY convenient, as I have a medical appointment on Thursday. (Wednesday will be, I hope, my return to exercise day, back to Pilates after two weeks of wheeziness. I'm still feeling some congestion and breathing is off, but I'm definitely mending. fingers crossed...)

As an aside, got on the scale today (though I shouldn't have) and it was a bit encouraging. It was 276.8. So, down a pound since January 1, though it was only yesterday that I started eating right.

Breakfast today, first day when I have all sorts of happy, produce-type goodies in da house:

Easy Cheesy Eggie-Veggie Scramble--This is one of my fave "diet" breakfasts, though I make em with any sort of egg whites, fresh or carton. I have organic eggs and organic egg whites in the fridge, but I had this, too, and wanted more color this morning, hence the yellow fakeyness. I know, not "clean", but clean enough.

How I make it:

~I spray the pan with PAM Olive Oil organic spray. I heat up chopped fresh zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and red pepper until they're hot, but still with some crispness. (I hate soggy-mushy veggies.)

Note: I usually add tomatoes, too, and on occasion some spinach, but today, I decided to save the tomatoes for lunch or supper, as I have a beautiful organic, raw, fresh spinach-pesto I can use on them. Use all and any the veggies you like, just sop up the moisture after cooking, or your eggs will be watery and nasty.

~I dump them into a bowl and blot the veggies and the pan to keep from watering down the scramble.

~I respray the pan with PAM or use a little Smart Balance to oil the pan, and then I add the veggies back in and enough egg beaters/egg whites to cover most of the veggies. (Obviously, the more veggies, the more egg whites.)

~I cook them partway as if I were making an omelette (ie, raising edges to let runny egg bit get cooked under). When it's 3/4 done, I then scramble it until it's cooked to my satisfaction. I either sprinkled grated cheddar (low fat or regular, depending on what's on hand, but yeah, low-fat is better) or break up a slice of American cheese (low fat) and mix it in. The American melts better and makes a cheesy sort of sauce around the scramble. Nice.

Depending on how much egg whites and cheese (type) you use, it can run from 2 points to 6 points (for a bountiful serving). And you can get one to three servings of veggies.

I added about a cup's worth of chopped veggies this AM, so I got two servings. With my cup of fresh apple juice, I got 3 servings of fruits and veggies with my breakfast for 6 points. And it was yummy.

I decided to save the toast I would normally have had, cause I wanna have my Ezekiel Bread/Gardenburger/Cheese sandwich for lunch with fruit.

Tip for today: Get your veggies in. Aim for 7-9 servings or more to keep full and get those nutrients taht come in colorful produce. Whatever sandwich you have, load it with cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, and tomato. Avocado, while having more calories, has healthful fats and tastes wonderful with chicken and turkey or on veggie-cheese sandwiches. Maybe sprouts and slices of onion, if you like that. Take carrots and celery sticks for your snack, with something heartier, like hummus or a light yogurt dip for flavor. Have fruit for dessert or snack. Make a lite veggie soup for an appetizer (and batch the extra to take for lunch to work or have as a snack the rest of the week). Don't let any meal or snack be produce-deprived.

Happy Monday!

What The Princess Likes About Oatmeal

I used to make old-fashioned oatmeal on the stove with milk, which I found a bit annoying in terms of sticking to the pot, but which I loved in terms of the aroma. However, since I got my slow cooker, it's just so easy making a water-based one in there that it's my preferred method. Just put it on and, voila, in an hour (for firm) or two (for mushy), a warm, comforty, filling snack or breakfast.

(I skip the quick cooking, and either take the time for old-fashioned slow-cooking or do instant. The in-between one, eh.)

Lyn, over at Escape from Obesity, is gonna go on a visit to the Quaker Oats HQ, and she's got a giveaway of yumsy QO products. (Go enter at her site.)

I decided to enter the giveaway and answer one of the questions--in this case, what do I like about oatmeal?

My response:

What do I like about Oatmeal? Let me count the ways:

1. Easy to make.
2. Can be made with milk or water, and is fine both ways.
3. Reminds me of chilly mornings when mom made me oatmeal--it's comfort food!
4. It's great with fruit and spices.
5. Leftover oatmeal makes a quick and easy cobbler.
6. You can make "oatmeal cookies" with oatmeal, and I love oatmeal cookies.
7. You can make fake oatmeal "cookies" with protein powder in a pinch.
8. It's very filling. And I have a monster appetite that is not easily quelled.
9. It tastes good, really, so maybe that should be number one.
10. It comes in INSTANT, for when I get lazy, which is kinda often.
11. You can make a huge batch and eat it for days and days....which is good, yet again, for the lazy thing.
12. It lowers cholesterol, and I need all the help I can get in that department.
13. It's got fiber, and fiber is good for my colon's health.
14. It smells good. I love the smell of oats and oatmeal. I stick my head in those tubes of Quaker Oats and breathe it in. I linger over the pot while it cooks. I love opening the slow cooker lid and smelling it. LOVE THAT SMELL!
15. Okay, this isn't about oatmeal per se, but it's worth mentioning: It makes for great cleansing and moisturizing products for sensitive skin. (ie Aveeno)
16. Oats (before cooking) make a good exfoliant for sensitive skin.

What do you like about Oatmeal? What would you tell the Quaker Oats people to do to improve their products or what new products would you like to see? What question would you like Lyn to ask their dietitian? Answer one of these at Lyn's site and you might win some stuff.

~

New Week, New Day--same old crappy sleep schedule

I'm trying (unsuccessfully so far) to switch back into daytime mode. I need to see the sun! I'm up early today, but that means I slept about 4 hours. Yoiks.

For a while, I've been getting up around 6 to 7pm (unless forced to cut back on sleep to get up earlier for some reason.) Which sucks. I see little of the daytime and am missing the cooler change in weather we've had (marginally cooler, but a noticeable change in season). Lack of sunlight is very bad for dieters and those prone to depression. We lose out on vitamin D, sure, but we also lose out on the energizing effect of that direct light, and the (so I hear) slight appetite suppressing effect, too.

I really need to stop being a vampiress!

So, new day. New hope.

Breakfast was my egg white greek omelette with tomato and fresh oregano, papaya chunks with lime juice, coconut water (unsweetened), coffee, water, and some crackers.

Pilates at 4pm. Starbucks for my post-exercise "skinny" latte at 5. And around 6pm, I should get my raw vegan cuisine items. I'll let you know if/what I like on the menu.

I hope you have a great day that brings you weight loss and improved health and a lot of smiles.

~

BANSHEE WAILS: Kellogg's Cereals is TICKING OFF The Princess!!!

I was browsing the offerings on a grocery promotion at amazon.com, since I was ready to stock up on cereal. I want to add a bit more fiber to my breakfast/snacks.

So, they offer things like the sugary cereals kids love (and plenty of adults)--Frosted Flakes, Sugar Smacks, Apple Jacks, etc--which I skipped and went to one of my faves: Cheerios. Three grams of fiber for 120 calories and while sugar is in the ingredients, it's not in the top three--

Ingredients: Whole grain oat, modified corn starch, corn starch, sugar, salt, trisodium phosphate, calcium carbonate, monoglycerides, tocopherols, wheat starch, annatto, vitamins & minerals: niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin b6), folate, iron.

It's certainly not for low-carbers, but it's one of those "from my youth" treats. Only as an adult, I sprinkle Splenda on top, or fruit, or both, and NOT tons of sugar.

I shopping carted that and went on to look for something to add more wheat bran. I looked at All Bran Buds after seeing it on another fatfighting blog as a nice additive for Cheerios, and then Raisin Bran, which I used to eat a lot of as a twenty-something.

When I looked at the nutritional info, I, the Princess, wailed along with the ticked off Blue Banshee of Health-Seeking Blogdom:

All Bran Buds, Ingredients:
Wheat Bran, SUGAR, Psyllium Seed Husk, Oat Fiber, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, Salt, Baking Soda, Caramel Color, Sodium Ascorbate And Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Zinc Oxide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6) Riboflavin (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, BHT (preservative), Annatto Color.

Raisin Bran, Ingredients:
Whole Wheat, Raisins, Wheat Bran, SUGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, salt, malt flavoring,
Vitamins and Minerals: niacinamide, reduced iron, zinc oxide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride(VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (Vitamin B2), thiamin hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Palmitate, folic acid, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.

You know, with all the info on how very bad high fructose corn syrup is for us, especially those of us with belly fat/Metabolic Syndrome/diabetes/insulin resitance, there's no damn reason to use it. Dr. Mehmet Oz lists it as one of the top five foods to AVOID for better health.

Why can't they sweeten with Splenda and offer sugar-free options and call it their dieter's version? Why not use honey, even. Why something as denounced and derided as HFCS?

And how can they add sugar as the SECOND ingredient in a grown-up cereal. (All Bran). And with HFCS as the fifth ingredient, adding both may mean that some form of SUGAR is really the FIRST, the most prominent, ingredient in the mix. Are you peeved yet with me?

And the Raisin Bran (also aimed at adults, one would assume), has the double whammy of sugar AND HFCS in the fourth and fifth slots--and that means that "sugar" in some form is probably a main ingredient (maybe 2nd, rather than bran.)

I better stop before my ears emit steam.

With my ginormous appetite, I don't need HFCS to increase my appetite!

And, to be honest, I'd rather add the sweetness level I want with my own choice of sweetener (Splenda, Stevia, Honey, Sugar, etc).

How hard would it be for them to just make adult versions, REAL adult versions, of these popular cereals--you know, just make them with wholesome ingredients and vitamins and minerals and let us figure out how to sweeten (or not) to taste? We're not idiots.

Besides, what household do you know without some form of food sweetness enhancer. (In mine, I have various honeys, Splenda in assorted forms, sugar (for hubby's lemonade, which I cut with Splenda), Equal (from an old batch), Sweet-n-Low (from an old box), confectioner's and brown sugar (for when hubby bakes ginger cookies.)) Except for someone who is a real no-sweet eater, we all have something to sweeten tea or coffee or lemonade or cereal or hot cocoa or whatever.

So, why can't they give us a choice?

(I hear they're making sugar-reduced kid's cereals. I think they need to re-evaluate their adult offerings.)

Bottom line: Adding HFCS makes what would be healthy into, frankly, JUNK FOOD! Diet-hazard food. Heart-hurting food.

Adding both sugar and HFCS is, well, cheapskate food production--and with cereal prices per box what they currently are for a tiny amount of cereal, they can afford to use better ingredients or leave out bad ones. These recipes are not healthful, no matter how many vitamins and minerals and dropped into the mix.

Grrrrrr.

Okay, so I'll compromise for now and get the Cheerios with the lower sugar and without the HCFS, and I'll just not eat it every day. But I'm boycotting all HCFS-containing Kellogg's, General Mills, etc cereals.

Badly done, you corporations. Badly done.

(I'm channeling Jeremy Northam as the hunky Mr. Knightley, did you notice? Austen rules!)

So, have you read your nutritional labels lately? Are you getting label-shock yet?

::::Wail::::

~~

Fast Food Fairy Godmother Says:"If you can resist the donuts, a reason to finally go to Dunkin Donuts in the AM is here"

The Fast Food Fairy Godmother is smiling today at Dunkins Donuts. I'll tell you why in a sec.

First, I gotta admit that as a teen I was a Dunkin Donuts junkie. I had a thing for those glazed, Bavarian Kreme, and Boston Kreme donuts, then, later, for the jelly-filled and the coconut. This was hardly a time full of concern for healthful foods, I can tell you. (Fortunately, I was young, had a working thyroid, and had a higher activity level, so I was normal weight, though not thin.)

Finally, though, Dunkin Donuts has something to lure me back if I need a breakfast while out some morning.

Behold:



I'd go for the veggie one, myself. (Wish they'd do a Mexi-Veggie one, and add black beans and salsa to that. Yum.)

They also have a lite latte, and some other things that won't wreck your eating plan.

Good for them.

It's been at least a year since I ducked in for a coffee and cinnamon donut (had a massive craving). I avoid them for the obvious reasons (their breakfast sandwiches suck--at least the one I had like 7, 8 years ago-- and unless the coffee is really super-fresh, it sucks, too. And the donuts are prophets of diabetes or CAD. I want neither.)

So, if you run out of the house one morning, try one of these on the way to work. With a lite latte. Skip the Bavarian Kreme, if they even still make them. I honestly don't know.

If you try one, write a review and gimme a link.

~

Sparkly Factoid: Big Breakfast Helps in Weight Loss

Starting your day with a large meal packed with both carbohydrates and lean protein, and even a small piece of chocolate, can help lessen cravings and hunger the rest of the day, which can lead to significant weight loss, new research suggests.

To combat both the addiction cycle and the hunger that inevitably seems to come with calorie reduction, Jakubowicz and her colleagues designed the "big breakfast" diet. In this eating plan, your breakfast accounts for roughly half of your daily calories, and breakfast includes milk, 3 ounces of lean meat, two slices of cheese, two whole grain servings, one fat serving and one ounce of milk chocolate or candy.

--from "Big, Well-Balanced Breakfast Aids Weight Loss"

To get a look at the sample meals in the study, check out the terrific post at Diet Blog.

Scale Tale: A Very Good Result

There's a royal celebration accompanying this week's weigh-in. Why? Well, let's see what Mr. Tanita had to say this A.M.--

277.0

I love round weigh-in numbers, particularly when they are on the downside. So that makes it down 22 pounds from highest (299 in 2004) and 12 pounds down since the blog started (May 2007).

I still don't have my exercise mojo working. That's always a challenge for me. Even moreso than portions.

I really do think that getting two good night's sleep this week has promoted this. I have had sleep disturbances that left it hard for me to focus enough to read, say, a novel or write creatively. And getting good rest is beneficial for the Princess' brain. Perhaps it's beneficial for the Princess' weigh-ins, too.


Could be.

I had to miss one of my fave shows--HOUSE--to get that rest, but I must admit, it was worth it. I still could use a couple more hours, I think, but right now, the lure of egg whites with low-fat cheese, a low-fat waffle, and some juice and coffee are gonna nix any idea of sliding back between the covers.

Anyway, I'm happy.

Later, fellow travelers. It's time for breakfast. The Princess is famished.

Breakfast Burritos from Teale and Amy's Kitchen's Customer Service

If, like Teale and me, you enjoy burritos for breakfast, then head over to her blog and get her recipe for 3 WW points burritos. (I mention my own fave burrito breakfast recipe in the comments section...more points than hers, but HUGELY filling and you get 2 veggies for the day, plus lots of fiber.)

I think breakfast burritos ROCK. And our low-carbing pals can use low-carb tortillas and low-carb veggies to make theirs. Mmmmmmm.

If you don't have time to cook in the morning, there are some breakfast burrito equivalents in the freezer section of your supermarket. The South Beach Diet Breakfast Wraps (oh, please, they're burritos!) are not bad. And the fiber count is unbelievable. Plus only 3 WW points. However, yeah, high in sodium, like so many convenience foods of this type.

Amy's Kitchen also has a breakfast burrito, but, okay, not my fave. Bland. But you might like it. (I'd recommend the South Beach one way over this one.) This one has 5 WW points. Not low-carb, though. Oh, and speaking of Amy's, they sent me replacements for the crushed soup cans. That was fast. That was cool. Props to them for customer consideration. Plus, now I can groove on that "Light in Sodium" Cream of Tomato soup. (God, I love tomato soup.)

Back to the topic at hand: Certainly, frozen products cannot and are not the fabuloso stuff you could make fresh and to your preferences at home, but they will do in a pinch. Just don't overcook in the microwave. And salsa always helps. :D

Onward and Downward!

Edited to Add: And in the late afternoon mail, I also got a bunch of coupons for free Amy's products at my local grocery store. Now, you know, that really is customer CARE. Wooo-hoooo.

Some Breakfast Recipes For Ya

Here are two healthful breakfasts for about 350 calories each from FITNESS MAGAZINE (to which I subscribe):

Whole-Grain Waffles with Berry & Walnut Compote
2 frozen low-fat whole-grain waffles
1/4 cup blackberries
1/4cup strawberries
1 ounce (14 halves) walnuts

Make it: Toast waffles. Top with mashed fresh berries and walnuts.



Florentine Egg Scramble on an English Muffin
2 eggs
1/2 cup cooked fresh spinach
1 whole-grain English muffin, toasted
1 cup cut cantaloupe

Make it: Scramble eggs with spinach. Serve on English muffin with cantaloupe on the side.


One I make for myself and enjoy is The Princess Dieter's Blueberry-Cottage Cheese Waffles.

Easy. Even kitchen idiots like me can do it:

You need Kashi GoLean Blueberry Waffles--two waffles have 6 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, 170 calories, and 3 WW points--1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (or non-fat, if that's your preference), a half-cup to a cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen, no sugar added), and some Splenda or sugar-free syrup (or honey or maple syrup, if you want to use the points).

While the toaster oven is pre-heating, add the blueberries to a sauce pan on medium-heat with a little water (like a 1/4 cup or a bit more) and let them cook a bit. You want them hot, but still firm. Blueberries are nicer with that bit of "burst" awaiting, don't you think?

Put the cottage cheese in a small microwavable bowl and heat it up for 30 to 45 seconds. Just enough to warm it up, not overheat or dry out.

Toast the waffles to your preferred level of crispness. Place waffles on a pretty plate (please your eyes, not just your mouth!) and spoon the heated cottage cheese on top of each. I also like to sprinkle Splenda onto the cottage cheese or a teaspon each of sugar-free syrup (that's only like 10 calories). Then I spoon the berry compote on top. Fiber and low-cal and yummy. If you like your stuff sweet, just sprinkle more Splenda on top. If you have the calorie allowance, try a teaspoon of REAL MAPLE SYRUP on top of it for that special flavor spike.


If you want to only have one waffle, just follow same procedure with one waffle, and adjust the amount of blueberry and cottage cheese to your points/caloric desires. Two GoLean waffles are 3 points. Half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese= 2 points. Blueberries = 1 for a cup. That's six points for a filling breakfast with protein, fiber, fruit, calcium and YUMMINESS GALORE! If you only have one waffle and less cottage cheese and fruit, you can have a yummy breakfast with 3 points.

If you like apples or another fruit better, use the flavor of waffle and fruit you like, and adjust. I also like natural applesauce and cinnamon with the cottage cheese on apple-cinnamon waffles. Mmmmmm.

Enjoy.

And feel free to suggest lovely breakfasts with fruit, protein, and fiber and lower on the points/caloric scale.

~