Tasty Tuesday

Saturday Matt golfed all day and I was pretty lazy all day.... which I LOVE! SO Saturday was the perfect night to stay in and eat on our patio here at home! In the past few years I have just loved more and more working with Asian/Thai flavors and this burger hit the spot! This recipe is adapted from Clean Eating Magazine.... I just simplified it!

You all must try this and don't be scared by the "Quick Pickle" of the veggies like I use to... it really is easy and worth it! And ya ya ya.... our frozen fries are not on the Clean Eating plan but it has been our guilty pleasure as of late!

Enjoy guys!!!

Open Face Asian Turkey Burgers!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup peeled and matchstick-cut carrot
• 1/4 cup matchstick-cut radish
• 2 tbsp matchstick-cut jalapeño chile pepper, plus 1/4 tsp minced jalapeño, divided
• 2 1/2tsp sesame oil, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 lb extra-lean ground turkey
• Zest of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp packed finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 whole-grain sesame seed burger buns, split and toasted
• Arugula or other fresh greens

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan on medium high, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup vinegar, peppercorns, 1 tbsp maple syrup and salt; bring to a boil. In a small heat-proof bowl, combine carrot, radish and 2 tbsp jalapeño matchsticks. Pour mixture over vegetables and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat a small nonstick skillet on medium and brush with 1/2 tsp oil. Add onion, 1 tbsp minced ginger, garlic and remaining 1/4 tsp minced jalapeño and sauté until just softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and add Turkey, Panko, lime zest, cilantro, 1 tbsp soy sauce, stir until well mixed. Form mixture into 4 3/4-inchthick patties.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet or grill pan on medium and brush with remaining 2 tsp oil. Cook patties for about 10 minutes, turning halfway, until browned and cooked through. (Alternatively, cook on a greased grill on medium for about 10 minutes, turning once.)
4. Top each bun half with ketchup, greens and 1 patty. Drain vegetables, discarding liquid, and divide over top.

Semi-Homemade Spicy Ketchup!

TIP!! I make this ALL the time... for our fries, burgers, you name it this is so good!

Mix 1/3 cup Organic Ketchup

1 Teaspoon Sriracha

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

Dash of Pepper and Salt!

Mix and USE!

You guys I hope you all loved this meal as much as I did! Pop open a cold one and enjoy this meal on the patio with your family!!!

Update!!!

So as I have said my goal this year is to be healthy, I am still using everything I learned via Weight Watchers over these past 2 years but loosing isn't my goal anymore. BUT.... the past few weeks my pants have felt a little big on me so this morning I stepped on the scale for the first time since about November and I was pleasantly happy!!!!! I came in at 137!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last time we talked I was 143! So I am down 6 pounds!!!!
It has been exactly 2 years this month since I was 177 and I started this journey loosing weight..... SO long but worth it. I never gained anything back over these 2 years only lost and maintained which worked for me... and that makes me feel proud. Slow and steady is my key. So in exactly these 2 years I have lost 40 pounds!!!! 40! That is like 2 of my dogs together.... crazy!
I just had to share with you all! I was a 12-14, L-XL.... I now wear a 6 (which is baggy) and I wear Med-sometimes small!
Thanks for sharing in this journey with me and being my sounding board! 40! Sounds good to me!

The Last Hoorah!

I swear lugging in Bella's litter is such a pain, it is amazing how one small box can weigh SOO MUCH! But then this morning that weight made me happy because that is exactly how much weight I have lost!!! 38 Pounds! An entire box of cat litter
This will more than likely be my last post on my weight loss and I JUST about hit my "Pre-Vacation" goal of loosing an additional 10 pounds since March. Instead I hit 7 pounds lost since March but I will take it...... 138 is where I stand now, there is actually a 3 in that number and that makes me happy!
I have lost a total of 21.59% of my overall body weight!!! But remember this is over 1 1/2 years!! It is so crazy to say that because if anyone knows me patience is not something I ooze out.....but somehow I was able to have some within this process!!! Slow but steady.......I did it really slow but one thing I can say is that I never once gained.....I just maintained and then slowly lost! And I am proud of that! So there it is folks........am I ready to jump into a swimsuit tomorrow in Mexico? No way, but I need to remind myself that I was carrying around an entire box of litter with me.

Thank you ALL for your support and kind words over this long journey! Now I need to focus on a healthy lifestyle so that I am not in that situation again. Thank you!

19%

Before.......

December 2012, 176 pounds

 After.......

August 2014, 141 pounds

Top: J Crew HERE ; White Jeans: Forever 21 HERE ; Shoes: Target HERE ; Necklace: Anthropologie, Sold out

You guys......I have never before looked at a picture of myself at my heaviest and then myself now.....I'm embarrassed! Why didn't anyone tell me? Ok, I take that back my brother told me....isn't that what little brothers are for???? Thanks (sarcasm)
Ok....back on track.............
As of today, I lost 19% of my body weight and I am officially down 35 pounds. It doesn't seem like that much to me until I get my Weight Watchers magazine and I see that they feature people for losing 35 pounds....that is what puts it into perspective for me. And FYI....I still have 5 more to go! 136 is the end game for me!!! And I have 2 months to do it.....until we go to Mexico in October!!!!

Let me say something to everyone wanting to loose weight fast......... it doesn't work.

This took me 18 Months!!!!! 

No fad diets, no pills, no wraps, no creams no nothing but plain and simple watching what I eat and increasing my activity. During that time I never gained it back, I only maintained in between losing and that is truly the only way to go.

Here are the things I did that help me...........

* Weight Watchers!!!! I did this religiously for the first 9 months by tracking everything I ate but after that I knew what foods where what points and what I needed to eat and what not to! (that was a mouthful, ha...no pun intended) WW is the way to go.....it is a lifestyle NOT a diet!
* No goals........... What you say??? Think about it....everyone who says I am gonna do this and loose 10 pounds this month is setting themselves up for failure. When you do not meet that goal you say "F it" and then gain back and have to start over. I just lived my new lifestyle and if I screwed up over the weekend I got back on track on Monday and then the number I see on the scale every week was a bonus!
* I also only aimed to loose weight every other week......the other weeks I tried to maintain that weight, which really worked for me!!!!!!
* NO Pop (NO diet pop which is awful for you), NO Mixed drinks, NO Beer....only Coffee, Tea and Water plus the occasional glass of wine!!!!
* What I cooked was the #1thing for me.......... Check out all my posts tagged "WW" and scroll thru and find my favorite recipes!!!! You can see that HERE

For everyone who wants to know about me "testing" the Vegan waters...........

I have played around with being Vegan for years and the main reason is my LOVE for animals and the way they are treated. But it has been hard for me to go cold turkey. The last 6 months I have found a way to make this work with me.....Part time Vegan. The book above is the perfect thing for people like me and the weight loss is an added bonus to this lifestyle! I eat vegetarian about 4-5 nights a week and now I incorporate at least ONE Vegan meal a day! Taking out meat occasionally is very helpful in losing weight! It works for me, you can look into it for sure! I have been posting some new Vegan meals on my blog lately that I have tried and loved! You can find my first 2 recipes HERE!!

And guys.....I am NOT at all the expert, my way is not best but people have asked and I wanted to share with you things that have worked for me! The #1 thing..... Patience! I am still a work in progress and yes, I still love donuts and cake in moderation!
#weightwatchers

WW Recap...

Hi guys!! It's been about 2 weeks since I last talked about my weight and I am still having a hard time logging my food. Why is it that I can't make myself do something so easy as track my food?? One day I am going to get back on track with using my WW app but luckily I still use everything I know about WW daily. My current weight is 145, I am down 1.8 pounds in the last 2 weeks to bring my total loss to 31 pounds! Sometimes I don't think about how proud I should be until I get the new Weight Watchers Magazine and I see that they featured someone who lost 31 pounds. I love that magazine and that was a great reminder for me to take a minute and celebrate how far I have come in a little over a year!

Last night I threw together a soup with things I had in my fridge and if I had known how yummy it would turn out I would have taken pictures along the way! So instead you get a slightly messy mid-meal picture! I have to share this recipe with you all and I don't have the points calculated out for WW but I used ingredients I know that follow the plan.

Creamy White Cheddar and Cauliflower Soup!
Serves about 4, 1 1/2 cup portions

Need!
1 head cauliflower rough chopped
1 carrot diced
1 celery stalk chopped
1 small yellow onion
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme, chopped
3 cups reduced sodium chicken stalk
1/2 cup Fat Free Half and Half
1/2 cup Aged White Cheddar
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper
1 pad of butter

How!
* Toss cauliflower and carrot in EVOO, sprinkle with salt, pepper and throw onto cookie sheet
* Roast veggies on 400 for 15 minutes (just enough to get a little depth of flavor)
* Sautee onion and celery in butter, add cauliflower and carrot after about 5minutes and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes
* Pour in your 3 cups stock, or enough to cover all veggies and then simmer for about 10 minutes or until all veggies are tender
* Use an immersion blender (or pour into blender) and blend until creamy
* Add Half & Half, Cheddar, Thyme, Salt and Pepper
* Once heated thru, serve!!!! I had mine with some little toast points.

Enjoy Friends!!!!

WW Recap..

Hey Guys! I forgot to give you guys my WW recap from last week........ I lost 1.6 pounds! I have lost a total of 28 pounds in just a little over a year! In the last month I have lost the 5 pounds I gained at Christmas. This is probably the easiest weight I will loose all year.....just eating normal again and not having Christmas indulgences made this a rather easy 5 pounds!
So I am back and ready to loose 12 pounds this year!!!!!
How did you guys do? I made a new recipe on Sunday and it was SO yummy....this would be a perfect Super Bowl dinner if you ask me.......

Weight Watchers Cheesy Chili Mac - 7 points per serving!

1 spray(s) cooking spray 2/3 pound(s) uncooked lean ground beef 2 medium uncooked onion(s), chopped 29 oz canned stewed tomatoes, Mexican-style (undrained) 2 1/2 cup(s) canned tomato juice 4 oz canned green chili peppers, diced, drained 2 tsp chili powder 1 1/2 cup(s) uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni 31 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup(s) low fat shredded cheddar cheese Instructions Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion until meat is browned, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 10 minutes; drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes and their juice, tomato juice, chili peppers and chili powder; bring mixture to a boil. Stir in macaroni and beans; return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes. Spoon chili into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 cup chili and 1 tablespoon cheese per serving.

WW Weekly Weigh In!

Hi Friends! This week will be nothing more than a simple check-in!!!! I weighed in this morning (1 day late) and I am at 149.6 which means I lost 1.6 pounds this week! I am excited.....seeing any loss on the scale or even just staying the same gives me a motivational push!
BUT!! I will say Matt and I are going to dinner at a nice steakhouse tonight and I will NOT be counting points......so my goal this coming week is to at least stay the same!

Losing it in the New Year!

Yup, looks who is back on track!!!! This exact week last year is when I started Weight Watchers and I did not have a particular goal set......I just wanted to loose weight without a number looming over my head. Something I am most proud of is that from Jan-Nov I never gained....I only lost. Last year I lost a total of 28 pounds! I started at 176 and a week before Christmas I weighed in at 148! I was proud of myself. Now, I will be honest during the Holidays and being at home for Christmas.....I did not think about WW once! And I was ok with that, I wanted to just enjoy! So a week ago I weighed in at 153, I had gained 5 pounds give or take during the Holidays and that is what I expected!
Last Monday I recommitted to WW and I lost 2 pounds last week!! As of this past Friday I weighed in at 151.2 !
This year I do actually have a goal....... I would first like to loose the other 3 pounds I gained and then I would like to loose just 10! My Goal is to be 138! We shall see huh?? I will start doing these posts again, hopefully posting my recipes and all that like I use to! We need each other.....Is anyone else back on to loose??? Anyone doing WW???

I do have 1 tidbit for you.......SO I don't love the frozen meals I eat at lunch but I tolerate them....a means to an end! BUT....this week I found one I LOVED! I know right? This meal is really good and really filling!!!

Updates....

Hi Guys! How is everyone?? Is Oklahoma holding up after yesterdays sad OU/TX loss? Go figure huh?
I thought I would update you all on my weight loss and migraines!! Let's do the good first......

Finally, finally finally.....I have lost 25 pounds! I have told you that this past month all I can focus on is feeling better.....trying to move past my migraines so weight loss has not been in the front of my mind! But slowly but surely...I hit 25!! I currently weight 151 and I started at 176 in January ! I am no longer a 12 but an 8 (in most stores) and no more XL but L and the occasional M top now from time to time! Yay me! My next goal is 5+ more by Christmas!
I am going to try and get back into tracking my points! I did so well for like 6months but now I slack.....isn't it weird how the simplest of things can be so hard to do?? I am also going to try and post more recipes and things that do or do not work for me!
How are you guys doing?? Anything I can help you with??? And hey, fluctuating is ok and staying at the same weight is ok! It takes time doing this the old fashion way!

Now the bad-(ish)! If you know me then you know I love to use an (ish)! Ha! Botox.....now I was told it could take up to 3 sessions over 9 months and I am well aware of that. And it has only barley been 2 weeks so I am not sure yet how this is effecting me and I am hopeful. But this week I have had migraines. Several times this week last night in fact and currently. As soon as I am done blogging I am going to lay down....feeling good for the work week is always the goal. So here's to hoping it gets better!

Easy Fall Dinner...

Welcome new friends from Pinterest!!!! The delish Fall recipes are at the end of this post!! I hope you all will stay awhile and visit again! ~Nicole

 Saturday Morning Matt and I went to the old Historic Pickerington downtown to have brunch at a favorite of ours....Village Crepe. The Fall colors are starting to show here so we took a walk around old downtown and we just loved the fresh leaves!

 This house amazing mesmerizes me! I mean not only is Ivy (maybe) covering most of their house but look at how pretty this house is in fall. Don't mind the yard but it was a favorite of mine on our walk.

 THEN when I got home I had the most wonderful Care package from my bestie Becky! I mean look at this...how exciting....I love every single thing! Seeing the fall leaves and my Fall surprise has gotten me in the Fall mood!

 I have the 2 easiest and yummiest Fall meals that anyone can make!!! This one first up is actually one of the first recipe my Mother-in-law gave me. This morning I searched my blog and could NOT believe  I have not blogged about this yet!!!! This may seem like a lot of ingredients but most of these cans were around .80. This can be made for 2 like I do for Matt and I and then have leftovers or this would be great for a family.

Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup!

TIP! This can be as little or much of any ingredient you like....by just adding another can.

Need!
- Chicken- You can use: canned, chicken you cooked yourself or I got a rotisserie that I then shredded.
- 1 can Rotel
- 2 cans Tomatoes (I used Fire Roasted....the BEST thing ever)
- 1 can corn, 1 can white hominy and 1 can yellow hominy
- You choice of 2 cans of beans: Pinto, Black, Kidney or Great Northern.
- Chicken stock
- 1 packet Ranch mix and 1 packet Taco mix.

 HOW!
- Open all cans and pour everything in ONLY draining the beans but do not rinse. Pour in all the other veggies juice and all.
- Add both packets of seasoning and then add your chicken
- Add as little or much of the chicken stock so you can determine how thick or thin you like it. I usually use around 1 1/2 cups!

** Put this in your crock-pot on low for about 5-6 hours! OR You could do high for 2 hours!!!!***

We then serve ours over crushed tortilla chips, with cheese and a dollop of sour cream!
Enjoy guys.....this will stay good in the fridge for days!!! I LOVE taking this to work for my lunch!

If you know me then you know I need a dessert and this week I combined a recipe I pinned with WW guidelines! I am so excited to try this tonight and the "filling" was SO good! 

TIP! You could also use this filling as a dip with cookies, in a pumpkin trifle or a parfait!

Marshmallow Pumpkin Ice Box Pie!

Need!

- 1 Low Fat Graham crust

- 1 cup pumpkin puree

- 1 13oz jar of Marshmallow creme

- Dash of cinnamon, Dash of vanilla

- 1 tub of Fat Free cool whip

 How!
- Combine the pumpkin, marshmallow, vanilla and cinnamon in a mixture until smooth! Then add in your tub of cool whip....only mixing until combined and lumps are out! And here is where you lick the bowl!

 Then you literally pour it into your crust and put in the fridge for at least 3 hours! That is all! I think tonight I am going to drizzle some caramel sauce on top!

I will say both my Mom and I had a hard time getting this to set up.....so thanks to my Mom for a brilliant idea......she put hers in the freezer for about an hour and she said it was the best "ice cream" pie ever!!!

WW Recap....

Hi friends!!! I wanted to update you on my weight loss lately.....and sadly, I have been too preoccupied with my health to focus on anything else. BUT....I have lost 23 1/3 pounds and I haven't gained any which is so encouraging to see! I am really going to try to commit again, starting this week to become more like the WW person I was in the beginning!

Sizzlin Summer Slim Down

Ok, first up I have to apologize because ALL summer I have been "loosing" weight NOT "losing weight". I am officially an idiot, this made me laugh....I am sure everyone has been like say what? I think fast, type fast and I am a poor poor proof-reader. Odd, that I run a blog...huh? Anyhoo....my bad!

Friends can you believe the time has come.........not only is Labor Day next weekend but the end of Summer is arriving. This means the end of wearing white and the end of the Sizzlin Summer Slim Down. I will be honest I do not think I did as well as I could have but I also started a new job which threw me off my focus for a bit. (Such an excuse I know)! Now, I know I know......we all have this week and we are ALL going to end strong!
Let me say that this isn't the end........my family is coming THIS Thursday (YAY) and they leave next Monday and I am just putting this out there.......we are going to eat good and so am I! I realize I might gain 2 pounds or so but I am going to enjoy this Labor Day weekend and re-commit on Tuesday!
I started this challenge at the beginning of Summer at 158 and yes, we have this week....but as of this past Friday I am 152.8....SOO I lost a little over 6 pounds this summer which puts me at 23.2 total lost!
How did you do? Anything is a win in my eyes and should be in yours too! 1 pound, 4 pounds......anything is an accomplishment and I applaud you!

Whats next? I think I am going to start a new series that a friend has inspired me to create......
Back to Basics
I am going to start at the beginning when I first started cooking, I am also going to incorporate WW values and I hope to show you anyone can cook! I was once a beginner and everyone has to start somewhere, those recipes I started with are still in my rotation today!
I will do basics, try to post videos, answer questions and I will give out my favorite recipes for beginners. I am just a home cook with a passion for food and I do live my life "One Meal at a Time'......

Slimspiration

Hi Guys! Happy Monday! I am so excited to share with you all another wonderful weight loss story that inspires me! I am personally in a rut with my WW, weight loss and all of it.....so this story and hearing Sarah's story comes at the perfect time for me!

Any comments you leave I will 100% before to pass on to Sarah! Enjoy friends!

This is Sarah's "Before" Picture...........

Hi everyone in the blogosphere my name is Sarah Ledgerwood. Nicole asked me to share my weight loss journey with you all so here is my story. Much like Nicole I grew up in the OKC Metro area and I moved to Tampa, FL about 5 years ago. I knew no one when I moved here except my now fiancé and his buddies. I had never been “domestic” before and I ate with my parents, ate out, or ate frozen dinners when I lived in OKC. Cooking was of no interest to me other than mac and cheese, ramen, etc. When I moved here I knew I needed to learn to cook so I started teaching myself with Paula Deen, Pioneer Woman, and any other celeb chef recipes I could find that sounded and looked good. We all know Paula likes her butter and mayo, those recipes combined with my unawareness of portion control, along with depression caused by homesickness and adjusting to life in Tampa led to weight gain of 60 + lbs. In the Summer of 2010 we went with our friends to the Florida Keys on vacation. After seeing pictures from that trip I knew I had to make a change. My former roommate/best friend had been very successful at Weight Watchers so I made the decision to join and have never looked back. The week I joined Weight Watchers I was at my highest weight ever at 231.8 lbs. When I joined I decided I was going to give it my all and do my best, I made up my mind that failure was not an option for me. I discovered early on that I am an emotional eater and that I was eating WAY more food than I should be each meal. Weight Watchers taught me how to control my portions, make smart food choices, and turn to other activities to channel my emotions instead of through eating. I started WW in August of 2010 and in May of 2012 I received my Lifetime Membership after losing 70 lbs. I have maintained that weight loss for a year and three months now. Maintaining the loss has not been hard because WW became my lifestyle over time, not a diet. Because you only lose small amounts of weight weekly the “program” becomes a routine and a part of your life over time. Another motivation for me to keep my weight loss off is I added up the cost I spent to lose my weight and I DO NOT want to waste that money and have to pay WW again, once you get your Lifetime membership you get E-Tools and monthly membership free as long as you stay within 2 lbs of your goal weight…………it sounds scary at first but they equip you with the tools to do this. In June of this year I became an employee of WW because I wanted to encourage and help others during their weight loss journey as I had been helped and encouraged along the way.

Nicole asked me to share a favorite recipe, that’s hard because I have not met a recipe off of the Skinnytaste website that I did not like. I enjoy taking favorite recipes and making them more WW friendly by swapping out ingredients like instead of oil use greek yogurt, instead of 2% milk use fat free, instead of heavy whipping cream use fat free half and half or fat free evaporated milk. It is like a game to me now, how low can I get the points values for a favorite dish and have a good size portion. The recipe builder on WW E-Tools is a lifesaver.

Everyone needs to find what works best for them as far as their weight loss journey. If you are doing WW my best advice, TRACK! Plan ahead, I plan my meals for the entire week on the weekend before so there are no surprises. Believe in yourself, don’t give up, and don’t look back. If you lose weight and your clothes get too big, donate them, do not hold onto them as your “fat” clothes that you can save just in case you need them again in the future. Liberate yourself of them, it is a great feeling, trust me. Find someone to be your cheerleader along the way, my fiancé was mine and when I hit my goal weight I made him go to my meeting with me to celebrate because he helped get me there also, I didn’t do it on my own. Most importantly celebrate any weight loss, 0.2 is still a loss to be celebrated, also don’t beat yourself up if you have a gain; just resolve to do better the next week. Try to have fun with it, do not look at it as a diet, look at it as a lifestyle change and over time it will become a routine for you.

Although I do not have an awesome blog like Nicole’s and I don’t have a Facebook page I do have an email address and will do my best to answer any questions, I am here to help any and all on their weight loss journeys. My email is Ledge217@aol.com

This is Sarah's "After" Picture....she looks incredible!!!

Sizzlin Summer Slim Down....

Hi Friends!!! ok....I want to jump right in and confess that I did not loose anything this week. So for the past few weeks I have stayed the same right at 155. I know exactly why that is too......I haven't tried really hard. I have been plagued with migraines and honestly WW or loosing weight has been the last thing on my mind. BUT, I am in no way jumping ship...trust me! I still want to loose at LEAST 10-15 more pounds! I fully intend on committing myself again real soon, I miss the weeks I know have been right on and then standing on that scale to see some lost is a great feeling. But I also wanted to be honest with you all that life happens, it happens to all of us! This week let's all try to have a salad AND/OR veggie with every meal!

I want to share with you a meal I made last week for Matt and I and it was very good!!!
Skinny Taste Naked Turkey Bruschetta Burgers! You can find the recipe HERE or below.....

Naked Turkey Bruschetta Burgers
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 5  • Size: 1 burger  • Old Points: 6 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 7 pt 
Calories: 288 • Fat: 14 g • Carb: 10 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 27 g • Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 169 mg (without the salt) • Cholest: 10 mg
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 3 oz part skim mozzarella, diced

For the turkey zucchini burgers:

• 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 small zucchini, grated (1 cup, or 5 oz)
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp red onion, grated
• salt and fresh pepper
• oil spray

Combine the red onion, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside a few minutes while you chop the tomatoes, then place in the bowl. Add the garlic, basil and additional salt and pepper, to taste and mix well and set aside. Toss in the cheese when ready to serve.

Squeeze the excess moisture from the zucchini in a paper towel. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, shredded zucchini, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Form into 5 equal sized patties about 5 oz each, forming them as flat as possible.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, lightly spray with oil. Add the burgers to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 4 minutes, careful not to burn.

To serve, arrange 3 slices of tomatoes on each dish, then place 1 cup arugula on top in the center, then top with the burger and finish with the bruschetta (don't forget to add the cheese), serve right away.

** We ate ours with my favorite Summer Side my Grilled Summer Corn HERE! 

Sizzlin Summer Slim Down

Can you believe it is Week 6 already?? Last week I actually lost 2 1/2 pounds BUT sadly 2 of those pounds were ones I had gained about a week ago or so. This weeks "re-lose" actually goes perfect into what I want to talk about this week! I was going to talk about a Slimmer Dessert Make-Over but I think this week I want to talk about forgiving yourself......

I have talked to many of you via email/text/FB and we are ALL battling the same thing......finding our inner encouragement! Last week I saw first hand HOW awful it is to "re-lose" pounds again. I think man I could of lost 2 1/2 pounds and been that much closer to our Summer goal but I didn't. I am not perfect, you are not perfect and we are ALL a work in progress! One of the hardest parts of losing weight I have found is disapointment. We can try our best ALL week and then not lose or in my case I can blow it on junk food one week BUT we all have to shake it off and jump back on.
There are many reasons we might blow a week:
- Emotional eating
- Certain "Times of the month" cause me to fluctuate 2-3 pounds more
- Celebrations, Holidays and Birthdays
- Feeling sick; for me when I have a migraine I can't let myself get hungry...I have to eat more to combat the nausea.
- Spouses; all our spouses mean well but when they "suggest" popcorn/candy/etc the chances are great that we will join in.

So I think the biggest thing we can ALL learn, myself included is to jump back on it and re-commit! Are you with me?
I have a few recipes I have come across in the past weeks that I loved or are going to try that I want to share with you all..........
Enjoy!

* "Creamy" Penne Pasta using Greek Yogurt you can see HERE! This is on my list to make!

* Naked Bruschetta Turkey Burger is Matt and I's dinner tonight! You can see the recipe HERE!

* This Roasted Peach Parfait is going to be my breakfast for a few days! But I will substitute the honey for low fat Agave Nectar! The recipe is HERE!

* Lemon Dill Chicken HERE! Dill is one of my favorite Summer herbs so this looks delish!

"Slim-spiration"

I am so excited to share with you the first "spotlight" for our Sizzlin Summer Slim Down! I know Traci from Junior Hospitality Club in Okc and I have been following her weight loss journey via Facebook! Thank you Traci for being so open, I am amazed by your weight loss! I was so excited when she agreed to share her journey with all of us! I mean this really inspires me..........

I come from a family of over weight people. I have an aunt who is over 400 lbs, and at 50 can barely walk from her bedroom to the restroom. As a child, I was never overweight. I was very active, and at age 18 when I met my now husband, I was a size five. My family never ate out, so when I was growing up, there wasnt much fast food eaten. My husband's family, on the other hand, ate out ALL THE TIME! I think that was what got my weight gain started. We dated for 2 years, and in the 6 months from buying my wedding dress to our wedding day, it was TOO SMALL (nightmare!)! I was heart broken, embarrassed and really disappointed with myself. But, I had never had a weight problem, and didnt really know what to do about it (or so I convinced myself!), so, what did I do????ATE! I continued to gain weight and just refused to think about it. From time to time, I would get fed up, and "try" something (weight watchers, slim fast, atkins, tan and tone, they gym, you name it, I tried it), but I really dont think I ever really "Tried" anything 100%, i just did it half way, for a while and when there were no results, I would give up. I had convinced myself that I didnt care if I was overweight, and that I just couldnt loose it.

I never really thought about it, but being overweight has totally changed my life....when your in it, you dont see it, but having gone through this for almost a year now, I see how horrible my self-esteem was. I just didnt feel like I ever fit in, or that i was worthy of anything good! I let weight keep me from riding rides at amusement parks or water parks with my daughter. I never wanted to go on walks, or really do much physical because I just was hard to do. I tried not to act like it bothered me, but it consumed my every thought! I hated eating in front of people, it was bad!

After being married for 5 years, we began trying to get pregnant.....surprise surprise, we had problems, partially because I was over weight (i have PCOS, which can be caused by weight issues). So, we tried for a year to get pregnant....after many tiers and prayers and lots of fertility treatments, PRAISE God, we did get pregnant and have a beautiful 12 year old blessing! We unfortunately tried for the past 7 years to conceive again, and have not been able to (again, much stress, tiers, and anger).

I cant honestly say there was any one thing that made me decide I was going to really "TRY" for real this time, but I started my journey/healthy lifestyle on 8/1/12. I dont tell people this AT ALL, but for the purposes of inspiring people (hopefully I do), my highest weight (about 5 years ago) was ....get ready, its bad.....297!(dont judge...I cant believe I just typed that number. Now, it full disclosure, I did weight watchers 5 years ago, and lost 20ish lbs, and kept them off. SO, when I started 8/1/12, I weight....another huge number....278 (i am 5'7"). When I started I had not been working out, so I started out just walking our very hilly neighborhood, 4 times a week for 30 to 40 min. After a month, I joined the Y (with my husband, who had about 30 lbs to loose....thank God for him, he has been great through all of this, b/c with all of the things ive "tried" im sure he was thinking, here we go again). When we joined the Y, we met a great trainer that walked us through the gym, and basically asked me what I wanted to do. He told me to get in 45 min of cardio 4 days a week. I also got the My Fitness Pal app on my phone, which after I plugged everything in told me to eat 2000 cal per day (which I had a hard time getting that many calories down....its hard to do when your eating right). I made a commitment to myself to get my weekly exercise in, not go over my calories AND LOG EVERYTHING I PUT IN MY MOUTH! Its really that simple! In the past, I would work out OR eat "right", but never BOTH consistently, and when it didnt work, I gave myself permission to give up. This time, I did both, and i logged (which is totally key). My fit pal is great and it makes it so easy!

Today, I have lost 88lbs (Im in "ONEDERLAND" for the first time in a long time) and weigh 190! Which is still way more than I would like and I am still loosing, but it has slowed down ALOT! Im not getting discouraged, just keeping up the same as I did to loose it. I am now eating 1400 calories, doing 45 min to an hour of high intensity cardio (usually elliptical), lifting weights a few times a week, and still, have not missed one day of logging my food! I have walk/jogged two 5ks, and attended several "boot camps", which I would have never done in the past. I dont LOVE exercise, and I really miss cheese cake, but I am so happy I pushed myself out of my comfort zone!

I have done this without any surgery, crazy drugs or anything like that....there is no easy way.....eat right, and exercise, and anyone can do it!

I am still working on my years and years of self esteem issues, and still see a very overweight person when I look in the mirror. I started out wearing a 2X shirt, and I am now a med to large. My pant size was a 22 and I am now in a 12. The other day I was shopping with my husband and picked up a shirt that was an XL. He said that is huge, it will never fit, but I insisted it would (it was huge), but I just dont see the dramatic difference! I have a really hard time accepting complements about my weight loss and it shocked me that you were interested in sharing my story, because to me, I just cant accept what I have done is that amazing!

Hopefully this is what you were looking for and isnt too long. Feel free to take out anything you need to.

Traci

Any comments you leave for Traci I will make sure she gets them! Would you like to share your journey? You don't have to be at the end of it either....we are all a work in progress aren't we? Send your story to me at nsavage@live.com to be featured!

Perfect Summer Side....

To me corn on the cob is like a summer staple and after you grill your corn you will never boil again! I promise! I even have Matt grill extra when he is home so I can cut it off the cob and eat it during the week with my lunch and dinner! Corn itself is basically 0 WW points so all you are adding is butter, so this is a very WW friendly side!

This is hardly a "recipe" but I want to share with you our favorite Summer Side!

 * Start by cleaning up your corn so it is ready to slather on the goodness! I only use maybe 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter per cob but that is completely up to you and your family! I also found this amazing Chipotle corn seasoning at World Market but you can use anything!

* Separate your clean cobs on individual foil, rub on some butter and season! Easy Peasy........

* Just wrap these bad boys up and pop them on a hot grill! Matt grills them for about 20 minutes while rotating them occasionally! And you can't really cook them too long, so don't be tempted to open them up or pull off early!

* When they are done you get this roasted, full of flavor perfect corn on the cob! Trust me, its delish! Matt and I fight over the ones with the most "char"!!! You can then add more butter but to keep my "light" I eat as is!

And by the way....corn is so cheap in the summer so this is waist line and budget friendly which is just a bonus!