Eating what you love!

One thing I love about Weight Watchers is you get to eat whatever you want, as long as you count it.  It's important I think when trying to lose weight to not turn your back on the things you love.  Otherwise you will live in a bitter wasteland of self-deprivation and soon enough...rebound!  Last night I actually had a good old fashioned chili dog for dinner.  Whole wheat bun, turkey chili, lite turkey hot dog (I know that's not exactly "clean") and a little Colby Jack but it makes you feel normal, not like a chick on a diet!  So I love Thai food and I love chocolate.   I could not go without these items for too long.  I figure it's always safer to cook your own Thai than order out so this lovely gem is coming to you from Cooking Light's Dinner Tonight cookbook. 

Shrimp Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  wide rice stick noodles (Banh Pho)
• 1/4  cup  ketchup
• 2  tablespoons  sugar
• 3  tablespoons  fish sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil, divided
• 1  pound  medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1  cup  fresh bean sprouts
• 3/4  cup  (1-inch) sliced green onions
• 1  teaspoon  bottled minced garlic
• 2  tablespoons  chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

Place noodles in a large bowl. Add hot water to cover; let stand 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Combine ketchup, sugar, fish sauce, and pepper in a small bowl.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove shrimp from pan; keep warm.
Heat 4 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add eggs; cook 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly. Add sprouts, green onions, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add noodles, ketchup mixture, and shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until heated. Sprinkle with peanuts.

As a side recipe they recommend mixing up a lovely cucumber salad, why I don't mind if I do: 2 cups thinly sliced seeded peeled cucumber, 1 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper, and 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion in a large bowl.  Combine 1 Tablespoon sugar, 2 Tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 Tablespoon fish sauce and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper in a small bowl.  Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to combine.  I will miss the spring rolls a bit.  But 1 1/2 cups for 8pts is not bad for an ethnic favorite. 

And then there is the topic of dessert.  Many a weight loss plan has failed under a chocoholics wavering resolve.  I am that type of girl. If I don't get something sweet in a fairly regular basis I know I won't make it.  So the minute I decided to join Weight Watchers I was suddenly in a panic, how many points do my favorite chocolate treats cost and what am I going to do if I can't have them? In fact we have a bowl of m&m's on our mantle currently and the other night I was trying to see how many points the m&m's were and I was practically offended that a teeny handful was 6pts!! How insulting.  I think of it as a game to try to get the best possible treat for the least amount of points. (I'll outsmart them all, stupid m&m's!) So when I entered in this Betty Crocker recipe into Weight Watcher's online calculator and each cookie came out as only 2 pts and then I made them and they were so divinely delicious they tasted just like a heath bar, another one of my (I know, I know) favorites I was thrilled.  Elizabeth Crocker, you wiley genius! I can have 2 cookies with milk for the cost of those measly m&m's or better yet 3 cookies!! Imagine my maniacal laughter pealing in your head as I pulled that one off.  So I happily give you this cookie recipe.  It's super! You can thank me later!

Mocha Toffee Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

4 teaspoons instant espresso coffee (dry)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® butter recipe chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup English toffee bits

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, stir together coffee and vanilla until coffee is dissolved. In large bowl, mix cake mix, coffee mixture, butter and eggs with spoon until soft dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until surface appears dry. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.
4. Makes 5 dozen

So carry on in good health people, but don't forget to adapt your goals to include the foods you love!!!