Crock-Pot Pork Chops with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked center loin pork chops
2 tsp canola oil
4 tsp fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
15 oz canned great northern beans
14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes


Instructions
Brown chops in oil.  Place chops in crock-pot.  Add chicken broth, soup mix, beans and undrained tomatoes.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Spoon beans, tomatoes and small amount of sauce over chops.


Serves 4
9 Points Plus Value

  

Homestyle Potato Soup

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

4 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 2 pounds)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup thinly sliced carrot

3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

7 tablespoons (1 3/4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Freshly ground pepper (optional)

     Place first 9 ingredients (up to garlic cloves) in a 4 1/2 quart electric slow cooker; stir well.  Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour.  Reduce to low-heat setting, and cooke 4 to 5 hours or until vegetables are tender.  Increase to high-heat setting.

     Place flour in a bowl; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended.  Stir into soup.  Cook uncovered, 25 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.  Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with cheese.  Sprinkle with pepper if desired.  Yeild 7 servings.

Serving Size: 1 cup soup and 1 Tbsp cheese

6 Points Plus Value

Dora Weiner

Congratulations to Dora on receiving her lifetime membership! She lost about 55 pounds and looks great!  Dora continues to inspire others as she checks in at goal each and every month.

Before

After

Megan Meyers

Congratulations Megan!  As we all do, Megan struggled back and forth until finding her reason to take care of herself.  Megan lost 62 pounds and received her lifetime membership.  She shares her experience below...

Before

After

I always struggled with my weight, but for the most part I was where I needed to be according to the scale.  The reality was, I didn't know how much to eat or what to eat in a day.  That showed more after going away to college.  After my junior year in college my mom suggested I try Weight Watchers.  That was when I was 20.  I started attending and loved it!  I lost weight and got close to goal, but never made it there.  I mostly hovered close by goal.   Over my last year at school I could not get the rest of the weight off and struggled to keep it off.  Shortly after I discovered my thyroid was off.  I treated it and lost weight, but mostly just hovered a little above goal again.  The problem was I still was not fully committed and was in the "all or nothing" mindset.
After my first baby I put on a lot of weight.  My bad eating habits really showed up and were there to stay until after my second baby was born.   I remember thinking "there is no way that I am going to be this heavy or heavier, I need to do something about this." So after a three year sabbatical from WW I came back and again lost most of the weight, but still just hovered about 15 lbs above goal.  Then I had my third baby and ran into a few issues.  My thyroid medicine was having manufacturing difficulties and was hard to get.  I switched medicine and stayed on that for about a year.  What a frustrating year!  I couldn't lose anything, no matter how hard I tried.  I felt and looked awful.  I had a lot of other symptoms that are usually a direct result of an off thyroid, but there wasn't much I could do.  I finally switched medications again to a compounded dose and then the weight started to come off.  I lost about 20 to 25 lbs, and then again just hovered.  I thought I looked much better than I actually did.  My ultimate goal of looking better was not good enough to actually get the rest of the weight off (at least for me).  

Then came the real change of heart that will always stick with me, and this is my anchor.  One of my kids was struggling and had been for a significant amount of time.  It seemed I had a teenager and he was only 6.  We were always battling, it didn't matter what it was, it was going to be a battle.  There was one particular meltdown last February that had me in tears, well I was sobbing almost all day because I truly didn't know how to deal with this.  That night as I went to bed I thought about how awful I felt because I hadn't eaten very well. The thought occured to me that this problem was not going away.  But I did have control over helping myself feel the best I could.  Then I could be in the best frame of mind when dealing with the behaviors I was dealing with.  It wouldn't make me a more patient person, however it has helped me be patient for longer periods of time.  I also noticed I think more clearly and come up with better solutions when I am dealing with this child.  I needed to be in control of my body and feel the best I could so I could help my child deal with his issues.  It was the very next day I kicked it into gear.  I tracked and have tracked daily since (with the exception of a few days - that I still wrote things down even if I didn't know the points).  The weight came off, there were weeks where I didn't lose as much as I would have thought, but I no longer was discouraged.  My real goal was to feel the best I could all the time.  The weight coming off was an added benefit.  Since then I have seen an extreme amount of blessings because of my choosing to feel good and be healthy.  I have had a clearer mind to recognize the signs not just from my son struggling, but also signs from my other kids.  They are the most important priority of all.   An added benefit is my kids are learning good habits for having a healthy lifestyle.  I love to exercise (WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT!), other things in my life have really fallen into place and no guilt!

Chicken Pot Pie Bundles

These were a huge hit at my house.... my kids loved them!  -Jolynn

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1 cup all-natural chicken broth
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 12 egg roll wraps (NOT the smaller wonton wrappers)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute more.
2. Stir in the chicken, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
3. Place the broth and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Add to the skillet along with the peas and corn, and bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue to simmer and stir gently until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
4. To prepare the bundles, use a muffin pan with 12 medium-size cups (do not coat with nonstick cooking spray). Gently place 1 egg roll wrap into each cup, letting it extend over the sides.
5. Place a generous 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture into each wrap, and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Fold the corners up and over the top of the filling and press to seal the edges (it doesn’t have to be perfect!). Brush the remaining oil on top of each bundle.
6. Bake until golden and crisp,12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly before eating.

Nutrition Information per Serving (2 bundles): 360 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated, 0.4 omega-3), 680mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 24g protein, 70% vitamin A, 15% iron

9 Points Plus Values (2 Bundles)

Recipe Courtesy of Meal Makeover Moms

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients 

2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
1/4 tsp table salt
3/4 pound(s) uncooked lean trimmed sirloin beef, thinly sliced against the grain
2 tsp canola oil
1 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
5 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, florets (about a 12 oz bag)
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup(s) low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup(s) water 

Instructions
On a plate, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt; add beef and toss to coat.
Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Add 1/2 cup broth to same pan; stir to loosen any bits on food on bottom of pan. Add broccoli; cover and cook, tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon water if needed, until broccoli is almost crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
In a cup, stir together soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup broth, remaining 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and water until blended; stir into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Return beef and accumulated juices to pan; toss to coat. Serve. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Serves 4, 5 PointsPlus per serving