Happy Biggest Loser day! I can’t wait for the finale….I totally hope ADA wins! Girl Power all the way…..As much as I LOVE the Biggest Loser Finale, I am also kinda sad that it’s going to be over 
Today was such an insane day….I am responsible for hosting our company wide holiday party that is this Friday and I am working on all of the finishing touches.
My FOOD goals for this week are to SURVIVE 3 holiday parties by making healthy choices and feeling good with how my week went regardless of what the scale says. Did I mention the parties are Friday, Saturday and Sunday and I weigh in on Sunday?!
I am focused, I am determined, I am making that scale move down by being good all week long so I can enjoy the parties!
Just sayin’….
Breakfast involved a little Pecan Raisin Nutty Bread with 2 tsp Whipped Butter (7 points+)
My favorite 30 second breakfast sausage ~ Morning Star Veggie Patty (2 points+)
It’s the little things that make me happy 
Like delicious, EASY breakfasts & Zero point+ BANANAS!
I made sure I ate my lunch today BEFORE I had to head out to Costco to pick up a bunch of gift cards for work. I also put gum in my mouth so I couldn’t sample any for fear of the sample person looking at me in horror for whipping my gum out of my mouth to sample LOL.
Leftover Crockpot Split Pea Soup (7 points+)
Black Pepper Bleu Cheese bread with 2 tsp whipped butter (it’s the same points+ value for 1 and 2 teaspoons so I maximized my points+) (6 points+)
I crunched on a 0 PP pear for dessert.
This week’s Craving Ellie in My Belly (CEiMB) host is Liz of the Not So Skinny Kitchen. I just LOVE her ~ she is the one who introduced me to CEiMB and her food/recipes always sound delicious.
The recipe she picked was Ellie Krieger’s Beef Stroganoff. I’ll be the first to admit I am not a fan of Stroganoff ~ the sour cream in the sauce is just funky to me. But, I LOVED how Ellie used Greek Yogurt instead so I decided it was worth giving it a go. It doesn’t hurt that my steak loving Husband has decided I should make any steak recipe we have in CEiMB lol.
I used Tri Tip instead of Flank Steak because it’s cheaper and taste better. I pretty much followed the recipe, but, added a few flavor enhancers.
Remove your browned meat and add onion and mushrooms. I decided to add some fresh thyme (since I am STILL trying to use up my pack) and some crushed red pepper flakes (I am a red pepper addict, what can I say?!)
A little flour and 1/2 cup $2 Buck Chuck Merlot from Trader Joe’s.
2 cups beef broth
I did have to add a bit of arrowroot (like cornstarch) to help it thicken up a bit. There is so much liquid in the mix that doesn’t cook down.
The finishing touches ~ whisk in 2/3 cup 0% Greek Yogurt.
The recipe calls for Whole Wheat Egg Noodles ~ Ronzone Healthy Harvest was what my store carried.
5 Points+ Per Cup
I cooked the pasta according to the package, but, added a little whipped butter to the noodles to keep them from sticking and make them taste richer with the Beef Stroganoff.
I definitely could not eat the huge serving Ellie’s Recipe recommends.
1 cup “buttered” egg noodles (5 points+)
1/2 cup Beef Stroganoff (3 points+)
Delicious, filling and I LOVED that you could taste the thyme with the rich buttery noodles. The Husband gave this recipe 4.5 stars and said I could make it again any time LOL He is such a steak and steak guy.
Dessert ~ This might just be the BEST CREATION EVER!
BISCOFF SPREAD OVER A HOMEMADE SNICKERDOODLE = LOVE! (3 pts+)
I know you all some cookie recipes ~ they will be coming up this week
I think I emailed everyone regarding the Weight Watchers Support Group going LIVE. If I missed sending it you, you can JOIN NOW by clicking HERE! Feel free to tell your friends and spread the word ~ the more people we have the more support we can give each other!
Q’s:
1. I NEED YOUR HELP!!! What is your best tip for surviving all 3 of my Holiday Parties?
That is aside from not going! LOL. Work I have covered because I picked the menu for everyone But, the other two I have no control and there will be plenty of holiday cookies, snacks, and things to shovel in my mouth all day long.
BIGGEST LOSER TIME!!! If you watched, I’d LOVE to know what you thought of the finale.
Night all!
That is an interesting looking stroganoff recipe. I think my hubby would like it. I haven’t see the Biscoff spread but I do love the cookies they make. Danger! Danger!
My strategy for staying with in my daily points when faced with holiday parties and social engagements in general is to Pre-eat something high protein with fiber prior to going. It takes the edge off my hunger so I don’t dive into the appetizers and I can wait for the entree. I choose wisely, use portion control and only eat the food that is outstanding! If it is just so -so I will skip it. If there is a dessert I want to try I will share it with hubby and limit myself to 3 bites. Those first 3 bites taste the best, eat them slow and enjoy it.
Good luck this weekend, with a little planning you can do it!
I have been a WW since 1996 and have successfully kept of 42 pounds. My strategy for parties is to eat light all day until the event, I do not deny myself anything at a party. However, I “graze”, I like to try a little sample (taste) of anything that looks appealing. By taking a small bite sized portion of the food, I can try everything and if there is something that I LOVED and I CAN’T say no to, then I will allow myself a bit more. I also ask people to share desserts with me. However, if there is no one to share with, I have no shame in cutting something into a smaller portion( you’d be surprised how thankful the next person is for having your other half because they don’t have the guts to cut it themselves) or I have no problem even throwing the food away. I have worked too hard to get to where I am battling the bulge.
I also keep this little motto in my head…. *nothing tastes as good as being thin and fit feels*
Good luck at your party! I hope this may have helped!!
stroganoff looks great! so does the smiley face breakfast 🙂
Yikes, 3 holiday parties back to back??? That’s a tough one. I’ll be reading comments to get people’s advice, ’cause I’m in the same boat as you….my plan so far is try a little bit of anything I want, and leave it at that. I know those little bits add up, but if I don’t feel deprived and actually try something, I hope that that will be enough.
In addition to all the good tips so far, I decide ahead of time what I will “pass on”. So for example I might decide I’m really in the mood for some yummy full fat cheese and good bread/crackers so I’ll pass on any cookies. Or I might feel the need for sweets and decide to pass on cheese or chips and dips. I can almost always stick to it and it helps having a plan going in that grounds me.
1. Eat an apple or pear and drink a full glass of water before you go to the party..
2. Don’t eat anything you can have at other times such as crackers and cheese.
3. Take a one bite size portion of the things that you would not ordinarilly have during the rest of the year and then go back for a larger portion of what tastes the best.
4. Eat only until not quite satisfied. Then pop some gum in your mouth to chew on and freshen your breath.
5. If necessary, leave the party a little early if tempted to continue eating.
In my experience, party foods usually do not taste as good as they look.
6. When you are tempted by chips, dip or other high fat foods, imagine a pound of butter sitting on your stomach, hips or other trouble spot.
7. Remember better to “waste” than to “waist”.
My trick thus far has been to take a minute to decide if it’s worth it. If I love it (fudge) I take a little and try to savor it as long as I can, but if I just like it I move on because it just isn’t worth it. We have a constant barrage of goodies coming in at work so this has helped me alot. Thankfully alot of it is packaged and just not as tempting as homemade goodies would be.
I LOVE STROGANOFF! mine is pretty similar to yours.. i love those noodles.
holiday parties. haha ummm don’t go? 😉 kidding.
So sorry I am just now getting around to commenting on this. I am so glad you guys liked it! Ryan was pretty wary of it going in, but I think we were both converted. I agree that some cornstarch helped this along a lot, but otherwise I was really happy with it. Thanks for trying it 🙂