This morning I weighed in and was up only .6 lbs. I say “only” because honestly I felt like it was going to be more. I am glad I faced the scale when I didn’t want to. I pretty much earned it this week because I tossed out my idea of planning my day out (something I do daily BEFORE I eat anything) and thought I didn’t “need” to exercise at all this week. I am chalking it up for what it’s worth, learning from it and moving on with 3 GOALS this week:
1) Track EVERY single BLT, Bite, Lick, Taste
2) Water, water and more water!
3) Workout 3 times along with my daily yoga
I was actually “willing” my meeting to be over so I could go home and dig into breakfast. I usually snack on my banana before my meeting but, I forgot it.
Sometimes you just can’t get enough of a good thing ~ another eggwich (6 points+)
Plus a “naner”
This is what happens when I leave my drink sitting around. The Husband draws random pictures on it. He said the flower is one of the ones you “blow all the pedals” off 
Grande Dirty Latte (nonfat, decaf latte, 1 pump mocha) (4 points+)
After I was sufficiently satisfied, I headed out to do our weekly grocery shopping and came home to whip up a few things to get ready for the week (prepping lunches, boiling eggs, etc).
#1 Shannon shared these delicious Low Fat Banana Bread Cookies last week on Friends for Weight Loss. OMG!!! You all have to make THESE COOKIES! They are amazing and only 2 points+ each.
The only modification I made was to use 1/2 cup dry roasted walnuts for the cherries since I knew The Husband wouldn’t eat them if they had any dried fruit in them and I surely didn’t need 30 cookies for me only.
I instantly ate 4 cookies as I dished them off the pan while they were HOT. (7 points+)
#2 BEST IDEA EVER!!! I marinated some organic chicken tenders in Trader Joe’s LF Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette then grilled them up for salads this week ~ I cannot wait!
We finally stopped for lunch at 2 PM and decided to use our FREE Chipotle Coupon. I LOVE that our 2 drinks (tea for me, soda for him), his burrito and my HUGE bowl cost $9.81!
* Lettuce (0)
* Chicken (5)
* Pico de Gallo (0)
* Corn Salsa (1)
* A little cheese (less than a serving) (2)
* GUACAMOLE! (4)
After lunch, we went to see UNKNOWN!! It is SO GOOD and TWISTED ~ I absolutely LOVE It when movies keep you guessing the whole way through.
I honestly had such HIGH HOPES for tonight’s Slow Cooker Recipe ~ it has chicken, brown rice, wild rice, tons of veggies ~ I mean, how can it not be great?! Well, let me tell you how…..You cook the rice so long it um, dissolves ~ oops!
I adapted this recipe from my Weight Watcher’s Slow Cook-It Recipe by adding more veggies, herbs, changing up the rice and using what I had on hand.
The flavor is amazing and I imagine if I cooked it less, it would’ve been AWESOME with great chewing power.
SLOW COOKER BROWN & WILD RICE CHICKEN CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 small carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
- 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup brown and wild rice blend (or 1/2 cup each brown rice and wild rice)
- 2 celery stalks, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (you could use poultry seasoning)
- 2 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/4 lbs. chicken breast tenders
- 10 3/4 oz. can low-fat condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups frozen peas
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer onion to 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Stir in broth, carrots, mushrooms, rice blend, celery, garlic, 21 seasoning salute, thyme, sea salt and black pepper. Mix well. Top with chicken, placing it toward center of slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook until chicken and vegetables are fork-tender and rice is tender but still slightly chewy, 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high or 4 to 5 hours on low.
4. About 25 minutes before cooking time is up, stir soup and peas into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until mixture simmers, about 20 minutes.
Makes 6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
Nutritional information based on 6 servings, 7 points+ each
STEP-BY-STEP
Sauté your onion in nonstick cooking spray over medium heat, until softened, about 5 minutes.
While your onion cooks, prep your vegetables.
Add your veggies, spices and thyme sprigs.
I had this Basamati Rice Medley on hand, but, in the future, I’d use a brown rice blend since white rice breaks down too fast in the slow cooker.
Add 1 cup of rice (1/2 wild, 1/2 brown rice).
Add your broth.
Top with your chicken, cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
This is the point of when I SHOULD HAVE stopped and added the mushroom soup and peas, but, I kept going to 2 more hours. I have adjusted the time above to take off 2 hours.
I LOVE that Trader Joe’s has a healthy alternative condensed cream of mushroom soup.
That has REAL ingredients and decent stats.
Add your mushroom soup and peas. Turn to high, cook 10 minutes until heated through and simmering.
I used a 1 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop out my serving and topped it with a little fresh parsley. The flavor tastes just like the “chicken and dumplings” with a nice crunch in the vegetables. I ate half of this before I just couldn’t do it anymore (4 points+)
The Husband is a trooper – he ate two bowls!
NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
* New Tip of the Week & Guest Recipe ~ check them out at the bottom of the page!
* This week’s Challenge ~ Self Awareness ~ are you in?
HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK
* Cheesy Mini Meatloaves, simple salad with balsamic
* Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread and Salad
* BBQ Chicken, Scalloped Potatoes & Grilled Romaine Salad
* Sausage & Vegetable Deep Dish Pizza, Salad
* Green Lite Bites ~ Southwestern Turkey Burgers with Asparagus Fries
* Vegan Nachos
DESSERT ~ CEiMB ~ Banana Splits with pineapple brown sugar topping
I really want to try this Cauliflower Pizza Crust but The Husband told me no more funny things with cauliflower 
GIVEAWAYS!!!
* Win the new Green Lite Bites Weight Watcher Friendly Cookbook ~ click HERE to enter.
* Corinne is having her 1st giveaway ~ a FULL CASE of Chobani ~ Click HERE to enter.
Q’s
Do you let your cookies cool before you eat one or do you have one as soon as they come out of the oven?
I can NEVER wait to dig in and always have to have a cookie as soon as I can get it off the tray ~ hot or not 
Night all!
I can’t even find my wagon this week, that’s how far off the wagon I am. Partly it’s PMS and the craving for carbs (mostly chips and bread w/ butter) Then the sweet tooth comes in, which only happens this time of month, and I add to the carbs with sugar carbs. Ugh! Get iced in so I couldn’t make my meeting. I work the next two days and can’t get to a meeting until Wednesday I think. Next weekend is girls beach weekend, which will entail drinking and some eating off plan. Ugh! So my goal is to get my ass in gear tomorrow and hold strong through until the weekend. Save my 49pt+ for the alcohol. At least I am teaching 2 extra classes this week–a boot camp and a cardio/strength, so I’ll get some extra workouts in. It is life and it has ups, downs and special events. I am trying to remember that. But I also feel like I am sabotaging myself some, since I am at my lowest weight in 20+ years. Can I be afraid to actually succeed in this journey? And if so, why? Why would I sabotage myself when I’ve worked so hard for so many years to get to where I am? I’ve lost 80lbs through the program, even thought it’s taken me quite a few years. So why would I sabotage when I am so close to goal? Those are my questions to ponder this week.
Thank you for your brutal honesty in your tweets and blogs. They keep me from feeling so alone. I really appreciate everything you put into these posts.
Let’s keep moving forward!
-Colleen
@therevivalofme
You know I made those mini meatloafs and they were AWSOME!!
I made the cauliflower with mac & cheese for tomorrow night. Not too much mac but hopefully, my hubby won’t notice that it’s mostly cauliflower. Also made those banana muffins for this week. They taste wonderful but I wouldn’t say their huge…… I really like quantity so I’ll have to figure if it’s worth the 4 points for breakfast. Thanks again for all the recipe tips. You’re an inspiration to help me stick with the program and try different dishes for the family!
I totally took advantage of the Chipotle coupon today too! They are so generous!
I was up this week also! Back on the wagon today…really need to put a plan together for weekly meals! Can’t wait to get my Green Lites today!!
No worries about the small gain. You’re gonna have a great week, Danica! I just know it 🙂
I would love to add that cookbook to my collection!!! The healthier the better!! I am so excited I am a vegetarian and my hubby isn’t, he is going to go vegetarian and see how it goes!!!!
Personal question, it’s okay if you don’t want to answer. Are you and your husband planning of having kids? I think you would be a great mom.
So glad to get all your wonderful tips, recipes and inspiration, Danica! I look forward to all your posts. Thank you for your wealth of information!
you are the recipe QUEEN 🙂
I’ve made that cauliflower crust and it’s really good plain on its own. I cant even remember if I ever bothered to toss it with pizza toppings.
I eat those cookies as soon as I can put one in my mouth w.o burning the heck out of it.
I love when you share the TJ’s products you use. I’m going to pick up some of that cream of mushroom soup. I love when TJ’s comes up with yummy , healthier versions of things like cream of mushroom soup. Can’t wait to check it out and experiment.
No weekly menu for the What’s Cookin’ house bc of my tummy bug. I actually had a hard time reading blogs bc looking at the food was making me feel worse 🙁 UGHHHHH! 2nd time with the flue this winter. YIKES.
Awwwe, your coffee lid love note is the sweetest!! 😀
I love the note on the coffee lid! Awww. Have a wonderful week Danica, look forward to checking out your recipes and posts!!!!
LOL ::: cracking up at Colleen’s wagon comment :::: definitely gonna make some of Shannon’s cookies :::: maybe gonna pass on the big pot of stuff exactly as written:::::
Hey- Danica- something I have been meaning to ask you and the rest of the crew…do you know about Yumm bowls? Last time I was back on the West Coast…my friend turned me on to them at the local Cafe’ Yumm and showed me how to make them (so many varieties, too)…and I became addicted…so delicious! I have to replicate soon.
:::: making a big sign… ‘I LOVE DANICA’S DAILY’ :::::::::
that coffee lid cup note is so adorable and romantic…
I eat a cookie as soon as it comes off the rack. Warm gooey and yum!
I haven’t had good luck in the crockpot with rice, but I would have thought that wild and brown rices might hold up a bit better. Sorry it didn’t work out! We have had several crockpot meals like that 🙁
Thanks again for the post last week about Chipotle. We enjoyed our half price lunch yesterday 🙂
Hi Leah,
Ask away, I don’t mind answering. I would LOVE to be a mom and I think he would be an even better dad. We haven’t decided either way, but, I am sure we will one day 🙂
Danica
Hi AJ,
Um, no, but, now I want to find a YUM Bowl just because I LOVE the name of Cafe YUM! Whats in it and how do you make them? I need to find out 🙂
Thanks for sharing and for the great comment 😀
Danica