Happy Sunday all! Thanks for all the great comments on my Bake Sale Cookie Madness Recipes. I think my FAVORITE part about most of the recipes is that you can make up just as many as you want to eat – you don’t have to make up an entire 2 dozen. They all freeze well too so you can always put them straight in the freezer, then, portion them out whenever you want a treat.
In cased you missed the recipes, here are all the links for the recipes with the points+ values – just click a name and it will take you to the recipe.
* Low-Fat Banana Bread Cookies
* Brown Sugar Banana Nut Muffins
* Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
It was nice taking the weekend off from posting since I had all of my posts ready to go. The only thing is now I am playing catch up with you all.
We had a blast this weekend going to the Davis Farmer’s Market, then, to Sushi at Mikuni’s and buying some fun new things today (more on that tomorrow!)
Since it’s late my goal is to keep this short and sweet – think I can do it?! Hope so!
SATURDAY
I wasn’t super hungry before we left but knew if I didn’t eat something I’d be starving in an hour.
A Perfectly Hard Boiled Egg (2 points+)
Road Trip “Bucks” Venti Iced Dirty Latte (nonfat decaf latte with 1 pump mocha) (4 points+
The Davis Farmer’s Market is the first Farmer’s Market I’ve ever been to that was so overwhelming. There were so many people including live bands and a little bit of everything. I honestly wanted to stop and look at it all (translate – take pictures of it all), but, there was just too much.
Here are some highlights.
Favorite Bread ~ OctoberFeast! Remember when I got those Pretzel Croissants ~ too bad they were sold out or I would’ve bought some.
My FAVORITE Tortilla Maker ever!
I am not sure what these are but they looked funky enough for me to take a picture 
Did you all know it takes this many olives to make 1 bottle of olive oil?!
I honestly NEVER knew that Endive grew like Palm Trees….
Herbs!
I’ve never heard or thought to make Pistachio butter, but, after trying it, I don’t need to worry about it….it looks cool but tastes just ok.
One of the BEST parts of the new Weight Watchers Points Plus Program ~ FREE FRUIT SAMPLES!!!
New to me Fruit ~ this is like a super sweet grapefruit and it’s called “Oroblanco”.
The Husband got all too excited when he saw this vendor…..
And you totally know he HAD to get a Polish Dog 
After spending the morning strolling around the market and downtown Davis looking at all the shops, we headed over to Mikuni’s ~ one of my FAVORITE Sushi places ever.
I ventured out and tried what might be my new all time favorite new roll ~ it was INCREDIBLE 
I started with their “small” (not at all) Organic Green Salad ~ I took off most of the crunchies (4 points+)
Did I mention I LOVE this roll?! That would be an entire line of Sriracha on the right that I rolled each piece in. (10 points+ estimate)
I surprisingly didn’t buy a ton of stuff because they didn’t have too much produce out. I did however pick up a few treats.
PUMPKIN SPICE on the left, Green Chili Corn on the right!
Canary Beans!
SunBlest Orchards Apricot Bar-B-Que Sauce ~ sweet, smoky, spicy ~ I had to buy it!
I also bought a bag of their Apples and Dried Apricots to add as salad toppers, in trail mix, for snack, the options are endless.
Dinner was just indulging on a few of my finds and I didn’t take pictures ~ I had a Pumpkin Spice Tortilla with 2 tsp whipped butter and some strawberries.
SUNDAY
I started my day off by heading over to my Weight Watchers meeting and LOSING 2.0 LBS!!! I was so pumped to be back on the losing track and I definitely think I owe it all to my leaders suggestion of having protein to start my early days. It really helped to keep me from starving all day long. Thanks again to all of you for the congrats on Twitter & Facebook ~ it is so fun when we can celebrate together.
After my meeting, I stopped at Starbuck’s and grabbed a banana plus a Venti Iced Dirty Latte for breakfast before doing our shopping for the week (4 points+).
The Husband requested Chipotle for lunch….the SUPER COOL PART was running into TJ and her man as I was walking in ~ I love it when that happens
I got the usual mix:
* Lettuce (0)
* Chicken (5)
* Pico de Gallo (0)
* Corn Salsa (1)
* A little cheese (less than a serving) (2)
* GUACAMOLE! (4)
Dinner involved the new BBQ sauce I couldn’t wait to break into.
I sprinkled our tri tip with a little canola oil, sea salt and black pepper then grilled it for 30 minutes. During the last 7 minutes, I brushed it with this Apricot BBQ Sauce.
It was AMAZING!!! We both totally LOVED it and I LOVE the fact that you don’t have to marinade it the day before. You really can taste hints of all the ingredients in there….slightly smoky, slightly spicy, a little fruity and a little sweet. (4 points+)
I made 3 light sides to go with the dish because I wanted to save room for the pie I made up.
Western Potatoes (2 points+)
Big Salad a la The Husband
In the mix:
* Organic Greens, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mini peppers
* 3 candied walnuts (2 points+)
* 1 Tbsp Sprinkle of Apple-Cots (so good) (0 Points+)
* 1 Tbsp TJ’s Balsamic Vinaigrette
I honestly cannot wait to make this again ~ we totally LOVED it!
I have been wanting to make THIS WEIGHT WATCHERS CREAMY LEMON PIE ever since I saw the recipe a few weeks back. It’s super easy to make too.
Crumb 6 whole cinnamon graham crackers in the food processor for the crunch.
Add to 2 Tbsp melted butter.
Press into the bottom of a pie pan sprayed with nonstick spray.
Prep the filling ~ whip 2 eggs with 1 can of FF Condensed Milk.
Whisk in 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons) and 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest.
Pour into the Pie shell and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
Chill for an hour or more then slice into 10 slices. OMG ~ this pie does not taste healthy at all and I bet you could totally use lime to make it “Key Lime” pie. This is a total keeper for sure! (4 points+ per slice). Click HERE for the recipe.
HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK
Continuing with the protein theme ~ I will post the recipes below as I make them.
* Chicken Rollatini over Egg Noodles
* Apple Maple Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad
* BACON, Spinach & Pineapple Portabella Pizzas
* Slow Cooker Southwestern Steak Tacos
* CEiMB ~ Crispy Chicken Fingers
* LUNCHES ~ Flat Out Amazing Pizza & Roasted Beet, Cheese & Pistachio Salad!
NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
* New Tip of the Week & 4 Points+ French Fries Guest Recipe ~ check them out at the bottom of the page!
* This week’s Challenge ~ Promise Yourself!
GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!
Q’S
What is on your menu this week? Are you trying any new recipes, foods or treats?
Night all!
GREAT on your 2 lb loss!! What a fabulous Market! LOVE Fiddyment Farms…I love there nuts 🙂 Your menu looks fabulous as usual; I also have sweet potato fries on the menu for tonight! Along with my own version of sliders…love that the slider buns are only 2p+. Still trying to decide which of your bake sale goodies to try…since my husband isn’t crazy about chocolate, it’s all for ME 🙂 I did make him Gina’s Low-Fat Strawberry Scones yesterday, they were yummy!!
Yeah for Farmers Market season!!! We’re still a bit early, but it’s right around the corner and I can’t WAIT! 🙂
congrats Danica! That’s awesome! 🙂
also – those pink and white vegetables are radishes! A different variety than the regular kind you can get in the grocery store, but delicious!
Woo Hoo!!!! congrats on the 2 lbs down!!!! And thanks for the Farmer’s Market shots! Our great markets are a few months away, and this made me very excited for their return!!! Have a great week Danica!
Congrats and yum, yum, yum! I don’t know what those little red & white veggies are but I’m guessing some kind of radish. I LOVE when you can discover a new food like that!
I really do think protein helps. I’ve been straying away and adding a little more sugar back, and that’s definitely been a step in the wrong direction for me. Not so much on the scale, but I just don’t feel as good and am getting a little shaky during the day.
MUST try that lemon pie! Looks amazing.
Keep on keepin’ on!
Oo, I saw that pie recipe in the weekly handout at my meeting, I’m totally going to try it! I love lemony desserts. Congrats on the loss, that’s awesome!!!
Congrats on the 2 pound loss! That is great!
I was wondering–how do you prepare your tri-tip? Do you grill it or is there a way to make it indoors?
Thanks so much!
CONGRATS on the 2 lbs. loss YAY!!! The farmer market looks so fun, can’t wait til they get going around here… any weekend now!!
2 lbs down! Woo Hoo – great job!
I’m sure the protein for breakfast is helping. I’m trying it myself because I seem to be hungry in the mornings at work (or maybe thinking about lunch just makes me think I’m hungry!).
OMG Danica congrats again on your loss! Iam finally back to tracking the wedding I was in was this last weekend..Vegas was so fun the kids had a great time seeing ALL the sites!! The husband and our older boy zip lined down Freemont street! We are on Spring Break this week so we are going on a hike this am than I am doing HUGE spring cleaning!! I have started my WW training and so far I love it! Here is this week’s menu:
Mon: Gina’s reciepe for Arroz Con Pollo , salad, tortillas
Tues: Turkey white bean chili, salad, corn bread
Wed: stir fry with YOUR “fried” rice
Thurs:garlic Shrimp
Fri: burgers, salad, fries for the boys!
Josi
Yay, Danica!!!! You Rock!
I’m definitely going to try that pie for my next bbq!
I made that very pie last night for dessert! It was soooo good!!
Congrats on your loss Danica! 😀
Mon: turkey burgers & sweet pot fries
Tues: chicken or tofu stir fry w. lots ‘o veggies
Wed: pasta bake for B & salad for me
Thur: toasted sandwiches w. turkey & goat cheese
Fri: order in Greek
I saw all the cookies you made over the weekend and they look to die for. Ohmygosh! I need to make some of them sometime. Esp the rocky road bars for my Mom. That’s her fav kind of ice cream.
Love Farmer’s Markets!
Hi Morgan,
I do grill on our outdoor grill whenever possible because I LOVE that there isn’t a pan to wash. You could prepare your tri tip inside as well in the oven by roasting it or on an indoor grill.
In the oven ~ Preheat to 425 degrees and place on a roasting pan or in a 9×13 dish. If using a baking dish, coat in BBQ sauce, about 1-2 cups. If you are using a roasting pan, then, brush the BBQ sauce on during the last 10 minutes flipping once or twice as your brush the sauce on. Bake for 40 minutes (give/take) depending on the size. I usually estimate about 15 minutes per lb.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Danica
Good for you on the two pounds. I’ve found that protein in the AM is essential to me staying on track for the day. . . but I also think that you really kicked up your exercise this week and that has to contribute! I’m gonna have to try that!
Oh wow! I am SO jealous of all your farmer’s market finds! Especially the bbq sauce and bbq pistachios! Also a tad envious of the tri-tip…the husband found a recipe in one of his mags for tri tip, and I went to FIVE stores this weekend looking for some. All sold out!! Must be the season 😉
Instead, we tried your cheesy stuffed shells with chicken. They were awesome! Dustin kept saying how much he liked them. “These are good babe” every couple minutes. That’s how I know it’s a keeper! Thanks 🙂 xoxo
Made the pie for dessert on Saturday night and everyone loved it. I loved that it was so easy to make. It’s definately at keeper.
Congrats on your weight loss!!! Those tortillas look delicious.
That lemon pie look awesome, and so easy!
my farmers market jealously is out of control, i soooo miss it!!
That pie looks amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Hooray for the -2.0! I am hoping by my setting down my nightly glass of wine I’ll hit my 10 pound loss on Saturdayy – I am 1.6 away!!
I have a ton of new things on my menu this wek: poblano meatballs in ancho chile soup (so good!), carrot cilantro soup, baked falafels, and I am making a veggie chili with dried black beans and boca crumbles – I keep forgetting its lent any my two co-workers I cook for can’t eat meat on Fridays! 😀
Happy Monday!
wahhhh i am jealous of your market! props on the weight lossage, love you!
You go girl! Protein has always been a huge deal for me in the morning to hold off my hunger.
Quick question for you, I see that you are making one of my favorite turkey burger recipes of all time. How do you go about figuring out the points? Is this something that you’ve made before and know the points or do you punch the ingredients into Recipe Builder? I am addicted to those burgers in the summer.
I’m hoping to go to our Farmers Market this weekend, we’re planting a garden too but it will be a while before we harvest any veg! Yup, those long pink and white things are radishes 😉
Yea for the 2lbs! The Davis Farmers Market is the BEST! I love the stand with the oatmeal! And Mikuni’s is my favorite as well. I love love the spicy and the Marilyn Monroll! We are getting a Mikuni’s in the Fountains soon. But I think it will be super packed as it is a small space.
All your stuff looks great!
Oops meant to say “Spicy Johnny” roll! YUMMY
Sorry, I forgot to say that I bought the Apricot Habenero Ketchup from that guy at the Farmers Market. Sunblest Orchards. It is really good as well!
Hi Lori,
I usually do one of three things. If the nutritional information is provided and I use the same ingredients, then, I calc the points+ off of that. If it isn’t, I will use:
* Calculate manually by looking up the points+ and dividing by the # of servings
* Recipe builder omitting fruits/veggies because it still calcs points for them
* Use caloriecount.com or myfitnesspal.com to calculate the nutrition facts then the points+. I honestly LOVE caloriecount.com because you can copy/paste the recipe….it can be quirky but once you learn it, it’s not too bad.
I am making the burgers tonight! Can’t wait!
Danica